James Constable once again provided the winning goal as The U's continued their excellent home form in the Blue Square Premier. Constable's fourteenth goal of an increasingly  prolific season ensured that United ended a troubled week on a high.

Chris Wilder's side started fairly brightly and had four efforts at goal inside the first fifteen minutes, a Lewis Haldane drive blocked, a Constable shot comfortably saved, and two efforts just over the bar from Constable and Luke Foster. With new signing Craig Nelthorpe always willing to get at his defender and deliver crosses early from the left and Haldane stretching Altrincham on the other flank it was all very encouraging without really being threatening.

Altrincham's 3-4-3 shape was asking a few questions but was also giving lots of space to Adam Murray who was spraying passes all over the pitch, but with Altrincham looking very solid  in defence too much of the game was being played in front of them rather than in behind. Indeed the visitors should have taken the lead on 43 minutes as Colin Little blazed the clearest effort of the half over the bar from ten yards as he turned.

United's best opening was right on the break as Constable was denied by a superb tackle from Mark McGregor just as he pulled the trigger, but early in the second a speculative cross/shot from Constable swung in late and struck the woodwork and raised the temperature a little.

That spilled over on 52 as Constable was poleaxed off the ball and a three minute delay and kerfuffle ended with the United top scorer and marker Greg Young both going into ref Coote's book. That got the crowd and the match going and both sides started to really get stuck in.

A good save from Turley denied Anthony Danylyk on the hour but Constable seemed to be staging a one man campaign for the opener and on 68 was not to be denied. First he lunged in for a 50/50 challenge inside the area which many players would have thought twice about. Then when the newly arrived Sappleton inadvertently knocked the ball back to him he swivelled, still on the floor, and thumped the ball into the roof of the net. That's six home games on the trot that Constable has scored in, fourteen goals for the season and five goals in the last six matches. No wonder the home crowd were now singing 'sign him on' after a week where that very subject has dominated the headlines.

United had started to dominate now and should have sealed the game on 77 minutes as a looped ball dropped to Sappleton, with only the surprised keeper between him and the net. Credit to keeper Coburn for quickly closing him down but the ball should really have gone into the net to make it 2-0.

Altrincham scrapped away but rarely looked like finding a way past Turley and their task became even tougher on 84 as Danylyk tugged the surging Murray back and was shown a  second yellow, and then a very swift red card.

Another decent win and United can get back in credit by making it six points from two games if they win on Tuesday night when they have another home match, this time against Forest Green Rovers. Come and join us.

Att: 4,249

Away: 109

Report: Chris Williams

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