Nationwide Conference Saturday 4^th March 2000

Altrincham  3     Sutton United 0

Sutton continued with their disappointing form which has seen United win only once in the last ten games and collect a total of five points from a possible thirty. A win in this game could have seen United lifted off the bottom of the table .

The first half started well for Sutton when Sammy Winston received Dave Harlow's throw and laid the ball back nicely for Jimmy Dack who hit a fierce shot towards Lance Key in the Altrincham goal, the keeper only just managed to force the shot wide after a few fumbles from the original shot. The corner was taken by Dack and the ball was headed backwards to Barry Laker who blasted his shot over the bar. With ten minutes gone Altrincham had their best chance of the match so far when the ball came to Keith Russell who's shot went inches wide. Five minutes later and Andy Riley's slip up let in Mick Morrell for a one on one with Gareth Howells but the forward's shot went wide of the target. With twenty minutes gone Sutton played the ball forward to Harlow who knocked the ball into the area for Aiden Newhouse to head down into Mark Watson's path unfortunately Watson couldn't get a good enough first touch and the ball was easily collected by Key. With half an hour gone Altrincham attacked again with Shawn Goodwin turning Danny Brooker and going down in side the penalty area but no foul was given. As the half was near it's end the United defence struggled to clear another attack the ball fell to Kevin Ellison whose shot was well saved by Howells.

Straight from the start of the first half Altrincham attacked the United goal and won a corner from the slow Sutton defence, the ball was whipped in and found the head of Gary Talbot who headed home for the first of Altrincham's goals . The United defence were unable to organise them selves quickly and virtually straight from the restart Darren Brodrick brought down Goodwin just out side the area, the free kick was struck low into the bottom right hand corner by Kevin Ellison. Altrincham were happy to sit back and watch as Sutton tried to get back into the game but through out this game Sutton's forward line had a ghost like quality about them, the ball was constantly hit into the area but the defence cleared it, the goal keeper claimed it or ,very rarely,  a Sutton player had a shot. Sutton pushed forward in order to rescue a point but United were eventually caught out by an eighty third minute Altrincham break,  when Keith Russell was played through on a one on one with Howells. He managed to slide the ball under the Sutton keeper to finish a disappointing result for Sutton and underline Alty's second half supremacy . Altrincham did have Timons sent off in the finally few minutes of the game but that didn't make any difference to the final outcome to the game. Sutton are now the bottom of the table and four points behind Welling who managed a point .

Elation        Please write in.

Deflation    Take your pick .

Sutton United 1 Howells 2 Brooker 3 Skelly 4 Riley 5 Laker 6 Harlow 7 Dack 8 Newhouse 9 Winston 10 Watson 11 Brodrick  
( SUBS 12 Berry 14 Forrester 15 Sears  16 Rowlands )

Altrincham 1 Key 2 Hodson 3 Adams 4 Timons 5 Talbot 6 Goodwin 7 Gallagher 8 Russell 9 Morrell 10 Landon 11 Ellison
( SUBS 12 Lovelock 14 Senior 15 Kielty16 Hulston 17 Skelton)