DAN Mooney scored a dramatic last-gasp winner to round off a memorable 24 hours for Altrincham after they played host to former Scotland striker Ally McCoist for the launch of a National Lottery initiative and followed up by extending their remarkable recent home record.

Sky Sports News cameras and BBC Radio Five Live were among a sizeable media presence at The J.Davidson Stadium last Friday after Alty were chosen by the National Lottery as the ideal launchpad for their Football Weekends scheme, due to the Robins’ extensive involvement with the local community.

McCoist was recruited to promote a scheme offering a free match ticket against Aldershot on Saturday for anyone buying a ticket and also holding a valid National Lottery ticket, and he was at the ground at 7.30am, ready to take part in a range of activities and speak to each media outlet in turn.

After joining in with walking football in the Community Sports Hall, he gave a name check to one of the club’s many volunteers, Colin Mitchell, during a live interview with Sky Sports News.

“There is something real and honest about non-league football, and I have loved being here this morning with so many people at Altrincham Football Club,” he said.

“You are on top of the game, for one thing, and you get people like Colin, who I’ve just been playing walking football with. He works on the turnstiles, and he comes here two hours before kick off to make sure he’s ready to take the admission money.

“It means missing the first half of the game, and he does it for nothing as a volunteer, but he loves the club, and that’s what you get here.”

The following day was Non-League Day, and Mooney’s 87th-minute strike finally pierced Aldershot’s resistance to make it five straight wins at home, with 14 goals scored and none conceded.

“Aldershot sat back for most of the game, so we had to be patient,” said Alty’s on-loan right-back Harry Perritt.

“We stuck at it and deserved the goal when it came, no one more so than Dan.”