Altrincham Bamber Bridge

Brief report by John Laidlar from his Alty Pages. where a full report can be found

6 March, 2001

ALTRINCHAM (1) 1 BAMBER BRIDGE (1) 2

Unibond Premier League Match, played on Tuesday, 6 March, 2001, at 7-45p.m.

SCORERS

13 mins: Steve FINNEY (Altrincham 1 Bamber Bridge 0)
16 mins: Phil ROBINSON (pen.)(Altrincham 1 Bamber Bridge 1)

56 mins: Dave McCANN (Altrincham 1 Bamber Bridge 2)

REFEREE: Mr Allan Rawcliffe.

ATTENDANCE: Guesstimate 400

TEAMS

6.3.01	ALTRINCHAM	versus.	BAMBER BRIDGE
7.45pm	Red & white shirts, black shorts and socks	---.	White and black shirts; red shorts; red & white socks
1.	Stuart COBURN	1.	Billy STEWART (capt.)
2.	Adam FARLEY	2.	Dave McCANN
3.	Steve PORTER	3.	Lee PRYERS
4.	Terry BOWKER	4.	Phil ROBINSON
5.	Mark MADDOX	5.	Simon WOODWARD
6.	Steve HAWES (capt.)	6.	Andy FARLEY
7.	Mark WARD	7.	Paul RYAN
8.	Stuart SCHEUBER	8.	Andy MORAN
9.	Steve FINNEY	9.	Karl ROBINSON
10.	Ian CRANEY	10.	Andy WHITTAKER
11.	Danny MURPHY	11.	Brad PATES
12.	James GLENDENNING	12.	Simon BURTON
14.	Keith MAIRS	14.	Paul CROMPTON
15.	Neil WAKEFIELD	15.	Lee WESTWOOD

BACKGROUND
Altrincham's unsuccessful run continued with this home defeat which means they have just one win from their last ten league games since New Year's Day. Weather conditions were bad, especially when heavy, lashing rain was added to the already strong, gusty wind midway through the first half.

SUMMARY
Altrincham failed to make the most of the wind advantage in the first half although they went ahead when Finney finished off a free-kick from Hawes with a well-placed header after 13 minutes. However, just three minutes later Coburn tripped up Whittaker when the Brig striker appeared to be heading nowhere, wide to the right of goal. There were few complaints when the ref awarded a penalty and Phil Robinson converted, though Coburn got close to it (16 mins). The visitors then enjoyed a good spell before equilibrium was restored and the half ended at 1-1. Following a melee of players on the Popular Side touchline, just inside the Altrincham half, Bamber Bridge were awarded a free-kick. This was headed past Coburn from close range by McCann (56 mins). Altrincham went on to dominate the rest of the match as Bamber Bridge offered very little other than hopeful wind-assisted punts for the final half-hour. Alty thought they had equalised through Scheuber just after the hour mark but Murphy was adjudged to be offside. However, the Robins just could not score and, once more, the lack of an out-and-out striker was evident.

TEAM NEWS
Mark Ward fielded another very young side, with the experience of Gallagher, Scott and Landon missing from his selected fourteen. Apart from Ward himself, surprisingly starting this game despite his awaiting a cartilage operation, only Mark Maddox remained of the veterans. Whether all of the missing players were injured or whether some were simply omitted is not clear. Altrincham played with a back four, with Finney up front, supplemented by Murphy and Craney concentrating on making progress along the flanks. Mark Ward gave Neil Wakefield a place on the bench but he was not to make his league debut in this match. Bamber Bridge included new men Karl Robinson, from Marine and Andy Moran, on-loan from Hereford, in their starting line-up. Moran and Whittaker played up-front in a 4-4-2 formation. Brig's starting line-up showed five changes of personnel since our game at the Irongate; the Robins's side showed seven changes in the starting eleven. For Alty's Terry Bowker it was a match against a team for whom he had himself played once earlier this season, before injury led to his return to Moss Lane.

FINAL SCORE: ALTRINCHAM 1 BAMBER BRIDGE 2

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