Match Report

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ALTRINCHAM 0 KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 0

Saturday, 6 May, 2000 - Nationwide Conference Match - k.o. 3pm.

ALTRINCHAM RELEGATED TO THE UNIBOND (NORTHERN) PREMIER LEAGUE!

So, Grahame and Terry Rowley will have to write a sequel to their excellent volume Altrincham F.C.: the Unibond Years. Altrincham slipped out of the Conference when they chose the last day of the season to drop into the relegation places for the first time since August 1999, when they spent just nine days in that zone. Let us hope that the new volume will be only half as long as the original publication, which covered a two-year period.

TEAM NEWS

TEAMS

SUMMARY
Altrincham needed to win this match to ensure their Conference survival and came within one goal of doing just that. The nearest they came was to hit the post, but after failing to win any of their last eleven games, their fate was really sealed before today. In this match they played quite well but, as so often, rarely threatened to score. So, the first goalless draw at home this season meant that Altrincham will start next season in the Unibond Premier League.

MATCH REPORT

Kidderminster started the match attacking the Golf Road end in bright sunshine which was to persist throughout the match. The first five minutes were fairly scrappy as each side probed the other's defences. Kidderminster began to put some flowing and skilful movements together in which Bennett and Barnett were prominent. Key was forced to dive at the feet of Foster before Altrincham's Keith Russell was caught offside for the second time in the match (11 mins) as he attempted to get into the visitors' penalty area.

Andy Lovelock continued where he left off against Kingstonian; running busily but mixing quick and skilful forward movements with lapses of control and indifferent passing. A foul by Timons gave Kidderminster a free-kick on the edge of the Altrincham penalty area but the weak free-kick only found Altrincham's keeper, Lance Key (15 mins). Following Mike Marsh's foul on Steve Hawes, Simeon Hodson's free-kick near half-way let Hawes in for a rare header on goal but he only found Brock's arms with the ball (16 mins). Kevin Ellison won a throw down the left but Altrincham's left-sided player had a generally lacklustre game, exemplified by his loss of the ball following Adams's throw and Russell's pass. Clearly, Kevin is still not 100% fit.

As in recent matches, Altrincham's defence, though generally secure, found it difficult to gain much respite as possession was often given away too easily. Good work by Clarkson and Foster won Kidderminster a corner, off Talbot (18 mins), but the corner-kick only led to a Kidderminster throw over on their left. The visitors were showing their skills well at this point and Hadley got free in the box, only for his pass back to Barnett on the edge of the box to result in a shot past the post. Mike Marsh demonstrated his skills as he beat Russell and then Foster performed a scintillating run through the home defence and fed Dean Bennett, who should have scored, but his shot smashed against the crossbar, with Key beaten (21 mins). Almost immediately at the other end, the ball broke off Lovelock to Ellison whose shot was well over the bar (22 mins). After Altrincham again gave the ball away, nice combination play involving Foster, Gary Barnett, Marsh, Hinton and Dean Bennett saw the ball sweep across the pitch from one side to the other but finally Altrincham contrived to clear the ball. Almost immediately Stamps nutmegged Gallagher but Hawes then won a free-kick on the edge of the Kidderminster box, as he was held (26 mins). Lovelock then won a corner which was cleared by the defence as Timons went forward for a headed attempt on goal. Marsh, Bennett, Barnett, Stamps and Hadley then all figured in some impressive and sustained pressure from the champions, before Hadley headed over Key's bar (28 mins). Phil Power then had to give away a corner after Hadley ran down the left in a move which also involved Stamps and Marsh. Marsh's corner reached Stamps but in the ensuing action, Key was fouled (30 mins). However, Altrincham then knocked the ball through the centre of midfield into the path of the advancing Russell who was clearly felled by Pope, the last man. Mr Clattenberg quite rightly showed him the red card and for the second time in a week Altrincham had a one-man advantage for a substantial portion of a game (31 mins). Altrincham's free-kick hit the wall and as Kidderminster broke Key grabbed a through ball perilously close to the edge of his penalty area. With Gallagher, Russell and Adams prominent, Altrincham pressed to take advantage of their numerical superiority.

Right: Altrincham manager, Bernard Taylor, (in white shirt) watches the match.
Following a throw on the right by Hodson, Gallagher beat Marsh on the touchline and got to the goal-line, but his final pass only resulted in a Kidderminster throw. Foster was caught offside in the Altrincham half whilst at the other end Lovelock vainly tried to get at a loose ball in the box but the ball was shepherded to safety by defenders (39 mins). Ellison then had two bites at a cross from the left; the first was blocked, the second was high and behind the goal (40 mins). Lovelock almost took advantage after a Kidderminster defender slipped over but he elected to lob, narrowly over, although Brock had it covered. Adams then surged forward and hit a powerful shot from 20 yards but the ball passed wide of the keeper's right post. Altrincham were still giving away possession, however, and Gallagher's hold on Stamps won the visitors a free-kick (43 mins). Key failed to gather the kick and Timons was unable to stop a corner being awarded on Kidderminster's right (44 mins). Marsh's corner was cleared and Russell was then flattened some 20 yards inside his own half. Although the Altrincham player received treatment from the physio, Paul Lake, no foul was given by the referee. As the referee blew for half-time, news came through that Welling were 1-0 up at Hednesford and Altrincham's fate therefore hung in the balance.

Talbot was fouled as he got to Adams's corner, on the edge of the box. Adams's finely struck free-kick from the corner of the box forced a magnificent save by Brock, diving to his right (65 mins). Brock then beat Morrell to a ball from Chambers and a corner from Hawes led to naught after Lovelock committed a foul. Although on top, Altrincham still had to counter dangerous moves, often prompted by Mike Marsh. Chambers then needlessly barged an opponent on half-way and was booked (69 mins) but Stamps's free-kick only found Key's hands. A through ball down the centre of the Kidderminster defence bounced in the box and Morrell, with only the keeper to beat elected to hit it first time but he hit it well over the bar- a golden chance! In the 70th minute the visitors replaced Foster with Taylor, as Altrincham continued to press. Talbot won back possesion after Adams gave it away before Hawes's pass found Hodson. The full-back's cross from the right found Morrell's head but, agonisingly, with Brock beaten, the ball hit the keeper's left post (73 mins). After Lovelock had lost the ball, Taylor's pass to Marsh resulted in the latter shooting too high (75 mins). After Adams won a corner, Russell fed Morrell whose first attempt failed when he stumbled and his second chance was blocked before relief came to the defence in the form of an offside decision (76 mins). It was then Russell's turn to fall over as he attempted to shoot in the box as manager Bernard Taylor grew increasingly animated. Marsh was then booked, off the ball, presumably for making comments to the referee (78 mins). The former Liverpool man was then substituted by Phil King, the ex-Aston Villa player. Gallagher then rescued Altrincham as Dean Bennett threatened the home goal before the fourth official held up a '4 minutes to play' board.

Simeon Hodson was then booked for a foul in midfield (87 mins) but Talbot cleared the resulting kick with a firm header. Kidderminster then held possession for most of the remaining three minutes. Altrincham grew increasingly desperate for the one goal that would save them from relegation and, first, centre-back Talbot and finally even keeper Lance Key, went upfield. The home side's last chance came and went when Lovelock was fouled on the half-way line and Kidderminster's clearance led to King's breakaway. Cunnington was then booked for a foul (89 mins) before Steve Hawes's crude tackle on Stamps resulted in his second yellow card and an ignominious end to Altrincham's battle for survival. Finally, just before the whistle, King shot over the bar from thirty yards. Gary Talbot and Keith Russell were named joint Men of the Match for Altrincham.


Gerry Berman addresses the fans after the game.
As Altrincham fans sought confirmation of the Welling and Forest Green results, they remained stunned at being in this position when, as recently as the start of April, they had been thirteenth in the league. However, after losing only eight times in 34 league matches, the loss of six of the last eight games means that Altrincham cannot complain too much about bad luck. The root cause of their demise is the lack of finance available for buying players, compounded by a desperate series of injuries to key players such as Coburn, Burke and Ellison. The relatively poor support from local residents only exacerbates the problem, with home crowds averaging under 1000. Bernard Taylor was a hero last year and until the last five weeks he had guided the team to a good position, despite the financial and fitness problems. Let us hope that any decision about the future is left to Bernard himself, whose popularity with the majority of the regular supporters remains intact. After the match, chairman Gerry Berman gave an impassioned speech to those supporters who had stayed behind for the Player of the Year awards in which he called for unity and promised that the Club would bounce back. It was gratifying that the Club's financial mainstay was not walking away from the Club's plight. (Pictures of the Player of the Year awards and the new Altrincham team strips may be found here).

The Unibond may lack the glamour of the Conference but it has its own attractions; shorter away journeys, lower gate prices and some new grounds to visit. Which players from the present team are still with us when we return at the start of next season remains to be seen but there are likely to be some significant changes. Let us hope that we can retain at least the nucleus of our present squad for a determined push to regain Conference status.