Trafford Sport
Gainsborough Trinity 2 Altrincham 0
3:33pm Monday 30th January 2012
ALTRINCHAM'S four-game unbeaten run, as well as Damian Reeves's sequence of scoring in 10 successive games, came to a disappointing end at a sunny Gainsborough on Saturday.
With a much lower playing budget than their well-funded hosts, Altrincham were again without goalkeeper Stuart Coburn and defender Marlon Broomes, both of whom were injured.
Although 17-year-old youth team keeper Adam Reid had kept goal capably for two games for the Robins, there was a debut in nets for Joe Collister, who had arrived on loan from Tamworth on the eve of the match.
And he was to be Alty's man of the match, setting the tone for a fine perfomance with a penalty save as early as the third minute.
The spot kick arrived when Alty captain Shaun Densmore tripped Trinity striker, Leon Mettam, on the outer edge of the box. Collister's dive to his right stopped the resulting spot-kick from Connor.
But the home side gained a deserved lead after 28 minutes when former Manchester City and Mansfield midfielder Jonathan d'Laryea's long ball got Mettam into the box, ahead of Alty's central defender, Adie Hawes. Mettam gave Collister no chance as he blasted the ball into the net.
Alty's only serious threat of levelling came in the 53rd minute when Jack Redshaw, signed by Morecambe last week but back on loan with Alty for a month, saw his shot diverted onto the upright by Gainsborough keeper, Emery.
Trinity wrapped the game up after 62 minutes when they were allowed to advance up their left side and, though Collister beat out their first shot, the ball came out to Ryan Williams. The former Mansfield winger sent a rasping shot skimming off Chris Lynch's head into the Altrincham net.
Alty threw on three second half subs as they went for a goal to get back into the game, one of them being debutant 17 year-old striker, Duncan Watmore.
During the game, Collister also needed to make a couple of excellent saves to keep the score down as Altrincham left the Northolme ground with no complaints at being beaten by a better side.
Defeat leaves the Robins still just outside the play-offs as they entertain Stalybridge Celtic this Saturday at Moss Lane (3pm).