United came away from Moss Lane with nothing as a seventh goal of the season from top scorer Colin Little gave the home side all three points.

With just one change from the team that drew at Torquay , Yemi Odubade replacing the injured James Constable, United started much the brighter of the two teams and dominated the first half. They had the first chance as Lewis Haldane's accurate cross from the right was glanced just wide by the head of Jamie Guy from ten yards out. Two shots which smashed into the new houses behind the away terrace inside the first ten minutes may have been a bit wild but were a good indication of which end the game was being played in, and a third effort from Haldane almost  cannoned into the path of Odubade as he charged at keeper Coburn.

Altrincham are one of the top two teams in the form table but were struggling to get near Billy Turley's goal until the 18th minute when a dipping strike from Anthony Danylyk was heading into the goal until Turley arched backwards to tip it to safety. Turley had been struggling with a sore calf after the Torquay game and was clearly struggling to kick, but his long ball on 18 minutes created chaos as a defender could only nod it backwards to Guy who tried to lift it over Coburn but couldn't quite elevate it enough, Odubade blasting the rebound over the bar once again to threaten the new houses again. No wonder they are still unsold!

Chris Carruthers, again having a good game at left back, forced Coburn into another save on 25 minutes with a shot from six yards which the keeper smothered to his left with Odubade and Guy both ready and waiting for any rebound. Having dominated the first half hour United then found it hard to overcome a succession of niggly injuries, with Turley, Foster and Murray all requiring treatment, allowing the home side to have their own best spell of possession without really troubling Turley and his defence before we reached the interval..

The second half began more evenly with neither keeper really being troubled, but then on 64 came the decisive moment as the home side took the lead. A ball over the top of Carruthers got Lee Elam in on the right and he raced to the goalline before crossing deep. Adam Murray tried to clear but made no contact and that allowed Little to take the ball down, set his sights, and drive the ball accurately into the corner of the net to give Turley no chance.

Having looked confident and composed before the break United were now looking leggy and struggling to keep their rhythm going, but sub Matty Taylor had a shot kicked off the line with his very first shot after the barreling run of Haldane had created an opening. The home side had certainly lifted their game but United were making a horrible crunching noise as they tried to move up a gear to match them. The late introduction of Eddie Hutchinson and a three man front line saw more purpose, and there were very strong penalty appeals as James Clarke surged into the area and, with his shirt clearly being pulled, went down. Ref Eltringham interpreted it as a dive by Clarke, other officials might have pointed to the spot.

On 85 United almost found the equaliser when Deering got clear in exactly the same place that Clarke had done and put in a great cross which would have been converted by Taylor if Coburn hadn't thrown himself bravely to fingertip the ball away, and a Burnell shot on 89 was going in until it was deflected away for a corner. Those half chances will be little consolation.

Having won on their last two visits to Altrincham The U's had let a good first half fade to nothing, and yet again failed to build on a promising performance in midweek. That dreaded inconsistency has to be ironed out.

Att: 1,806

Report by Chris Williams

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