LIVE: Alty 2 Crawley Town 3

When you follow a team so closely it's impossible not to make an emotional investment in them and on nights like this that means utter dejection.

But if I feel like this, it's hard to imagine how the players, coaches and fans feel. They really must be inconsolable.

After a defeat like this, you seriously worry about Alty's chances of survival and considering the result hinged on a questionable - and that's being kind - refereeing decision, it's enough to drive you to despair.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson ranted about the standard of refereeing after his side's FA Cup exit at the weekend and he's not even been subjected to the officials in the Blue Square Premier.

Too often we see incompetent, whistle-happy referees ruin games and that's certainly been the case tonight.

So thanks Mr Procter-Green, you've made my night.

GOAL - 90(+4) mins - Alty 2 (Little) Crawley 3 - A late consolation for Alty as Little chips Bayes to make the scoreline more respectable.

It matters little though, as the Robins will still go home with absolutely nothing.

90 mins - Time has nearly run out and Alty's players look truly dejected out there.

They've given their all but have still come away with nothing - sometimes there is just no justice in this world.

The two Grahams are just standing motionless, i don't think they know quite what to make of this.

GOAL - 84 mins - Alty 1 Crawley 3 (Pinault) - And that is that.

Thomas Pinault was given too much space on the right flank and he set himself before hitting an unstoppable 25-yard strike past Acton - a superb strike.

80 mins - Just 10 minutes left know but you still get the feeling there could be something in this game for the Robins.

Crawley have been far from convincing and all it takes is the slightest slip - as we saw six minutes ago - to give Alty a point.

They've performed well throughout the second half and deserve something for their efforts.

Playing with 10 men as a part-time team, in the midst of a gruelling schedule can't be easy and there certainly would be no shame in defeat if that were to be the case.

GOAL - 74 mins - Alty 1 (Little) Crawley 2 - The faintest hope for Alty as Little capitalises on a catastrophic defensive error to pull a goal back.

Quite what Stevens was intending with his back pass is anyone's guess but he sold his keeper ridiculously short and Little nipped in to walk the ball into the net.

GOAL - 73 mins - Alty 0 Crawley 2 (Thompson) - It looks to be all over now.

A great run and through ball from Kevin James released Dannie Bulman down the right channel, he pulled the ball across goal and Tyrone Thompson had a simple tap in.

The players are having the fight knocked out of them.

65 mins - Tom Cahill has come on for Liam King as Graham Heathcote attempts to change the course of this game.

It looks like Alty may stay as there are, in a 4-4-1 formation, but Cahill will get forward from midfield to provide support for Little whenever he can.

The Robins have even had a half decent chance to get themselves back on level terms as Shotton's long throw reached Little at the far post. But Alty's top scorer could only fire wide.

60 mins - So, 0-1 here and still 0-0 at Weymouth v Farsley. As it stands, both Alty's rivals in the battle to avoid relegation will make up ground on them tonight.

The situation here makes you realise just how difficult it is to compete in this division. Tonight's game was seen as a chance to pick up points and there are few more games in the schedule you would instantly call 'winnable'.

There is plenty of football still to be played but rotten luck like this won't get Alty far.

GOAL - 58 mins - Alty 0 Crawley 1 (Pittman) - The commentator's curse.

Just as I had finished my last update, Pittman cut in from the right, socrched past a couple of defenders and fired a superb finish low into the far corner.

It's a serious uphill struggle now.

55 mins - This has been an impressive response to a serious setback.

For the first 10 minutes of this half, the Robins' players have worked for each other, kept their shape and remained solid. Keep it up and there might just be something in this game for them.

Crawley, on the other hand, have looked dull and uninspired. They've done nothing to suggest they can break the 10 men down, although the electric pace of their strikers will cause problems as players tire.

50 mins - Alty have started the second half lively enough and have yet to be threatened by Crawley.

But, understandably, Little has looked isolated up front on his own and it really is difficult to see where the goals are going to come from for the Robins. Set pieces will likely be their best chance.

That decision before half time really does make you question the standard of refereeing in this division once again.

The officials in the Blue Square Premier are simply not consistent enough and when the decisions they make on the pitch have the power to help send a team down, something has to be done.

HALF TIME - Not a good half for Alty.

It's not that they've played particularly badly, in fact they've donw reasonably well, but no goals and a sending off means the Robins are up against it now.

It really will be difficult for them to hold on to the point now and it would require a truly heroic display for them to claim all three points.

The referee left the field to a chorus of boos and it's easy to see why. With the first booking dubious and the second an extremely harsh one, his decision to send off O'Neill will take some justifying.

RED CARD - 45 mins - Joe O'Neill (Altrincham) - This is just what the Robins didn't need.

O'Neill has received his marching orders for a second bookable offence and it seems like a particularly harsh one.

the striker picked up a booking on 32 minutes after a bit of argy bargy on the touchline and then after a late tackle on Jamie Stevens, he picked up his second.

There seems to be some confusion about the first offence though, with Alty's bench convinced it wasn't O'Neill that should've booked.

We knew there would be drama, but this is the kind of drama Alty really don't need right now.

40 mins - The crowd has been pretty subdued so far tonight. In fact, the only voice you can hear continually ring around Moss Lane is that of Evans.

The man really should consider a career as a town crier, he has a great set of lungs on him.

Not much else to report though really. Alty have endeavoured to get forward and break their opponents down but have so far found the task extremely difficult.

35 mins - Alty continue to look the more threatening of the two teams but they haven't really created too many jitters among the Crawley defence.

They did have a decent chance on the half-hour mark though as Liam King picked up a cross at the far post and cut the ball back to O'Neill, who was denied at point blank range by Bayes.

If they continue to prod and probe at the visitors' defence though, you do get the feeling they will have some joy at some point. Patience is the key word.

30 mins - Another half chance for Alty there as Lawton split the defence with a delightful through ball.

Shotton was the man who found himself on the end of it though and he produced a defender's finish, dragging his shot across the face of goal.

Crawley have been poor so far. they've barely managed to string two passes together and have spent most of the time camped in their own half.

I reckon they'd be more than happy to go in at half time at 0-0. Strange for a team that have already announced their promotion ambitions for next season!

25 mins - The wind's really starting to whip up around the gtound now in preparation for the gales we're expecting later tonight!

It will only get worse during the game but one one of Acton's goal kicks literally stopped in the air as he launched it up towards halfway.

They'll be better keeping it on the ground tonight and what better surface to do it on? The pitch is still looking absolutely immaculate, which is pretty remarkable considering the winter we've had.

Great credit has to go to groundsman Neil Brown.

20 mins - Still very little going on here, although I doubt that'll be the same throughout the evening.

Alty have just won a couple of corners in a row but Crawley defended them reasonably well, keeping it very compact inside the area.

The visitors look like a well-organised side and could prove to be difficult to break down.

I suppose they'd be happy to keep it tight for 90 minutes and snatch a winner somewhere along the line, to gain revenge for the smash and grab job the Robins did at their place earlier in the season.

15 mins - Much like on Saturday, it's been a really cagey start to the game, with few chances for either side.

O'Neill's early effort has been the only shot on target, in fact it's been the only real shot of any note.

On-loan Crewe left back Lynch looks an assured defender and good on the ball.

But, most importantly, he's a left-footer. Alty desperately needed someone comfortable in that position because they've looked weak there since James Jennings returned to Macc. Both Halifax and Forest Green exploited the lack of solidity with varying degrees of success in the past two games.

10 mins - As the team settles into its shape, early ideas on the formation appear to be completely wrong - you just can never tell how the two Grahams are going to set the team up.

The back four is as expected but it's a midfield four, with Lane on the right, Lawton and King sitting slightly deeper in the middle and Peyton on the left.

Little is operating up front alongside O'Neill, so a slightly more adventurous formation than against Forest Green, just!

5 mins - An early test for Crawley keeper Ashley Bayes as Joe O'Neill fires in a decent volley on the turn after just three minutes. Bayes was equal to it though, turning it comfortably away.

Crawley boss Steve Evans has already started exercising his vocal chords down on the touchline, he's one of those managers who never seems to be happy, even at 0-0 with only a few minutes on the clock.

The Main Stand regulars let him know what they think, loud shouts of 'shut up' welcoming him to Cheshire. We're a friendly bunch here.

7.45pm - Off we go on what will likely be another dramatic night at Moss Lane.

We'll keep an eye on the score between Weymouth and Farsley at the Wessex Stadium, as this could be an absolutely crucial night in the battle for Blue Square Premier survival.

Fanfare for the Common Man has just roared across the sound system here as our beloved announcer Rafo has finally found the misplaced CD.

It's time for action!

7.30pm - A sensational bit of late team news from Moss Lane, keeper Stuart Coburn ruled out with a groin injury.

It means Richard Acton starts for the first time since the Runcorn Linnets Cheshire Senior Cup quarter-final on November 13.

There is also a debut for loan signing Ryan Lynch at left back, which means Ryan Toulson drops to the bench.

Otherwise it is the same line-up that started against Forest Green on Saturday, with Chris Lane continuing as the holding man in midfield and Colin Little the lone front man.

There is only a place on the bench for Chris Senior, back after work commitments ruled him out on Saturday, and goal hero Richard Battersby.

Alty (4-1-4-1): Acton; Shotton, Tinson, Young, Lynch; Lane; Lawton, King, Peyton, O'Neill; Little. Subs: Toulson, Senior, Battersby, Roca, Cahill.

Crawley (4-4-1-1): Bayes; Bradley, Stevens, Wilson, Murphy; Thompson, Bulman, James, Dutton-Black; Pinault; Pittman. Subs: Blackburn, Allen, Dubois, Krause, Carayol.