It is a big step-up from Bideford, where Gerring has been playing most recently, but good for him for giving it a go with the Gulls. From Torquay’s point of view, it may be a case of 'needs must', but I reckon they should be applauded for trying to do something different by turning to the local scene and not just bring in players from up the country.

Kevin is still looking at players from further afield, though, and Achille Campion is training with his squad with a view to a loan move from Port Vale. I’ve seen Campion play. He’s a big striker from France who has played in America before trying his luck with various clubs in England. His first touch is not always the best, but he is an unpredictable player who could bring a bit of height and presence to the Gulls’ front line.

He reminds me a bit of Tim Sills and, if his move works out, he could help Torquay get the ball up the pitch. At least the arrival of him and Gerring shows United are trying to improve things. Kevin has stopped the rot, and now he needs to add some flowers to the grass. One player who has been doing well lately for the Gulls is Tyrone Marsh. I remember seeing him play for Welling United early last season. He was their only stand-out player, and I marked my card there and then.

I’ve got a lot of time for Tyrone. He has a bit of pace and power. He still needs to learn a few things, but hopefully he can blossom into a really good player for Torquay'".

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

It is understood the wide man will serve a three-match ban. Barrow had already endured a blow in the first period when Anthony Wilson was forced to retreat with what is suspected to be a ‘hip flexor’ injury, while fellow striker Andy Cook was forced off in the second period after sustaining a nasty swelling on his foot. Edmondson did not completely blame Pilkington’s sending off for the defeat in the wake of Barrow’s lacklustre display but he certainly felt it was a major contributing factor.

'I think the sending off changed the complexion of the game completely, straight after half time', Edmondson said. 'Everything you say at half-time then goes out of the window. You’ve got to restructure and re-think about how you are going to then re-shape your team and then look to build some counter attacks. The injury to Wilson early on in the game also changed our dimension at the start; you’re regrouping from there.

'I think a hasty red card was given... As you are starting to build some momentum, Cooky gets injured in what becomes a very frustrating afternoon'.

Edmondson confirmed that striker Jason Walker missed today’s fourth-qualifying round tie after being injured in a car crash last week. According to the manager, the incident happened on Tuesday when the striker was driving to training. 'He was involved a car crash in midweek and was stiff in the back and the top end of the back and the neck as well so he wasn’t available', added Edmondson... 'He’s jarred his neck and lower back; someone has come into the side of him.'".

ALTRINCHAM 1 CHESTER FC 0

Right: Gavin Rathbone of GR Photography captures Josh O'Keefe and Damian Reeves in action on Saturday. 563 Chester fans entered the away end for the match.

Match report here.

CONGRATULATIONS, DAMIAN!

CHESTER VIEWS

The away side looked impressive in the opening stages of the game... With Altrincham continuing to apply pressure to the Blues defence, the away side came back on the counter charge...

Altrincham, however, took the lead on the fifty first minute through lead marksman Damian Reeves. Worsnop did well to save a free kick from midfielder Moult but Reeves did well to pounce on the re-bound, despite the hint of offside.

It almost looked as if Chester were going to go two-nil down soon after, with referee Wigglesworth pointing to the penalty spot. Worsnop came bursting off his line and saved the ball well, but Richman lost his footing in the challenge, causing him to go down dramatically, causing a penalty to be given... The decision was overturned".

More came from the Leader which says "Chester made just one change to the side that had won 2-1 at home to Halifax the week before. Craig Hobson returned to the starting line-up in place of on loan Oxford United forward James Roberts who suffered a hamstring injury against the Shaymen...

Bowerman should have put the hosts ahead in the 40th minute, after a neat passing move, but his attempted effort from the edge of the area flew over the bar with just Worsnop to beat. Altrincham looked a big threat in the closing stages of the half, but they failed to beat Worsnop...

But Altrincham made it 1-0 in the 52nd minute when Damian Reeves fired home after Worsnop had parried a James Lawrie free kick one-handed from 25 yards. Chester came close to levelling, but Hannah's 25 yard thunderbolt was saved one handed by Deasy.

Altrincham saw a penalty decision awarded by the referee in the 67th minute when Simon Richman went down under a challenge from Worsnop, but the referee then changed his decision after realising he had made a mistake and delivered a bounce ball which Worsnop cleared.

Substitute Tom Peers rifled a goalbound shot from 10 yards which Deasy did well to save as Chester pressed hard to get on level terms. But the Blues struggled to string passes together and couldn't find an equaliser despite four minutes of added time".

And the Chester Chronicle states that "The Blues fail to make the first round proper and miss out on a cash prize of £12,500...

The Blues could have no real complaint over the result with the Robins more deserving of a place in the first round at the end of a game that never came close being a classic.

Chester made a bright enough start... But the Robins then took control of proceedings and were unfortunate not to make the breakthrough as George Bowerman wasted three openings...

The second-half was seven minutes old when Altrincham took a deserved lead when Worsnop parried James Lawrie's free-kick and the ball dropped to the clinical Damian Reeves, who stabbed home.

Chester almost found an immediate response when Deasy made an acrobatic stop to turn a Hannah strike behind... In a bizzare moment on 67 minutes, Altrincham were awarded a penalty when referee Richard Wigglesworth ruled an incredulous Worsnop had brought down Simon Richman despite the goalkeeper getting the ball. However, the official then reversed his decision following input from his assistant...

Aside from the disappointment at crashing out at this stage, Chester will be counting the cost of missing out on another lucrative run in the FA Cup. Last season the competition brought in more than £100,000 and the significance of an amount like that for a supporter-owned club cannot be underestimated.

The ramifications of this loss are two-fold: there will be far less room for manoeuvre in the club's budget and the manager's plans for mid-season strengthening have taken a huge dent. It's clear his squad needs fresh impetus but without the prize money, gate receipts and potential television revenue the FA Cup can provide, that's going to be extremely difficult to achieve...

There are a number of areas in which the performance fell short but the most obvious was in midfield where Jake Moult, Simon Richman and Josh O'Keefe had an all-too-easy afternoon. Without Luke George, the Blues are desperately short of someone who can get in opponent's faces, shut down the space and win second balls...

Chester failed to match the desire and enthusiasm of an Altrincham side who have themselves endured a poor season to date...

Steve Burr... will have to work with what he has and strive to move on those players who have failed to live up to expectations, and being brutally honest there are five or six names that make that list".

TASC DRAW

• Signed AFC home shirt: Bob Peters.
• Framed photo: Laurence Howarth
• Two free seats on supporters' coach: Peter Crawford.

You are invited to join the Monthly Draw; details here.

FA CUP 4QR SCORES

• NORTH DRAW
• Gateshead 1-2 Worcester C.
• AFC Fylde 1-0 Barrow
• Wrexham 0-1 Gainsborough Trinity
• Northwich V. 0-0 Chorley
• Harrogate T. 1-4 Grimsby T.
• Barwell 2-2 AFC Rushden
• Salford C. 1-0 Southport
• Sporting Khalsa 1-3 FC United of Manchester
• Stalybridge C. 1-1 N. Ferriby United
• FC Halifax 2-2 Guisely
• Tranmere R. 0-0 Lincoln C.
• Stourbridge 3-0 Kidderminster H.
• Macclesfield T. 3-2 Alfreton T.
• Brackley T.3-0 Bamber Bridge
• ALTRINCHAM 1-0 Chester FC

• Maidenhead United 3 - 0 Woking
• Basingstoke Town 3 - 0 Torquay United
• Boreham Wood 2 - 1 AFC Hornchurch
• Margate 1 - 2 Forest Green Rovers
• Eastbourne Borough 1 - 2 Dover Athletic
• Staines Town 2 - 1 Gloucester City
• Aldershot Town 1 - 0 Sutton United
• Bromley 1 - 2 Eastleigh
• Braintree Town 2 - 0 Harlow Town
• Havant & Waterlooville 3 - 3 Cheltenham Town

On Sunday, Grays Athletic play Welling (2pm).

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

'We were simply not good enough today', he said. 'That comes down to me; I prepare the lads and I coach them, so I need to improve and make sure they are better prepared. We’ve got to be more ruthless and stop conceding goals from set-pieces...

'All that matters now is next Saturday and making sure our character and our preparation is what it should be so that we can bounce back from this in the right way. I would like to apologise to the fans; it was an unacceptable performance, but we will be working hard to improve'".

OLD BOY

FA CUP COVERAGE

Filmed using only a mobile phone and presented by Radio 1Xtra's Nick Bright, Mobile Match of the Day will give a unique insight into the dressing rooms, the match action and the fans' stories.

The Emirates FA Cup first-round draw takes place on Monday, 26 October and is live on BBC Two, 5 live Sport and on the BBC Sport website at 19:00 GMT...

[There will be] live coverage of a first-round tie on 6 November on BBC Two and every first-round goal [will be] available to watch on the BBC Sport website... Just like last season, the FA Cup draw will travel around the country, with Monday's first-round draw taking place live from Thackley Juniors Football Club in Bradford.

The first-round action kicks off on Friday, 6 November with live coverage from one of the most anticipated ties on BBC Two at 19:30 GMT, presented by Dan Walker along with Trevor Sinclair and Jermaine Jenas.

On Saturday, 7 November Football Focus will be live from 12:10 GMT at one of the day's big fixtures, with FA Cup Final Score showing all the key action as it happens from eight selected matches on Sunday, 8 November... Finally, there will also be a comprehensive 90-minute highlights show on BBC Two on the Sunday at 18:30 GMT".

ALTRINCHAM 1 CHESTER FC 0

Above: Worsnop beats out Sinnott's freekick but Reeves is on hand to net the rebound.

Altrincham progressed to the First Round with their first home FA Cup win for eleven years. The winner came after 51 minutes when a foul on Richman gave Sinnott a freekick from 22 yards. His well struck effort was beaten out by goalkeeper Worsnop but Reeves nipped in to net the loose ball.

There was a bizarre episode midway through the second half...

Match report here..

CHESTER MATCH ARRANGEMENTS

"Due to the number of enquiries that we and Chester FC have had concerning segregation for Saturday's FA Cup fixture, we would like to state that, following a meeting between the Club and the local police, due to the numbers predicted to travel, the Chester fans will be housed in the normal away terracing but covered accommodation will be made available to travelling fans if inclement weather conditions are predicted/occur".

A diagrammatic plan of the ground can be seen below.

Gate Prices:

• Standing: Adults £14 Concessions £9 (entrance turnstiles 1 to 4 shown as "Away Fans' Turnstiles" in diagram below)
• Seating: Adults £15 Concessions £10 (entrance turnstiles 5 and 6 shown as "Stand' Turnstiles" in diagram below)
• Disabled with Helper: Combined price £14
• 12-16 year olds: £5
• Under 12: £2

Please assist the speedy admission of spectators by tendering the correct money. Thank you.

ALTRINCHAM v CHESTER FC: MATCH COVERAGE

Brian Flynn advises that "Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, is providing full live commentary of Saturday's game at The J.Davidson Stadium. The match sponsor is Ian Wilkinson.

The commentators are Mike Reeves and Brian Flynn and the match summariser is John Edwards. Coverage starts at 2.50pm and you can listen to Radio Robins on the internet at http://www.radiorobins.com/

PREVIOUS MEETING

It has been a long wait since Altrincham last won a home FA Cup match; back in 2004 we beat Farsley Celtic. In six matches since then we have drawn twice and lost four times.

BEFORE THE GAME: CHESTER VIEWS

As Barry Pikesley points out he seems to have forgotten "Two joyously comprehensive defeats as a Macclesfield Town player in FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round replays at Moss Lane in 1988 and 1990 respectively."!

The Chester Chronicle quotes Chester winger Craig Mahon “I think against Alty is going to be a tough one and similar to Stockport last season but, if we knuckle down and get our confidence back, I think we can get through to the first round and hopefully get a good draw. The FA Cup is magical and things happen for a reason."

The Chronicle adds that "Midfielder Luke George will face a late fitness test on Saturday but has a chance of making his first appearance in 10 games since pulling a thigh muscle in the home defeat by Forest Green Rovers on September 5.

On-loan Oxford United striker James Roberts will not be available for selection for the clash due to his parent club not wishing the 19-year-old to become cup tied."

The Chronicle adds "The Blues earned in excess of £100,000 from four games in the competition last term and head to Altrincham on Saturday...

Burr has one of the smallest squads in the National League and feels injuries to the likes of Craig Mahon, Luke George and Ross Hannah and Luke George have been in a factor in an up-and-down season.And another good run would bring in valuable funds that can be used to improve the depth of his squad for the back end of the campaign.

'It was a big help last year with the finances we brought into the club and it allowed us to go and strengthen the side in the January transfer window with some good loans and signing one or two players', said Burr, whose team go to Moss Lane following back-to-back wins over Southport and FC Halifax Town.

'It's important again for us to go on another journey like that financially but the FA Cup puts the spotlight on you in a national stage. We had a tremendous run and it was a great experience, it always is for players, managers and fans alike.

'We had two poor results against Altrincham last year so we want to address that. We'll do our homework on Alty and get ourselves right because there's still a lot of areas that we need to improve on. We've had two good results but the performances over the 90 minutes need to be a lot better and that's something we're working on.

'The pleasing thing was that we got two wins and we're always looking to improve so hopefully we can do that again on Saturday and get ourselves in the first round'...

George, who has missed the last 10 games, is the concern with the ex-Southport midfielder on the verge of a return, but Burr won't take a chance unless convinced over his fitness. 'He's got a slight strain on his calf and with him being so close we don't want any setbacks that keep him for a longer period of time', said Burr.

'We'll see how he is but it's great that he's almost there and ready to be back because we've missed him and I know how frustrated the lad has been so the sooner we get him back the better. We've got one or two little bumps or bruises from the Halifax game but nothing really serious and we go into the game fit and ready to have a good crack at the FA Cup'"

THURSDAY'S YOUTH MATCH IN WORDS, SOUND AND IMAGES

Courtesy of Brian Flynn, the Radio Robins commentary from the match can be heard again...

• 1st half
• 2nd half

Images from the game are on Facebook.

FA YOUTH CUP

Cheltenham Town were also relegated from League Two last season but their youth team are in the first round proper after a 2-0 win over Gosport Borough. In a game that was played at Bishop’s Cleeve, it was Luke Thomas and Karnell Chambers who bagged the goals and the Robins will now welcome Swindon Town in the next round...

Alfie Barker’s double put Boreham Wood in the first round at the expense of Great Wakering Rovers, as their 2-1 victory sets up a clash with Barnet in the next round".

ALTY ADVANCE IN FA YOUTH CUP

Early in the second half Leather got to the left byline, beat a defender and drove home an angled shot across the keeper to make it 2-0 (47 mins). But five minutes from the end of normal time, the otherwise dependable Jones misjudged a through ball and left it to run towards goakeeper Havern. The keeper blocked Walker's effort but Blackett was on hand to drive the loose ball into the net.

Two minutes later, when Fisher's challenge left substitute Gladstone on the ground, Alty were relieved to see no penalty awarded and they hung on through three minutes of added time to secure a 2-1 win.

Report to follow.

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Last Saturday the former Skelmersdale United and AFC Telford United player was introduced as a 61st minute substitute but was taken off after angering Carden for a lacklustre, no-show performance.

Phenix, who was expected to start the match at Kidderminster Harriers, was on the bench after missing all the team coach's pick up points and pre-match hotel stop".

And the Conference adds that "Macclesfield Town have announced the signing of former Stockport County midfielder Chris Churchman. The 20-year-old creative midfielder has signed a deal with the Silkmen after leaving Edgeley Park.

Churchman made forty-nine appearances for the Hatters, scoring 4 goals, since making his debut against Oxford City in December 2013. His impressive displays saw him named young player of the year last season but, despite signing a new deal with the club, a change in management saw him left out of the Stockport side at the start of this term.

He recently began training with the Silkmen".

Elsewhere the Football Conference tells us that "Bromley have announced the appointment of Robin Stanton-Gleaves to the management team. Stanton-Gleaves, a life-long Millwall supporter and entrepreneur with over 25 years of successful business in the print and document technology sector... has followed Bromley FC for many years as a supporter.

Club chairman Jerry Dolke said,'Robin will bring valuable experience and business acumen at an important and pivotal time. We are working hard to gain planning permission for a new stand with sports and educational facility that will bring much needed revenue to the club. We also have further plans which we will announce in the New Year that will help to stabilise the ever increasing financial demands we now face'".

FA YOUTH CUP

Coverage starts at 7.25pm with the game kicking off at 7.30pm. You can listen to Radio Robins on the internet here.

GROUNDS FOR MAKING IMPROVEMENTS

We already have many suggestions as to areas needing attention and now there is the opportunity for all supporters to put forward their ideas and concerns by e-mailing us.

The setup of this group doesn’t mean that we have suddenly acquired a pot of money. However we do feel that its important that we are aware of all of the areas where improvement is required and we hope that, with a small amount of money and lots of initiative, we can make improvements to spectator comfort, enjoyment and safety".

LADIES' REPORT AND "MANAGER'S MUTTERINGS"

Right: Action from the Ladies' match last Sunday.

And Ladies' manager Keith Edleston has sent his "Manager's Mutterings"...

"Well, another sunny but cold day as we all set off on our travels back up to Merseyside to take on Mersey Girls LFC.

I had heard through the grapevine that they were a young, energetic team who liked to play football in the right fashion so it boded well for a good game. Well, my reports were deemed to be right and, without a doubt, they were everything and a bit more, they played the ball around well, weren't afraid to make a mistake and broke with some speed.

I knew that it was going to be a tough game but we stuck to our game plan and it worked. Earlier in the week, I had signed a new forward, Roisin Stone, who had moved up here from London in September and had started work in Elina's school in Salford. At training last Thursday we had a look at her and, during the session, she showed great quality and movement so was thrown straight in for her debut. Well, with a great 90 minute performance and two goals later, I knew the right decision had been made and Rosie will go on to be a great player for us.

Also getting on the score sheet, with a well taken goal, was Liss Taylor who now has scored two in two since joining us from Whitchurch.

All in all, it was a very good away performance from the girls who, at times, as well as playing some good football had to dig in to make sure Mersey Girls didn't get a foothold back in the game. Special note goes to Lucy, who is really growing in confidence since being "thrown in " at the deep end with Lizzie's injury, and Jess, who played a good 75 mins despite being absolutely full of flu and struggling to breath. She gave a non-stop display up and down the right wing.

On the injury front we still are missing Lizzie but the cast has to stay on for another four weeks, then it will be re-assessed and then they will decide what to do. Louise has a sore foot after kicking the bottom of a player's boot in a University training session on Monday. Gail and Heather will be missing for three weeks as they both are away to Australia. So,it will give the opportunity for other players in the squad to challenge now and give me a selection problem when they are back.

Well, onto our next game this coming Sunday and, finally, we are back at Mersey Valley Sports Club in a league game v Merseyrail Bootle LFC 2pm. I and the girls would love to see you down to support us to try and get another three points in what will be a very tough game.

Keep on believing #COYRGirls

Keith (The Gaffer)"

MATCHDAY SPONSORSHIP

CONGRATULATIONS

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Elsewhere, "Torquay United have signed former Plymouth Argyle youngster Ben Gerring on non-contract terms. The defender, 24, has been on trial with the National League strugglers, featuring in the recent friendly against a Devon FA Senior Select XI. Gerring has played for numerous non-league clubs since leaving Home Park, playing for Hayes & Yeading in the National League South this term".

NL Pitchero says that "Ebbsfleet United have allowed defender Craig Braham-Barrett to extend his loan at Woking for a further month. Braham-Barrett signed for an initial month in mid-September and this latest deal takes him to 21st November. He has played four games for Woking in that time".

FA CUP NEWS

Non-League sides go into the fourth round qualifying ties this weekend knowing they’re just 90 minutes away from a possible money-spinning game against a Football League club. The First Round games will be played on November 7 and 8 with winning clubs picking up £18,000 from the FA’s prize fund.

Draw numbers for FA Cup first round" include...

• 49 GATESHEAD OR WORCESTER CITY
• 50 AFC FYLDE OR BARROW
• 51 WREXHAM OR GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY
• 52 NORTHWICH VICTORIA OR CHORLEY
• 53 HARROGATE TOWN OR GRIMSBY TOWN
• 55 SALFORD CITY OR SOUTHPORT
• 56 SPORTING KHALSA OR FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER
• 57 STALYBRIDGE CELTIC OR NORTH FERRIBY UNITED
• 58 FC HALIFAX TOWN OR GUISELEY
• 59 TRANMERE ROVERS OR LINCOLN CITY
• 60 STOURBRIDGE OR KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS
• 61 MACCLESFIELD TOWN OR ALFRETON TOWN
• 62 BRACKLEY TOWN OR BAMBER BRIDGE
• 63 ALTRINCHAM OR CHESTER FC

CATERING FOR SUPPORTERS

And as Richie adds, "Most importantly will be the return of the breakfast brunch menu that was so successful for our last televised game (v Welling). Richie will be finalising the menu shortly.

CATERING FOR TV VIEWERS

This latest idea included disruption to the pre-match preparations of club volunteers and the competing teams, interruptions to substitutes warming up and interference with the team managers’ match management. The FC United Board gave a resounding ‘NO’ to this request. Match-going supporters should not have to be inconvenienced for the benefit of those who rarely, if at all, attend matches.

FC United is not intrinsically opposed to the re-arrangement of a fixture time, provided that it meets with the approval of and benefits the respective clubs and their supporters. In 2007, members of FC United voted in favour of entering the FA Cup and acknowledged the competitions rules and TV contracts.

That aside, the whole 'Mobile Match of The Day Live experience' should have been canned at inception by any BBC Sports manager with an understanding of the game. As a public service broadcaster the BBC should be taking a lead by promoting the game without causing additional disruption to match going supporters instead of trying to ape or outdo some of the worst excesses of their competitors.

If BBC viewers would like to understand the fans’ experience at a football game there are numerous real-life games at every level throughout the country and the easiest way for TV viewers to access the real fans’ experience is to go along to a match. For a more in depth experience they could volunteer like many non-League fans do week in and week out.

The Board stated further, 'The FA, as the governing body of football in this country, appear to be encouraging ways to cash in on the fans’ experience whilst treating the supporters as the least important commodity in the game. We call upon the FA to remember that football is a sporting competition and the associated drama comes from the highs and lows of the game itself. It does not reflect well on the custodians of our game that they would devalue the sporting integrity of their flagship competition by encouraging TV presenters to interfere with those in the dug-outs or changing rooms when they are working to produce the best competitive elements of the game. Nor should TV have access to substitutes when warming up, because those players are athletes preparing properly to be able to compete at their best.

TV exposure and the revenue it generates are important to football. However, we believe that the balance has swung way too far in favour of the TV companies and too far away from the match-going, admission paying, regularly attending football supporter. "FC United seeks to change the way that football is owned and run, putting supporters at the heart of everything. This includes a better and more balanced relationship with TV."

Ten out of ten to FCUM!

BUSY MOSS LANE

Customers will have a chance to meet football star Bryan Robson, who... will be at the store from 12noon-2pm and customers will be able to meet him, have a photo taken and get an autograph.... The Manchester United Foundation has been invited to the event, along with mascot Fred the Red. James will present the foundation with a donation of £1,000, which will be used to help disadvantaged areas across Greater Manchester.

Renowned football freestyler Rob Walters will also be performing at the store, and will be on hand to teach customers a few of his tricks. "

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The club released a statement earlier on its website with a quote from Chairman Jim Parmenter telling of his 'devastation'. The club says the loss of cash was discovered during a routine audit of the accounts. A Kent Police spokesman said, 'Kent Police received a report of an alleged fraud on 1 October. Officers are investigating the incident which reportedly took place in Crabble Avenue, Dover. A 43-year-old woman from Gillingham was arrested on October 14 on suspicion of theft and released on bail until October 21 pending further enquiries'.

Mr Parmenter said, 'This is heart-breaking for everyone involved at the club, we've all worked so hard to bring this club back from the brink and put it on a stable footing. Whilst these events will not put the club in any form of financial difficulty, it is a significant sum of money and will bound to have an impact'.

The club released the following statement, 'The club would like to inform supporters that during a routine internal accountancy audit at the clubs offices at Crabble Stadium, it has become apparent that a 5 figure sum has been misappropriated from the club's bank accounts'".

They visit Alty on Saturday but the Chester Chronicle reports that "Chester FC have confirmed the club rejected a request from National League rivals Eastleigh for manager Steve Burr. It was reported in the Non-League Paper over the weekend that the 55-year-old, who has been in charge... since for[sic] almost two years, had been a managerial target for the big-spending Spitfires.

Blues' chairman Grenville Millington told The Chronicle on Tuesday morning the club had received an approach but had turned it down flat. Burr signed a new deal with Chester in March and under contract until the end of the 2016-17 season. Eastleigh appointed caretaker Chris Todd as the permanent replacement for Richard Hill, who resigned on September 23 , at the end of last week.

Millington said, 'The club did receive an approach for Steve Burr from Eastleigh who wanted permission to speak to him. However, this was turned down and we informed the manager of the approach as soon as that had been done',

Eastleigh, whose ambitious owner Stewart Donald has invested about £3 million since taking over in 2011, suffered a 1-0 defeat at Chester last month... The Hampshire club are full-time so Burr, who lives in Staffordshire, would have had to relocate during the week had he moved. According to the Non-League Paper, Lawrie Sanchez, Nigel Worthington, Gary Waddock, Mickey Adams and John Askey were also in contention for the post at Silverlake Stadium."

There is an interesting article on Lincoln Vital Football which tells us what we had suspected; Alty have had a difficult fixture list at the start of this campaigmn.

It says "So Who Has Had The Toughest Start? ... Obviously everything becomes equal by the time the final ball is kicked at the end of April, but who has had the toughest start judged from the comparative safety of 18 games (or 17 if you happen to be Lincoln, Eastleigh, Southport or Woking)?...

I took each team in turn and added up the current league position of every side they have played this season, divided by the number of games played. This calculation produces the average league position of each opponent, home and away...

The lower the average score, the harder your fixtures have been. Therefore the teams at the top of the following three tables have had the tougher fixtures, those at the bottom the easiest...

So...Guiseley, Halifax and...Grimsby...fans might want to look away right now".

The table shows the team with most difficult starts were:

1. Chester: average position of opposition to date, 11.22
2. Braintree Town: 11.33
3. Aldershot Town: 11.39
4. Barrow: 11.56
5. Altrincham 11.67

Conversely, the teams with the "easiest" start are:

1. Guiseley: 14.17
2. Grimsby Town: 13.94
3. FC Halifax Town 13.83
4. Dover Athletic: 13.78
5. Woking and Forest Green: 13.06

The OVERALL numbers are all quite close together, you might say; however, things become more interesting once we split the numbers between home and away fixtures. Again, the clubs at the top have had the hardest fixtures". Chester FC and Alty top the list of clubs with the most difficult home fixtures; Alty are 13th as regards away matches.

Amongst the facts uncovered are:

• Chester have played 7 of the top 10 at home
• Dover have not played any of the top 7 at home yet
• Macclesfield have only played 1 of the top 10 at home
• Guiseley have only played 1 of the top 10 at home (Lincoln)
• Altrincham's first 4 home games were against teams in the top 5
• Forest Green have played just 1 of the top 10 away

The article concludes "None of this may actually amount to very much of course, and you never know what lies ahead. However, these numbers may explain why some teams have made better starts than others, and why some may be languishing".

GATESHEAD HIGHLIGHTS

LADIES' WIN

SATURDAY'S MATCH

Howard Watts's Through the Years provide Alty's past record on Saturday's date.

Mike Garnett provides the statistical record of games between Alty and Chester FC:

• At Altrincham: P2-W1-D0-L1-F6-A5
• Away: P2-W1-D0-L1-F2-A2
• All: P4-W2-D0-L2-F8-A7

YOUTH EDUCATION TEAM DEFEATED

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

NL Pitchero says that "Gary Brabin, manager of Tranmere Rovers, has pulled off something of a second signing coup by bringing in 32-year-old Steve McNulty on loan from Luton Town with a view to a permanent transfer. Born in Liverpool, the commanding centre-back brings a wealth of experience with him having won promotion on four occasions with three different clubs.

At Barrow AFC, he captained the side to promotion into the Conference, before moving and leading the Fleetwood Town side from the Conference North into the Football League. He then moved to Luton and helped the Hatters to promotion out of the Conference in 2013-14 and became club captain too at Kenilworth Road.

McNulty has made a dozen appearances for John Still's side this season. Brabin said, 'This signing is a big plus for us. Steve is a local lad, a leader and was in the League Two Team of the Year last season. He is the type of player and character that we want at the Club and I think it strengthens our squad even more so I’m delighted to be able to bring him here.'

McNulty follows Friday's arrival of Gary Taylor-Fletcher. The 34-year-old attacker joins Rovers on a short-term deal until the end of the year and made a great start with the opening goal against leaders Forest Green Rovers on Saturday. The forward has been without a club since his release by Leicester City at the end of last season. Twice promoted into England's top flight with Blackpool and then Leicester, Taylor-Fletcher brings a lot of experience and has scored more than 100 goals in his career to date".

OLD BOY

LEE SPEAKS AFTER THE GATESHEAD MATCH

Above: Captain Luca Havern leads out Altrincham at the International Stadium.

Here are manager Lee Sinnott's thoughts on Saturday's 2-2 draw at Gateshead, in a post-match interview with joint Press and Media Officer, John Edwards.

JE: Galling though it was to concede so late on, it was still a good point, wasn't it?

LS: If you look at it logically, we benefited from a 94th-minute equaliser on Tuesday night, whereas it has cost us a couple of points today, so, in the old adage of football, if things even themselves out, then fair enough. I'm really pleased with my players, because if we continue to show the levels we showed today, we will be fine.

I thought we looked a lot more industrious than we did against Kidderminster. There was much more to the performance, and I was proud of them. The first half could easily have ended 2-2, when you consider the opportunities that fell to Damian Reeves and Josh O'Keefe (right) and the couple of headers Gateshead could have done better with, and then we went a goal behind early in the second half. When that happens, you look for a reaction, and I thought our reaction was great.

To be fair, Gateshead scored their first goal when we were having a decent spell, and, overall, if the players keep performing like that, they will pick up points. Last season, at this stage, we had 18 points, whereas we stand here now on 19, so when you consider the disruptive start we've had, that's fair enough. It's OK, but there is more to come from these players.

JE: Might we have defended better at the free-kick that led to their equaliser?

LS: Quite a few of the players have come in and said there was a certain handball after the delivery came into our area. If that is the case, I can't understand why it wasn't given, though I'll need to see for myself on the video. In a way, the goal reminded me a bit of Eastleigh's equaliser against us. That was late on as well. More to the point, they had a player on the edge of their box, engineering enough space for himself to pull the trigger, should the ball land for him. That is where you need to up the ante. Their lad shouldn't have been in that position, on his own. You don't allow people to do that. One of our players would loved to have been in that position.

Let's face it, that's what happened for our first goal. Jake Moult was on his own on the edge of the box, and when the ball came to him, he gave it a bang and the keeper could only parry it to Michael Rankine. So I'm sure Malcolm Crosby would have been going mad about that. Players have to be marked up.

JE: If there is any good to come out of all the injuries we've had, could it perhaps be the opportunity that has suddenly presented itself to the likes of Josh O'Keefe?

LS: Yes, and I would agree Josh has taken his chance after a difficult start to his Altrincham career. He has shown great tenacity. He actually came and had a word with me a couple of weeks ago and said, 'I'm a better player than I have shown so far.'

http://www.lusoweb.co.uk/15hdrcGR.jpg I replied: 'Ok, Josh, when you get the chance, make sure you show me that.' To be fair to him, he has been true to his word, just like Ryan Crowther (left) was earlier this season. That is what you want. You don't want players sulking, but you do want them to be disappointed at not playing.

Of course, the way to force my hand is to put in performances that make me sit up and take notice and say 'Right, fair enough.' I thought it was positive from George Bowerman as well when he went on in the second half. He has found it a bit frustrating over the past three or four games, and, to be honest, I had a bit of a dig at him about five minutes after he went on.

But the response was spot-on. He was proactive in the way he followed the ball bouncing around in the area and was in the right place at the right time to stick away our second goal. He has cut himself up a bit about not finishing off the chance that fell his way soon after, but, fair enough, I will take that, as long as he is getting chances. When forwards are not getting chances, that's when you start asking questions.

JE: So Josh actually sought you out and wanted a chat about not doing himself justice?

LS: It was nothing major, but, yes, he said he could do better, and I agreed. I said: 'Yes, I know you can, Josh.' He said he had more to offer, and he showed that against Kidderminster. There was evidence of it here at Gateshead as well. He looked a bit tired, because he has not played a lot of football, and that can have an effect when you are a box-to-box player. But he has done well in both games.

JE: It's important, isn't it, that when you have a smallish squad, players who come in to the team are able to play a part?

LS: Exactly right. We all get frustrated and disappointed, but when you cross that white line, you have to be ready and able to contribute.

JE: What about the way we bounced back from going behind, away to one of the promotion contenders, and hit them with two quickfire goals. That took some self-belief, didn't it?

LS: It did, particularly the fact that we did it by knocking the ball around and sticking to our principles of building moves. But, to be fair, they are always encouraged to do that.

I thought the game went through some scrappy periods but ,when we got the ball down and passed it, I thought we played through some nice phases. Jimmy Lawrie and Josh O'Keefe found some nice pockets, especially in the first half, when the wingers were narrow and we exploited it.

JE: In a way, was it all the more frustrating conceding so late on, when you consider we hadn't particularly been under the cosh?

LS: I know what you mean. It wasn't exactly ball after ball coming into our area. In fact, we were down at their end quite a while. It's game management, knowing how to close the game out and maybe work the channels a bit. You can nitpick, but I think it is important the players know they have done well. You don't come here, fall behind and then go 2-1 up heading towards injury time, particularly playing the type of football we did. That doesn't tend to happen, so credit to the players for doing it.

JE: How did the injured players come through, Nicky Clee in particular?

LS: After being out quite a while, we have thrown quite a bit of football at Nicky a bit early. It was only because of Adam Griffin's wife expecting at any moment that Nicky started and played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday. We would rather have eased him in a bit more, so it was better for him to be on the bench today.

Ryan Crowther should hopefully be ok for next week, while Shaun Densmore is having a scan to determine the extent of his medial injury. Michael Rankine has tweaked his hamstring, which is a concern. We will have to monitor that during the week. The other one is Andy Parry, who has had a scan on his ankle, but we are still waiting for the feedback from it.

JE: If it carries on like this, would there be any scope for loan signings?

LS: I will be having a word with the chairman to see what the options are, but it's not easy. Not least because when you are talking about loans, it tends to be young-ish lads from pro teams, and you can't just leave them on the bench. You have to play them, because the pro team will be annoyed otherwise and you run the risk of antagonising them over any subsequent deals. You go back to them in the future, and they are likely to say: 'Hang on, you hardly played the last lad we let you have.'

If the lads aren't in the starting line-up all the time, the clubs are going to think twice next time. So if you bring a young player in, you've pretty much got to be starting them. If that's the case, you've got to consider what's already at your disposal and the effect it might have on them. You may have to leave out someone you don't want to, so it can be a bit of a rock and a hard place. You have to guarantee them time on the pitch, so if they are on the bench and you are 1-0 up with 20 minutes left, wanting to keep it nice and tight, you might not want to put them on.

It might not suit the circumstances, so it can put you in a quandary. It's a difficult one, but, as a manager, you never want a situation where you are not able to do what is best for the team">

MICHAEL RANKINE INTERVIEW

YOUTHS GO TOP

Altrincham FC Youth went to the top of the NWYA Premier Division on SUnday afternoon with a 4-2 win over Morecambe. Chester FC lost 1-0 at Prescot Cables enabling Alty to leapfrog them to the top of the table.

A match report is here

Alty are away to Newcastle Benfield on Thursday evening, 7.30pm, in the FA Youth Cup with the prize for the winners being a home tie against Rochdale.

Next Sunday, Alty are at home to Barnton Youth in the NWYA Open Cup k.o. 2pm.

RADIO ROBINS

• First Half
• Second Half

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The Lions should have racked up a decent lead before the break but, in an archetypal game of two halves, the visitors came out for the second half with fresh vigour and looked set to get new boss Luke Garrod a deserved win in his first game since being confirmed as Iain Atkinson’s replacement. Lions' boss Mark Bower was ultimately relieved to take a point.

He said, 'We said to the players after the game that, at the level we’re at, you are going to find yourself under a spell of pressure at some point. We didn’t make the most of our spell in the first half and they really got to grips with the game in the second half and won every second ball. I was disappointed with the goal we conceded from a set-piece, but it was coming because they were on top. We have got to be stronger when teams have spells like that but we have got to take our chances when we’re on top. I’m thankful to take a point and I think we just about did enough for it'...

Lions' keeper Steve Drench made a string of fine saves to keep his side in the game, and they rescued a point at the death. Hatfield thought he had scored but the goal was ruled out as the referee had already blown for a foul on the forward. There was confusion as to why the goal was not allowed to stand but Boshell removed any doubt as to the validity of the equaliser when he drilled in from the spot".

News of our next opponents comes from the Oxford Mail. It says that "Oxford United striker James Roberts scored in his first game back from compassionate leave on loan at Chester. The 19-year-old struck the opening goal in the 2-1 win against Halifax Town in the Vanarama National League.

It was his first appearance since the death of his younger brother Ben a fortnight ago. Chester boss Steve Burr paid tribute to Roberts, who was later forced off with a hamstring injury. He told local media, 'It was quite fitting, it's been a difficult time for the lad.'".

The Blue & White Fanzine adds that "Chester won two on the bounce for the first time since the start of the season after overcoming a poor Halifax side. Chester dominated the match for 60 minutes, scoring twice, before switching off and allowing Halifax back into the game...

Here are some thoughts [on] 3-5-2. I’ve seen a lot of people complain about this but I actually didn’t think we were too bad playing that formation. Kay was the stand out at centre back, Sharps looked a little tired and struggled for periods but overall we were decent defensively except when we got it badly wrong for their goal. Hunt and Higgins as wingbacks wasn’t too bad although Hunt can’t bring the ball out as well as Higgins and Higgins can’t cross as well as Hunt. I thought the formation meant we mostly kept possession well and when we did lose the ball we had enough people back to keep them at bay. Admittedly it wasn’t the best attack we were facing but not bad.

Switching off. We seem to do this in a lot of games. We played fairly well for 60 minutes (not a classic by any stretch) but after the second goal we seemed to totally stop playing, thinking the game was won... The fact all of our games have been won by one goal just shows the problem!"

from the Chester Chronicle we learn that "Chester FC Academy have been awarded FA Charter Standard status. The club has been working towards the kitemark over the past few months... he FA Charter Standard programme recognises clubs and leagues that are well run, sustainable, which place child protection, quality coaching and safety paramount.

Criteria includes having a trained welfare officer, DBS checks for all volunteers, emergency aid-trained volunteers linked to each team, Respect programme sign-up, a Level One coach for each youth team, appropriate club administration in place and a volunteer co-ordinator. Benefits include free tickets upon application for England youth and women’s internationals, coaching events, administration support sessions and support with funding applications.

Most important are the 'hidden' benefits as achieving FA Charter Standard status demonstrating to members, parents, sponsors and the public, that you are a well-organised, safe club offering opportunities for all".

According to the Holker Street Newsletter, Barrow boss "Darren Edmondson wasn't too chuffed at the result against Welling, telling the Mail, 'It's frustrating, the lads are frustrated with themselves to be honest. That was a game where we should have taken three points. We worked harder than a Welling team that were going to come and work hard. We knew that and before the game we stated that fact to the players and I thought that in terms of work-rate, etc, I can't fault them. But we've got to start putting the ball in the net a bit more than we are doing and capitalising on games like these where, there are positives to come from it, but it's two points dropped."

GATESHEAD 2 ALTRINCHAM 2

The visitors remained on the back foot till after the simultaneous introduction of wingmen Clee and Bowerman, on 59 minutes. They changed the whole complexion of the match. Alty went from 0-1 to 2-1 up inside three minutes. First, Clee won and took a quick throw from the left corner. This led to a well struck effort from Moult which Russell pushed onto the bar. Rankine was on hand to nod home the loose ball (77 mins).

Alty's second was scored by Bowerman after Richman had attempted an overhead shot inside the box (79 mins).

The visitors were not able to hold on and, in the second added minute, Gateshead equalised. A dubious freekick against Leather was half cleared and substitute McLaughlin netted from just outside the box.

A draw was probably a fair result and it keeps Altrincham 19th.

Match report here.

Right: Michael Rankine salutes his goal, with Scott Leather.

GATESHEAD MATCH VIEWS

The BBC statistics show:

• Possession 70% Gateshead 30% Altrincham
• Shots 10 v 6
• On target 4 v 2
• Corners 4 5
• Fouls 7 6

Gateshead says that "New boy George Honeyman was among those at the International Stadium that were left with a sour taste in their mouths after Gateshead’s 2-2 draw at home to Altrincham. After dominating the first-half and going 1-0 up early after the break through Ryan Bowman, the Heed were stunned by two goals in the last 15 minutes.

The home side were able to snatch a draw with a sweet 20-yard curling effort from Jimmy Phillips in injury time but the debutant was in no mood to sugar-coat the result.

He said, 'I’m disappointed to be honest, we should have won the game. I know we’ve grabbed a late equaliser but the game should have been put to bed before that. It’s a strange atmosphere in the dressing room because we’ve got ourselves a late draw but we should have won it first-half. The lads are happy in some respects because they say it’s one of their best performances in a while, but they’re also disappointed because we really should have taken all three points'...

He said, 'I don’t take it for granted that I’ll start every week. I’m going to have to work hard in training, work hard in games and if I keep putting in performances, hopefully I’ll keep starting'".

ANd "Manager Malcolm Crosby highlighted his disappointment after his side threw away another lead against Altrincham at the International Stadium... He said, 'We should have taken all three points and it is disappointing that we had to settle for one. Our first-half performance was very good, but our finishing let us down in the end. We can't be too sympathetic about it; the job is to score goals, and if we had been a bit more ruthless in front of goal we could have gone in 4-0 up at half-time'.

Although the Heed squandered another lead, Crosby admitted that there were some positives that came from the draw. Ryan Bowman ended a run of eight games without a goal, and the Gateshead manager was glad to see the striker back to scoring ways... We seem to have been poor in the second halves of our games of late, and we need to figure out why'".

The Heed's match report adds that "It looked like a comfortable victory was in store for the home supporters. But two goals in the last 15 minutes completely turned the game on its head after ex-Heed striker Michael Rankine and substitute George Bowerman pounced. With only one point in four games, the impetus was on Malcolm Crosby’s men to come out firing... Despite controlling the first-half, the home side just weren’t able to find the net...

Three minutes after the interval, Gateshead finally got the goal their performance deserved, as Bowman made the most of some slack defending to expertly dispatch Cranston’s cross into the bottom left-hand corner with a powerful header. Altrincham had rarely looked a threat and after the goal, Crosby’s side looked to press home the advantage but as the half wore on, they seemed to struggle to capitalise on their position.

With the exception of a good stop from Deasy to deny Johnson in the 65th minute, there were few opportunities for the forwards to get another goal.

The away side looked to fashion a few chances for themselves and crept back into the game in the final 20 minutes, Sam Russell having had very little to do all day. It was perhaps that lack of activity that cost him when a shot fired in from Jake Moult was palmed back out into the goalmouth for former Heed man Rankine to head home from six yards.

Two minutes later, things went from bad to worse for the shell-shocked hosts as Nicky Clee’s cross was confidently dispatched by fellow substitute Bowerman to give the Robins the lead... Phillips popped up with a beautiful curling effort to restore parity in added time after the visitors failed to properly clear a corner".

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Their only consolation was that near-neighbours Cheltenham Town could only manage to pull one point back on them after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Eastleigh... Dover Athletic are third after beating Macclesfield Town in a tense encounter at Crabble. The opening 6 minutes saw two goals, with the visitors taking the lead when Dover `keeper Mitch Walker made a mess of Kristian Dennis' weak shot and allowed Danny Whitehead to tap into an empty net.

Dover's response was immediate and 2 minutes later were level when a long-ball over the top beat the offside trap and keeper Shwan Jalal came rushing out of goal and Stefan Payne beat him to it to slot home... Five minutes into the second half, Whites were ahead very much against the run of play. Ricky Miller was tugged back in the box by Dan Cowan and Nicky Deverdics made it 2-1 from the resulting penalty...

Grimsby Town are fourth but had to settle for just one point from their long trip to Plainmoor against Torquay United... Injury-hit Bromley side left the EBB Stadium with a point against Aldershot Town following a 1-1 draw... Lincoln City moved to within a point of the play-off places after a 2-0 win against a Braintree Town side...

Wrexham ended a six-match run without a win by securing a 1-0 success at Kingfield against Woking... Woking were reduced to ten-men on 65 minutes when Brian Saah was shown his second yellow card for a foul on Kayden Jackson... Chester FC managed to edge home against second-bottom FC Halifax Town after a tense second half display...

Barrow AFC and Welling United shared the spoils at the Furness Building Society Stadium... Kidderminster Harriers remain bottom of the table and without a win in the after losing to fellow strugglers Southport at Aggborough".

RESERVES DEFEATED

SATURDAY GATES

• Att: 1617 Aldershot Town v Bromley
• Att: 1327 Barrow v Welling United
• Att: 2802 Cheltenham Town v Eastleigh
• Att: 2088 Chester FC v FC Halifax Town
• Att: 1012 Dover Athletic v Macclesfield Town
• Att: 2133 Forest Green Rovers v Tranmere Rovers
• Att: 911 Gateshead v Altrincham
• Att: 749 Guiseley v Boreham Wood
• Att: 1593 Kidderminster Harriers v Southport
• Att: 2565 Lincoln City v Braintree Town
• Att: 2003 Torquay United v Grimsby Town
• Att: 1778 Woking v Wrexham

RESULTS

• Aldershot Town 1-1 Bromley
• Barrow 1-1 Welling United
• Cheltenham Town 1-1 Eastleigh
• Chester FC 2-1 FC Halifax Town
• Dover Athletic 2-1 Macclesfield Town
• Forest Green Rovers 0-2 Tranmere Rovers
• Gateshead 2-2 Altrincham
• Guiseley 1-1 Boreham Wood
• Kidderminster Harriers 0-1 Southport
• Lincoln City 2-0 Braintree Town
• Torquay United 1-1 Grimsby Town
• Woking 0-1 Wrexham

GATESHEAD v ALTRINCHAM: MATCH COVERAGE

Brian Flynn advises that "Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, is providing full live commentary of Saturday's game at The International Stadium. The match commentary sponsor is SKkits, a major independent sports brand in the North West, supplying Altrincham and a further 8 leading semi-pro clubs including Warrington Town, Buxton, Kendal Town and Lancaster City.

SKkits is a well established company, owned and run by Ian Senior, with a reputation for supplying high class products at unbelievably low prices to sports clubs the length and breadth of the UK, and due to their unique relationship with their suppliers they guarantee that they will not be beaten on price and service. All products delivered within 14 days of order FREE OF CHARGE to mainland UK.

Have a look at their website at www.skkits.co.uk or call Ian Senior directly on 07960 137232.

The commentators are Ian Wilkinson and Brian Flynn and the match summariser is John Edwards. Coverage starts at 2.55pm.

BEFORE THE GAME AT GATESHEAD

Born in Prudhoe, Honeyman has been at the Academy of Light since the age of 10, breaking into the Black Cats’ U18 side at the end of the 2011-12 campaign. He has figured for the club’s U21s in recent seasons, making 15 appearances last time out, scoring three goals.

Honeyman also made his senior Sunderland debut last term, coming off the bench in the Black Cats’ 2-0 defeat to Bradford City in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup...

He said, 'I can’t wait to get started. I’m really happy to be here and get some football under my belt. I’m all about creativity. Hopefully I can set people up, and even chip in with a couple of goals myself... There’s obviously a new manager in at Sunderland, and his priority to begin with is to save the club from relegation. I just have to focus on looking to make a name for myself here'.

Boss Malcolm Crosby believes the youngster can breathe new life into the Heed’s promotion push in the weeks ahead. He said, 'We need to freshen things up a little. George has an excellent attitude, and he can be exciting. He’ll be involved tomorrow, and there’s every chance I will start with him. It’s a big game, and he will have the opportunity to go and produce for us'".

Indeed, "Crosby admits he will be looking to shuffle his pack tomorrow as his out-of-form Gateshead side welcome Altrincham... A 1-0 reverse at Macclesfield Town on Tuesday night saw... their winless run extended to four games. The Tynesiders toiled throughout at Moss Rose...

The omens are good for Gateshead, having beaten the Greater Manchester outfit on five of their last six meetings...

Crosby has urged his troops to be more positive in possession tomorrow. However, the make-up of his side is likely to be somewhat different to that which began Tuesday’s defeat, as the 61-year-old boss looks for a response from what he labelled an ‘awful’ performance. He said, 'I think the players were disappointed in themselves on Tuesday night... I do believe they were hurting after that performance. We’re not talking big numbers, but I will be making at least a couple of changes on Saturday. I could possibly make more, but I have to be careful that we don’t destroy a team that have been very good up until recently.

'We need to be looking to create more chances and openings for our strikers... At the moment, that isn’t happening. In Ryan Bowman, Jon Shaw and Danny Johnson we have options, and we have to believe in their ability'

Crosby is hopeful that floating fans will not be put off by their current sticky patch. He added, 'We’ve had a couple of bad results of late, but we’ve played sides who are in form, and we haven’t got to forget that'...

The Heed will again be without Josh Gillies (shoulder) and Matty Pattison (calf)...

Admission for tomorrow’s game is priced at £15 for adults, £10 for concessions, £8 for 16-17-year-olds and students, and £3 for under-16s."

REPORT ON LADIES' GAME

Once more, Alty Ladies have an away game on Merseyside this Sunday. This time they take on Mersey Ladies (k.o. 2pm).

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Friday, December 18th Braintree Town, who have surprised many during the season under Danny Cowley’s astute leadership, will welcome Gary Mills and Wrexham to Cressing Road. This match is being moved forward from Saturday 19th and will kick off at 7.45pm... Expect to see the Essex club make a very special offer for discounted entry to this fixture.

Saturday, 28th December, Grimsby Town will host near neighbours Lincoln City with a 12.30pm kick-off...

New Year`s Day – Friday, 1st January, BT Sport will be at The New Lawn for the visit of Torquay United to Forest Green Rovers... It will also be a home coming for Gulls' manager Kevin Nicholson for he left Rovers to join the Devon club as a player in 2007... All fixtures are scheduled to be screened on BT Sport 1".

NL Pitchero says that "Kidderminster Harriers have bolstered their defence with the acquisition of former Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday man Matt Young. Young, 21, began his career on the south coast with a spell lasting more than four years at St Mary’s... Though highly-rated, he was unable to make the breakthrough in to the first-team and, after signing for Sheffield Wednesday last summer, joined League Two side Carlisle United on loan where he made twenty appearances...

Released by Wednesday at the end of last season, he began 2015/16 with Dover Athletic... Assured at right-back but also comfortable on the left and in the heart of defence, Young joins initially on non-contract terms and goes in to the squad to face Southport".

Also, "Defender Rob Dickie has extended his loan deal with Cheltenham Town for an extra month. The centre-back, on loan from Reading, has made thirteen appearances for the Robins... The extension to the loan includes a clause allowing him to play in the Emirates FA Cup"

Elsewhere "Chelmsford City have announced the loan signing of winger Matthew Whichelow from Boreham Wood. Whichelow, who began his career with Watford, has teamed up with Mark Hawkes's City side on a three-month loan".

And "Brackley Town have announced the signing of midfielder Joe Clarke on a season-long loan from Kidderminster Harriers... Twenty-seven-year-old Clarke had four seasons at Wrexham, making 128 appearances... He switched to Aggborough in the summer and has played seventeen times this season for Kidderminster."

We learn from the BBC that "Braintree Town have signed midfielder George Cole and former Cambridge United and Grimsby Town defender Ian Miller. Ex-Cambridge captain Miller, 31, is dual-registered with Isthmian League Premier Division side Needham Market.

Cole, 19, joins on non-contract terms, having left Brighton in the summer".

According to the Oxford Mail, "Oxford United keeper Max Crocombe has been recalled from his loan spell at Barnet and has joined Southport on a three-month loan. The 22-year-old played five games at Barnet, but returned yesterday to complete the paperwork in time to play in Southport’s game at Kidderminster Harriers".

Reports in the Chester Chronicle say that "James Roberts is expected to be included in the Chester FC squad to face FC Halifax Town... Roberts signed on loan from Oxford United earlier this month and made an impressive debut in the 3-2 win against Wrexham on October 3. That evening his 16-year-old brother Ben was killed in a car accident near the family home in Aylesbury.

Nineteen-year-old Roberts was handed compassionate leave and it was unclear whether he would feature again for the Blues, however he spoke to manager Steve Burr this week and confirmed he wanted to return...

'James is going to be back with us, which is a great boost everybody', said Burr...Luke George, who has been out since September 5 with a pulled thigh, could also be involved having trained on Thursday, although Burr might decide not to risk him against second-bottom Halifax...

Burr used a three-man defence at Southport with Ben Heneghan and Michael Kay alongside Ian Sharps and he could retain that for this weekend, although with Roberts back and Craig Mahon sure to start after scoring the winner midweek, a return to 4-3-3 could beckon. 'Sometimes when you're in a run of not winning games you have to do something to change it round,' said Burr. 'I'm not a great fan of the three centre halves but up to a point I thought it didn't look too bad... I think the one thing about the three is that when you've got someone like Ben Heneghan and Michael Kay, you have the pace at the back you need'...

It has been a disastrous season to date for the Shaymen, now under the watch of Darren Kelly having sacked Neil Aspin, and Burr believes a fast start from his side will be crucial with the visitors low on confidence. There is added spice with return of Kingsley James, who left Chester at the end of last season to sign a 12-month deal at The Shay. Having been unable to agree a fee with Halifax, the Blues are due compensation for the 23-year-old midfielder and the three month wait for a tribunal has been a cause of huge frustration, particularly [as] James has been an ever-present.

Burr said, 'I'm just pleased that we're getting one or two lads back. We've got a good enough squad here but we've been inconsistent, there's no question about that'".

IT'S GOOD VALUE AT ALTY!

TWO LADIES' MATCH REPORTS

• v FC United of Manchester
• v Liverpool City Ladies

GATESHEAD v ALTY ON SATURDAY

Mike Garnett's record of previous games between Altrincham and Gateshead shows...

• At Altrincham: P23-W11-D5-L7-F39-A27
• Away: P21-W9-D2-L10-F24-A28
• All games: P44-W20-D7-L17-F63-A55

Howard Watts's Through the Years statistics show all previous Alty games on Saturday's date, 17th October.

Saturday's referee is Mr Jason Whiteley (West Yorkshire). He has previously refereed...

• ALTRINCHAM 2 CHELTENHAM TOWN 1 played on Saturday, 5 September, 2015.
• FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 2 ALTRINCHAM 1, FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round, played on Sunday, 27 November, 2011 at Gigg Lane, Bury FC.
• ALFRETON TOWN 1 ALTRINCHAM 1, played on Tuesday, 9 September 2014

UNDER-NINES

Team manager Mark Cartwright said, 'Rooney was watching his son play in another game but he and Michael Carrick posed for loads of photos; they were pretty good sports'. Stephanie Hewitt, whose eight-year-old son Monty is goalkeeper for the Jets, said the United fan was ecstatic.

She said, 'To say the lads were excited is an understatement and the meeting and photo opportunity spurred them on to a 9-2 victory. My youngest brother bought Monty a United kit the day he was born. I had no say whatsoever in the matter - Monty would be a Red'.

Many of the team started out at Altrincham FC Saturday morning juniors before forming the under-sevens Jets and then under-nines. They play in the Timperley and District Junior Football League and play every Saturday morning, with training on a Friday evening".

RADIO ROBINS

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The club will announce the appointment of a new assistant-manager shortly."

And "Eastleigh have signed former England Youth international midfielder Matthias Fanimo. A 21-year-old left-sided player from the renowned West Ham United academy, he... was released in February 2015. Fanimo's [made an] appearance as a professional... for then League Two side Tranmere Rovers on loan in September 2014. Fanimo, who represented England at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level, trialled with Bishop`s Stortford in the summer."

From the BBC we learn that "Fergus Bell has left Torquay United due to being on an 'unsustainable deal', says Gulls player-boss Kevin Nicholson. The 24-year-old ex-Mansfield midfielder joined the National League strugglers on non-contract terms last month and made six appearances in all.

'He was losing money every day just turning up, and that's no way to live for anybody', Nicholson told BBC Devon. 'He's gone off to train, earn something a bit more secure and a bit more permanent and I don't blame him. His attitude was bang on, but the deal that Fergus was on was unsustainable for him and I wasn't in a position where I could give him anything better'. He also confirmed that on-loan Harry Hickford will return to parent club MK Dons after Saturday's match against Grimsby".

In the Braintree Times we read that "Braintree Town manager Danny Cowley is looking at loan additions to his squad ahead of their trip to Lincoln City this weekend. It has been a profitable, but also attritional, last few weeks for Braintree as a 0-0 draw against Grimsby Town and a 1-0 win against Dover Athletic have taken them up to sixth in the National League table.

However, injuries to some key players have left them stretched, with Chez Isaac and Simeon Akinola both going off with hamstring problems against Dover and Cowley said they are looking to bring in some loanees...

'We feel we can manage the situation with Chez', he said. 'It’s pretty bad and you could see on Tuesday how debilitating it is for him, but we’re trying to manage him and it’s a needs-must basis. However, we’re a bit worried about Simeon. The optimistic side of me says it’s just cramp, but he is a powerful, explosive player. He felt his hamstring when he was under fatigue on the background of so many games recently, so the likelihood of it being a pull like that increases and we are worried about him...

It means we’ve got doubts over Matt Fry, Kenny Davis, Dan Sparkes, Mark Phillips, Chez and Sim and they’re all key players down the spine of the team. It’s certainly a challenge, but we’re working hard to get one or two in (on loan). We’re working really hard on it behind the scenes, but with finances where they are, we’re limited with what we are able to do. We beg, steal and borrow and that’s what it is as the club have to live within their means. We just have to look to pull a rabbit out of the hat'".

The Liverpool Echo reports on another manager eyeing new players as "Manager Gary Brabin admits the time has come to move into the loan transfer market to strengthen Tranmere’s stuttering promotion challenge. Brabin reckoned Tuesday night’s 1-0 home defeat to Barrow exposed deficiencies in the side which have to be addressed...

'I think we have been moving in the right direction but the Barrow performance was the slap in the face which tells us we need to do something sooner rather than later', Brabin said. 'We have lost some key players and when we are a little bit short. I don’t think we are good enough'...

Rovers took on Barrow without the injured Andy Mangan and Adam Dawson and the suspended Lois Maynard... in a performance Brabin described as 'toothless'. Brabin said, 'I saw it as an opportunity for players to be given a chance and they showed me that we definitely need to improve in certain areas. We have some players who respond well to the big crowd and the big fan-base. We have others who are probably not ready for that. We need more leadership on the pitch... I am under budget at the moment and that’s my choice', Brabin said. 'We wanted to start with a small squad and see where we need to improve. It is easy to sign players. Finding the right players is harder. We know where we need to improve and I would like to do something straight away. We have a list of names...

He had no complaints about the round of booing that greeted the final whistle... He said, 'Every day in every game in front of those supporters is a test and I enjoy it. I want to rise to it. I wish I was still playing'".

The BBC reports that "Kidderminster Harriers' head coach Dave Hockaday was angered by the way the National League's bottom club were denied their first win of the season... Hockaday raged at the way the home side were 'gifted' their equaliser.

'Somebody hasn't got the wherewithal to put their foot through it. We give away a free kick and they score', Hockaday told BBC Hereford & Worcester. 'It comes down to moments and a senior pro didn't handle the moment particularly well'.

Hockaday was also unhappy about the manner of Altrincham's first goal. 'It's just gone straight in off a corner. Somebody hasn't done their job. Again', he said...

Having made six signings since Gary Whild and Tim Flowers left... the latest two - on-loan Bournemouth midfielder Ben Whitfield and West Bromwich Albion loan striker Joe Ward - both made their debut at Altrincham... Said Hockaday, 'They have been groomed at good clubs... We made a few big calls and left a few out but, but we brought some hungry kids in, and I've got to be proud of the players as it was a massive improvement on Saturday. There were a few things being thrown in the dressing room after and I like that passion. It hurts and they care. Emotionally and physically, that will have taken a lot out of them. But, if we can improve again, we have an even better chance to get a result on Saturday against Southport'".

FA YOUTH CUP DATE

SCORE

• Wrexham 3-3 Guiseley

TUESDAY'S DRAW

Above: Left, Gavin Rathbone captures Jake Moult in action against Kidderminster on Tuesday night. Right, Mike Ripley records James Lawrie receving congratulations after opening the scoring. Click to enlarge the images.

There are goal highlights of the game on Alty TV.

Kidderminster Harriers report that "Head Coach Dave Hockaday felt the pain of Harriers' players and fans after a 94th minute equaliser from Altrincham robbed his team of a first win of the season.

Goals from Callum Hassan and Ben Whitfield saw Harriers come from behind to lead at Moss Lane. And, by and large, they'd done a good job of seeing the game out before Michael Rankine's devastating late strike saw the spoils halved.

Speaking after the game, Hockaday was a mixture of emotions... He said, 'I have to be careful of my thoughts and my language here because that definitely feels like a defeat. We gifted them a goal when somebody hasn't done their job from a corner - again.

'We scored two great goals and were playing all the football and then an individual who doesn't have the passion that I need, lets us down. To concede in the 94th minute when we have dominated in large stretches... I feel for the vast majority of my players.

'The fans were brilliant again and the good thing is that they'll have seen more passion, hunger, energy and people who care for the badge. So there are lots of positives and I am sure when I'm settled down, that's the way I'll see it, but at the moment it does feel like a defeat and I'm very angry and frustrated'".

The Harriers add that "A 95th minute free-kick robbed Harriers of their first win of the season... Harriers... were looking a good bet to record their first win of the season and what would be just their second in 33 encounters... but, once again, there was a bitter, bitter sting in the tail.

Deep in to stoppage time, Altrincham were awarded a free-kick outside of the area that was rolled to Rankine who caught it sweetly before dispatching it in to the bottom corner to the utter disbelief of the Harriers players and supporters."

The unofficial Harriers Online adds that "The away side turned out one of their best performances of the season.

New loan-signings Ben Whitfield and Joe Ward made their debuts, and Callum Hassan, fast becoming a fans favourite made his first start since joining the club. Lathaniel Rowe-Turner replaced the injured Kevin Toner.

Going forward in the first half the Harriers looked good, with passing football between the midfield and attackers. Hassan provided a pivot for Murphy, Whitfield and Zaine Francis-Angol to play off but time and time again however, it was the final decision that was lacking, a ball that should've been played earlier, choosing to run down the wing instead of cutting inside or not shooting at all, all times when the game could've been cut open and wasn't...

Good play down the right wing led to Jared Hodgkiss supplying the ball to powerhouse Hassan who swung a boot at the ball, completely mis-kicking it but still hammering it home from nine yards out leaving keeper Tim Deasy no chance of saving it...

With fifteen minutes left... new man Ben Whitfield nicked the ball from Luca Havern, ran clear of the defence and slotted the ball past Deasy... The Harriers new manager, Dave Hockaday, sent on Reece Styche to replace Zaine Francis-Angol and Callum Hassan moved to the left wing as we went to a 4-5-1 formation...

Deep into added time and we were still leading and within sight of our first win of the season... Rowe-Turner missed a clearance on the left and the ball was played across the face of the box, Hodgkiss sliding in on James Lawrie on the edge of the area and he fell to the ground too easily. The referee pointed for a free kick...

And fate dealt us a blow, from the boot of Michael Rankine, via deflections off two players. Altrincham had drawn level in the ninety fifth minute of the game...

To come so close, playing so well and have it snatched away cruelly at the death will have floored morale in the dressing room. It was two points lost on a night where results went in our favour... Arguably, it has got to the stage where the season is beyond salvageable. Seven points from safety, having played five of the bottom seven already, without beating any of them.

Perhaps tonight will be looked back on as the night when, realistically, relegation became virtually inevitable".

BUCKET COLLECTION

WATCHING THE SAME GAME?

• Possession: 49% Altrincham v. 51% Kidderminster Harriers
• Shots: 12 v 9
• On Target: 6 v 2
• Corners: 7 v 1
• Fouls: 2 v 9

Kidderminster have different stats...

• Possession: Altrincham 57% v. 43% Kidderminster Harriers
• Shots on target: 8 v 4
• Shots off target: 5 v 5
• Corners: 8 v 1
• Offsides: 1 v 0
• Fouls: 2 v 9
• Yellow Cards: 0 v 2

CUP FOES

The Blues again lacked fluency in possession and found it difficult to create clearcut chances with the hosts taking a first-half lead through Louis Almond, albeit slightly against the run of play...

There was no real sign of a comeback until the final 15 minutes or so. Craig Mahon came off the bench and Chester started to look capable of getting back on terms, which happened in the 79th minute when Michael Kay fired home.

And it was Mahon who provided the winning goal six minutes later when his shot squirmed through Andy Coughlin in a crushing blow to the hosts.

The Chronicle's Jim Green selects three things that caught his eye at the Merseyrail Community Stadium:

1. Wing wizard Craig Mahon is rediscovering his mojo... Southport were at sixes and sevens once he started running at defenders and he came up with the match-winning goal...
2. George Thomson needs to grasp his next chance. It's nine months since George Thomson arrived at the club from Kings Lynn Town and there are still a lot of questions to be answered. The biggest being what's his best position? He started up front at Haig Avenue but failed to have an influence on proceedings in the hour he spent on the pitch.

   In his defence, too often the ball was knocked long from the back as the midfield struggled to get into the game and that's never going to work with two small men like Thomson and Ross Hannah...

3. Shape matters but individual performances are more important

   It's always interesting how opinions differ and views on how well last night's experimental formation worked seem to be split down the middle. In the first-half the three central defenders appeared comfortable but it was a concern how quickly the hosts broke out when the ball was given up. Bigger worries for me would be lack of presence in midfield, poor delivery from wide areas and a reliance on long balls, in large down to Southport winning the battle in the middle of the park.

   Chester changed things as the game wore on, switching to something between a 3-4-3 or 4-4-2 and it pushed Southport backwards, helped by them sitting on the lead. The introductions of Craig Mahon, Craig Hobson and Kane Richards had a bearing on that too, but the three players they replaced had off nights".

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

But he told BBC Essex, 'We've had such a tough period of games. Tell me in what other football league you play 17 games in two months? Can you imagine that happening in the Premier League? They moan if they have to go Saturday-Tuesday once'.

He continued, 'It's hugely challenging and massively disadvantages part-time squads and small squads, and we've got both of those. For us to come through this period and have done as well as we have is pleasing'.

Cowley's squad is struggling with a number of injuries, with Simeon Akinola and Chez Isaac both getting through the Dover game with hamstring problems. 'It was a challenge to get a team out on the pitch against Dover. We've had three youth-team players in the squad', said Cowley.

'We'll work very hard on the phone between now and Saturday to see if we can get a few extras in, but obviously finances are tight and we have to beg, steal and borrow'".

The Halifax Courier tells us that "Darren Kelly warned there will be no quick fix after FC Halifax Town conceded seven goals for the second time this month... They were hammered 7-0 by a rampant Grimsby, who were 4-0 up by half-time.

Kelly admits... 'It’s a long process. I’ve only been in the job a week-and-a-half. We’re under no illusions. It’s not a quick fix. We want to try and turn it round as quickly as we can. We know there’s a lot of work to do and we’ll work hard to do that.

'The games are coming thick and fast, which is good when you have a result like tonight, you have Saturday to turn it round. But you want clear weeks so you can work on the players properly. We’ve been having a game Saturday, a bit of recovery on a Monday then into the game on the Tuesday, then more recovery work on Thursday and a game on Saturday.

'It’ll be good when these games die down a bit so we can work with the players properly'...

'I can’t fault the players for effort', he said. 'They’ve come up against a very good, well-organised Grimsby side who I thought were excellent. I think at times you have to hold up your hands up and say we weren’t good enough. But the players put the effort in'...

Kelly admits Town are still short of personnel, but was pleased with debutant Nicky Wroe’s impact... Kelly said, 'It’s difficult to come in in these circumstances but he’s got the experience of this type of environment and great experience in the game so he’ll only add value to the team.

'I thought Kieran Sadlier showed lots of energy as well, but it’s a matter of dotting all the knots together, which we will do'...

He added, 'Confidence could be why your mind and your feet don’t connect and you don’t feel comfortable doing things. When you’re comfortable and you’re confident, your mind and your feet connect because they believe in what they’re going to do...

We’ll continue to work hard to get the right personnel in'"

NL Pitchero reports that "Boreham Wood have announced that long-standing Academy Director and first-team assistant-manager Luke Garrard, has been promoted to first-team manager following Ian Allinson's recent departure.

Garrard's appointment is not felt by chairman Danny Hunter to be either a gamble or a rushed appointment, as he has been instrumental in both the first-team and academy's success stories over the last eight seasons. He has also done a fantastic job in assisting Allinson over the last three years and has improved not only our coaching provision but the organisation across the board. With Garrard and Junior Lewis already overseeing the new daily training programme in regards to the first-team squad, this is an appointment that will not disrupt the club`s stability and one that rewards Garrard's ability, hard work and loyalty.

Hunter said, 'I've had great success at the club in recent years with our policy of promoting from within. Luke has been a successful player here, a successful coach here, a successful academy director here and a successful assistant manager here. In truth I have mentored him for many years, knowing that the day would come for him to eventually manage this club and that day is now here'".

The National League says that "Margate have confirmed that their Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round tie against National League leaders Forest Green Rovers has been selected to be shown live on BT Sport...

Kick-off time for the fixture has been changed to 12.30pm on Saturday, 24th October 2015."

Other news from the National League is that "Forest Green Rovers, suffered a first defeat since September 26th allowing Cheltenham Town, winners at fellow top five side Bromley on Tuesday night, to move to within two points of their neighbours.

Managerless Eastleigh broke Forest Green hearts at the Silverlake Stadium by condemning them to a 3-2 defeat with a last-gasp winner. Substitute Ross Lafayette scored the injury-time winner with his first touch...

Cheltenham travelled to Bromley... In the first minute of time added on, Asa Hall grabbed the winner for Gary Johnson`s side from close range.

Third place Dover Athletic lost ground when they had their good run of seven games without defeat and five successive wins ended at the Amlin Stadium by Braintree Town...

It was a bad, bad night for second-bottom FC Halifax Town as they were victims of a 7-0 hammering at Blundell Park by Grimsby Town... the Mariners stretching their unbeaten run to ten games...

Barrow recovered well from last weekend`s drubbing at Bromley to inflict a second successive home defeat on a now seventh-placed Tranmere Rovers side... Macclesfield Town moved to within a point of visiting Gateshead after winning 1-0 at the Moss Rose... It was the Silkmen`s third successive victory.

Boreham Wood began life without long-serving boss Ian Allinson when they welcomed Aldershot Town to Meadow Park. But the Whites went down to a 1-0 defeat...

Woking needed a late goal from Dan Holman to rescue a point against struggling Torquay United, after the cash-strapped Gulls produced an impressive second half performance to leave their hosts struggling...

Lincoln City travelled down to Park View Road to take on Welling United looking for a win that could take them into the top five. However, the Imps returned point-less as the Wings moved seven points clear of the bottom four following a 2-1 victory...

Southport remain firmly in the bottom four after suffering another home defeat, this time at the hands of Chester FC. However, it was no smash and grab win by the visitors, who dominated possession. But they had to come back from being a 36th minute goal behind".

UNDER-9S' SUCCESS

TUESDAY MATCH ATTENDANCES

• Att: 869 Altrincham v Kidderminster Harriers
• Att: 581 Boreham Wood v Aldershot Town
• Att: 637 Braintree Town v Dover Athletic
• Att: 1500 Bromley v Cheltenham Town
• Att: 2884 Eastleigh v Forest Green Rovers
• Att: 3806 Grimsby Town v FC Halifax Town
• Att: 1223 Macclesfield Town v Gateshead
• Att: 1326 Southport v Chester FC
• Att: 4624 Tranmere Rovers v Barrow
• Att: 702 Welling United v Lincoln City
• Att: 1556 Woking v Torquay United

ALTRINCHAM 2-2 KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS

Altrincham had taken a 21st minute lead when Lawrie's corner from the right curled directly into the bottom near corner of the net. But the cash-strapped visitors, who had nevertheless acquired six new faces in the past week or so, equalised after 38 minutes when an impressive passing move was finished off by Hassan. The normally dependable Alty acting captain, Luca Havern, made a bad mistake which allowed one of the visitors' new loanees, Whitfield, to put the Harriers ahead fifteen minutes from the end of normal time.

Despite constant pressure in the closing stages it semed to be all over for Altrincham till, ironically, the Harriers' Man of the Match, Hodgkiss fouled Sinnott on the edge of the box. The freekick was laid off to Rankine who blasted a low shot past keeper Snedker to secure a vital point for Altrincham.

Match report here.

MIDWEEK GAMES

• Altrincham 2-2 Kidderminster Harriers
• Boreham Wood 0-1 Aldershot Town
• Braintree Town 1-0 Dover Athletic
• Bromley 1-2 Cheltenham Town
• Eastleigh 3-2 Forest Green Rovers
• Grimsby Town 7-0 FC Halifax Town
• Macclesfield Town 1-0 Gateshead
• Southport 1-2 Chester
• Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Barrow
• Welling United 2-1 Lincoln City
• Woking 2-2 Torquay United

Wednesday, 14 October

• Wrexham v Guiseley

LADIES' "MANAGER'S MUTTERINGS"

Altrincham FC manager Keith Edleston has sent his "Manager's Mutterings" from Sunday's game...

Right: Action from the Ladies' match on Sunday.

"On Sunday we travelled back up to Merseyside (again) to take on Liverpool Feds Reserves at Childwall College. The games are coming thick and fast now and, slowly, we are getting our players back to fitness and availability. Added to that, a couple of new additions are helping.

This was a much improved performance. Commitment, energy and enthusiasm were everywhere, with the girls getting their confidence back and expressing themselves much more. With our new found vigour we took the game to Feds and could (and most possibly should) have been three-up by half time!

We stretched Feds all over the field and restricted them to possibly two or three shots on our goal. Unfortunately, as we have moved up the league, we have found that if you don't take your chances these good teams now will punish you and Feds did just that and we found ourselves two-down at half time.

Into the second half we kept going with our football and still had chances to score but Feds' rearguard managed to keep us out and it finished 0-2.

There were some very spirited performances that I am more than happy with and, like I say, with the new signings settling in, our first win shouldn't be far away.

This Sunday we are on our travels yet again to (you've guessed it Merseyside) to take on Mersey Girls. Until then, it's back to the training pitch on Thursday to work hard in preparation for the game on Sunday. On the injury front Lizzie [Brereton]'s looks like it's going to be a long-term injury but you never know. So, apart from a few knocks and bruises we should nearly be at full strength".

FA YOUTH CUP OPPONENTS

Benfield’s Paul Blackett struck four in the rout, with Billy Walker and Ethan Tait also on target for the Walkergate-based outfit. The young Tynesiders found themselves a goal down just seconds into the clash at the International Stadium, with a 4-0 half-time deficit leaving them with a mountain to climb after the break...

Benfield now progress to play Altrincham in the competition’s final qualifying stage, with a home tie against League One outfit Rochdale the prize for the victors.

Gamble was left to rue his side’s nightmarish start in front of 177-strong crowd, but paid tribute to the visitors’ all-round display. He said, 'I’m bitterly disappointed for the lads... They didn’t show anything near what they’re capable of. They seemed to freeze on the night, and they never recovered from conceding in the opening minute...

'We made some poor defensive mistakes, and didn’t create chances at the other end... I have to say all the best to Benfield, because they were better than us in every department. And it’s hard for me to say that. The hardest thing for me to say, though, is that I cannot take any positives whatsoever from the game'".

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The results of the survey, which included a detailed condition check of the Collier's Park training ground, were discussed at a Wrexham Supporters Trust (WST) board meeting last month.

Estimated repair costs, spread over the next decade, are £1.35m for structure and fabric works and £86,000 for engineering services, according to the survey.

Spencer Harris, a director of WST and Wrexham AFC, said the intent[ion] of the survey was to give the Trust a chance to plan the work it needed to carry out at the stadium over the next 10 years...

He said, 'Many parts of The Racecourse were built in the 1970s. It’s no surprise it will require a lot of regular maintenance. We took a long-term view with it. It’s like with any other business'. He added responsibility for repairs would have to be undertaken by 'all users' of the stadium, but Glyndwr University, which owns the stadium, would be made aware of any high-risk issues.

Among the items picked out as high risk include corrosion with cladding on the roofs of the Yale Stand, Eric Roberts Stand and Collier's Park Pavilion are all suffering from cut edge corrosion. The cladding sheets to the rear elevation of the Yale Stand also require repair and recoating. The survey found the stadium is suffering from pigeon infestation and current methods of bird control appear to be of limited effect, with a recommendation anti-bird spikes and wires be installed.

It also notes 'minor ongoing repairs' need to be carried out on the disused Kop in the interests of health and safety, ahead of any eventual redevelopment of the stand... The report notes wholesale replacement of seating blocks will be required in the long term.

The asbestos management survey report indicates confirmed and/or likely asbestos in various locations, mostly in the Yale and Eric Roberts stands. Surveyors found the fire risk assessment for the stadium is out of date and needs to be updated. The latest test dates for life safety systems recorded in the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) are more than two years out of date in some cases...

The report states... 'The embankment between the Yale and Eric Roberts stands has suffered from structural movement which appears to be historic but we recommend the area is monitored... There is a significant backlog of maintenance work, and substantial expenditure is required in the short to medium term to prevent further deterioration of the building fabric. Nonetheless, the ground meets the required standards for a Category A stadium under the National League system'".

From the BBC we learn that "Torquay United have appointed Robbie Herrera as their assistant manager. The 45-year-old previously worked with Torquay's youth team and returns to the club just four months after leaving, following the club's decision to shut their academy. Herrera played 130 games for the Gulls as a player and also spent time at Queens Park Rangers and Fulham.

He joins the club after Kevin Nicholson was appointed player-manager last month following Paul Cox's resignation... Nicholson told BBC Sport, 'He has a huge knowledge of the game and a genuine drive and hunger succeed at Torquay United. He knows the club well, and the task we fac,e and is raring to go. Most importantly he is a man I trust'".

COME DOWN EARLY

The match is a qualifier for the Under-21 European Finals to be held in Poland in 2017.

ALTRINCHAM v KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS: MATCH COVERAGE

Brian Flynn advises that "Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, is providing full live commentary of Tuesday night's game at The J.Davidson Stadium. The commentators are Alex Sarwar and Simon Ellis and the summariser is Ian Wilkinson. Coverage starts at 7.40pm and you can listen to Radio Robins on the internet at http://www.radiorobins.com/

TASC SUPPORTERS' TRANSPORT TO GATESHEAD

YOUTHS TO PLAY NEWCASTLE BENFIELD

BEFORE THE MATCH: KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS

Speaking frankly to Player HD, Hockaday commented, 'Altrincham is a tough place to go but every team is better than us at the moment because we’re up at the bottom of the league. We haven’t won a game and every game is going to be entirely different, but extremely difficult. Once we crack it, and we will and we start getting a bit of momentum, we’ll see what can happen. But at the moment my aim is to get the basics nailed and to start showing the boys that they are not as poorly-off as people are making out, that we do have things to offer and that we need to start building'.

Hockaday has confirmed that midfielder Jordan Jones will miss the game after coming off with an injury in the first half against the Silkmen. Gurjit Singh has been out for a couple of weeks for a groin injury and is pushing closer to a return, while there will be a late check for Tahvon Campbell who missed out at Macclesfield after picking up a knock against Boreham Wood.

Harriers have the option of handing debuts to Monday’s two loan signings, Joe Ward and Ben Whitfield, who signed for one-month periods from West Bromwich Albion and AFC Bournemouth respectively".

More news of Tuesday night's opposition comes from the Worcester News to the effect that "Dave Hockaday will take charge of Kidderminster Harriers for a second time in tomorrow’s Vanarama National League trip to Altrincham (7.45pm)...

Jordan Murphy, who has joined Harriers on loan from Walsall, marked his debut with late goal... Former Hartlepool United forward Callum Hassan came on as a late substitute and made a good impression on his Harriers bow. Bottom-of-the-table Harriers have gone 16 matches without a win and face 19th-placed Altrincham, who lost 2-0 at Aldershot on Saturday. The Moss Lane outfit have secured five wins from their 16 matches and are just above the relegation zone."

Meanwhile, Kidderminster Harriers report that "Dean Snedker has said the team must ensure there is no repeat of Saturday’s set-piece collapse at Macclesfield. The goalkeeper was restored to the starting line-up against the Silkmen and made a string of fine saves in the match, only to be beaten by two goals of an almost identical nature from routine corners.

Speaking after the game he admitted, 'It’s poor from us, defending as we are. We should really learn from it after the first goal but the second one went in, in exactly the same way, and it shouldn’t happen... We’ll work on it in training and it won’t happen again'".

And Kidderminster Harriers also announce "Two new signings with the acquisition of young Premier League duo Ben Whitfield and Joe Ward from Bournemouth and West Bromwich Albion respectively. Whitfield, 19, began his career with Bradford City before rising through the ranks at Guiseley, making it all the way through to the first team before being snapped up by the Cherries. An attacking midfield player, Ben has been a regular in the U21s on the south coast and will stay at Aggborough for the next month.

Baggies' youngster Ward, who turns 19 next week, has been with the Hawthorns outfit for a number of years and has also been a regular in the Premier League 21s' division. A couple of weeks ago, the midfielder also made the first team bench in the Albion’s League Cup defeat at fellow Premier League side Norwich City. Ward also joins Harriers for the next month, with both players set to be available to Dave Hockaday for the Tuesday night trip to Altrincham.

'Joe and Ben look to be good technicians', Head Coach Hockaday said, of the duo... 'If and when called upon, I believe they’ll give us a little more bravery and technical ability on the ball'.

Harriers can also confirm that West Brom youngster Andre Wright has returned to the Hawthorns after the two clubs agreed to end his loan spell at Aggborough".

LEE'S VIEW OF THE ALDERSHOT GAME

The Radio Robins commentary from Saturday is below.

• First half.
• Second half.

OLD BOY

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

After listening to Allinson’s reasoning and after careful consideration, his resignation has been accepted by the chairman... Allinson will obviously be missed by everyone, but especially so by the club`s chairman Danny Hunter, who has worked so closely with him, as both manager and as director of football for 11 of the 17 seasons that he has been chairman.

Allinson spoke about his reasons on leaving and said, 'This is a decision that I haven’t taken lightly. I have thought long and hard about this over the last few weeks before coming to the realisation that the new training schedule wasn’t allowing me to manage the team to the level of my expectations. This is not a retirement I still have plenty of fight in me and want to carry on with new challenges and hope to continue the success I have had over the last 25 years as a manager.

'I am extremely proud of what I have achieved in the past seven and a half years at Boreham Wood. As when I took over the club for the second time, they had just been relegated to the Ryman North Division before being given a reprieve. I would like to go on record to personally thank chairman Danny Hunter for not only his support but also as a very close friend, I am sure this friendship will continue for many years to come...

Chairman Danny Hunter said, 'In truth I was at first stunned by Ian’s resignation as it genuinely wasn’t something that I saw coming. The transition from evening to daytime training though difficult, had seemed to go as well as could be expected. The players and management team including Ian, were in the main all very much in favour of the change. However, in hindsight, and hindsight is a funny thing, Ian felt, with the new training programme, that he was not in control and simply felt he was on the outside looking in...

'We based our relationship on old fashioned values like honesty, trust and hard work. We also looked for like-minded players and staff to assist us throughout and both feel that the chairman/manager relationship is one of the most important relationships in any football club...

'That’s why Ian announcement was such a shock, as his job was safe... Dealing with a few defeats and a bit of supporter unrest was nothing too disturbing this early in the season and it’s not like we hadn’t experienced it all before when we first got promoted to the Conference South. I knew this league would be intense but it is perhaps harder than either myself or Ian had imagined. Financially its certainly at a new level but for me the challenge is to prove the doubters wrong and after just 16 games it’s still a buzz to be playing at a national level. I am enjoying the fact we are an underdog club trying to succeed at a new level and it makes the challenge even more appealing...

'As I said, the decision to go to day time training has played a massive part in Ian’s decision, as he cannot make the day time training sessions. He feels it compromises his management and unfortunately felt that it excludes him and limits his contact time with the players'".

NL Pitchero says that "FC Halifax Town have signed former England C international Nicky Wroe on a month's loan from Notts County. Wroe joined County ahead of the 2014/15 campaign after leaving Preston North End. The former Barnsley, York City, Torquay United and Shrewsbury Town midfielder offered valuable experience to the ranks, having made over 300 League appearances throughout his career.

An attacking threat through the centre of the pitch, Wroe also possesses plenty of National League experience with York and Torquay."

Hull City's Academy report that "Conor Townsend has joined Grimsby Town on a one-month loan deal. The 22-year-old left-back has been a regular feature in the Tigers’ U21 squad this season, playing in all eight of their Professional Development League 2 fixtures, although is yet to feature at first-team level for Steve Bruce’s side in 2015/16. He previously enjoyed a loan spell with the Mariners in 2011/12, during which he made 31 appearances for the Blundell Park outfit, scoring once."

Macclesfield Town say that "Manager John Askey has praised the squad for picking up their third win in the four games, however knows there is still slight room for improvement...

He said, 'It was a dominant performance [against Kidderminster], but obviously I’m a bit more disappointed today having said that we’ve got the three points and that’s the main thing, but at the end we had to battle when the game should’ve been out of sight'...

Although Macc are hopeful of continuing to pick up more wins at home, Askey believes his own pitch doesn’t help out his side, been [i.e. being] a tactical side who play excellent, precise ground football. Askey states that more slicker [sic] surfaces suit his side unlike the boggy conditions the Moss Rose can sometimes erupt[?] into. He added, 'When the pitch doesn’t [?get] enough water it can get sticky. No excuses but it doesn’t suit us. You could see away at Guiseley it helped our play but against Kidderminster the longer the game went on it stopped us been [i.e. being] able to pass as quickly as we’d have liked.

However, despite the pitches [i.e. pitch's] conditions Askey was pleased his side could continue to grow in confidence, but prays the pitch gets watered in time for Tuesday’s clash against Gateshead."

In the Chester Standard we read that "Chester boss Steve Burr believes his squad needs 'freshening up' after suffering their second successive 3-2 defeat, at home to Lincoln City. Following a 3-2 loss at Barrow in midweek, the Blues had hoped to bounce back but despite goals from Jordan Chapell and Ross Hannah they ended up on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller at The Deva Stadium.

'There's no doubt that the squad does need freshening up and I asked the question this week to see where we are with the crowd-funder money', said Burr. 'I believe we need a couple of fresh faces in and, hopefully, with what we've got then we can maybe do that. It's frustrating to see how much the boys were up for the Wrexham game just seven days ago because you've got to be up for every game, not just for Wrexham.

'We have all got to look at ourselves and pick ourselves up, but we have to be ready to play in every game and show the intensity we showed against Wrexham... I think there are a lot of players at the minute who are off their game and we are doing the best with what we've got but the confidence in one or two has just been dragged out of them.

'The goals that we have been conceding have been poor... All the things we had been doing in preparation towards the game in terms of how Lincoln were going to play with big Matt Rhead up front, which was mentioned all week, was wasted when we trailed 1-0 after just five minutes... We have got to change things all over the park at the minute because, when you see the performance we gave just seven days earlier against Wrexham, it was disappointing to see that we weren't good enough against Lincoln. |

'I thought the two goals we scored were very good goals and we created a number of other chances, but we are making too many mistakes at the back because we're not clearing the ball. It happened at Barrow on Tuesday night and it happened again today'".

THREE OLD FOES IN TROUBLE?

Also, "Histon have put out a new call for investment with the current board saying they have taken the club as far as they can. It is just three years since the current owners took charge, and 18 months since a restructure that cleared the club's debts. The club plans to install a 3G surface at their ground but doesn't have the funds to do it, and the current incumbents are prepared to walk away for nothing for someone to put the money in".

And "AFC Telford United's board say they have had no offers of investment into the club since the Supporters' Trust started looking to sell a portion of the club four months ago. Managing Director Lee Carter says the club has 'lost its way' in the last two years, with Trust membership dropping as low as 100 members until the fee was cut from £12 to £2."

FA CUP 4QR DRAW: ALTY v CHESTER FC

• NORTH:
• Gateshead v Solihull M./Worcester C.
• AFC Fylde v Barrow
• Wrexham v Gainsborough Trinity
• Marine/Northwich V. v Chorley
• Harrogate T. v Grimsby T.
• Barwell v AFC Rushden
• Salford C./Bradford P.A. v Southport
• Sporting Khalsa/Spalding U. v FC United of Manchester/Buxton
• Chasetown/Stalybridge C. v N. Ferriby United
• FC Halifax Town v Guiseley
• Tranmere R. v Lincoln C.
• Stourbridge v Kidderminster H.
• Macclesfield T. v Alfreton T.
• Brackley T./Rugby v Kettering/Bamber Bridge
• ALTRINCHAM v Chester FC
• SOUTH:
• Whitehawk/Gosport B. v Poole T.
• Maidenhead U. v Woking
• Basingstoke T. v Torquay U.
• Grays A. v Welling U.
• Boreham Wood v AFC Hornchurch
• Wealdstone v Bognor Regis T.
• Didcot T. v Hoddeston/Brentwood
• Eastbourne B. v Dover A.
• Chesham U. v Enfield T./Hitchin T.
• Staines T. v Gloucester C.
• Aldershot T. v Hemel Hempstead T./Sutton U.
• Bromley v Eastleigh
• Margate v Forest Green Rovers
• Braintree T. v Harlow T/Bath C.
• Havant & W. v Cheltenham T.
• Chippenham v Mainstone U.
• St Albans City v Weston-s-Mare

NEXT OPPONENTS: KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS

Last week, Brown had said the club had identified their top target but said that he was under contract. It is unclear whether Hockaday was that man but he had been high on the club's wanted list. 'There has been a dialogue between myself and the chairman over the course of a reasonable time,' confirmed the head coach. 'Because of circumstance I was brought in Thursday and Friday and training whetted my appetite. When we had a chat on Friday afternoon and evening, I was hooked by then... We need to circle the wagons on and off the park.

'On the park is my role and I have seen something I am happy with, which gives me something to work with. If we can play more like the second half, then we will get our first win, which will hopefully kickstart us to start catching teams above us. Most people would walk away from this challenge but I have to say the potential of Kidderminster is huge'".

HITC Sport reports that "It is just over a year since Dave Hockaday was relieved of his duties at Leeds United and he is now back in full-time management.

The former Leeds boss has had spells at Coventry City and Swindon Supermarine since leaving Leeds, but not as head coach. Now he has taken over at the National League's basement club Kidderminster Harriers and fans of the club are hopeful that Hockaday can get the most out of his young team.

Of course it is a surprise Hockaday has not been scarred for life after his Leeds experience. After just six games he was let go by controversial owner Massimo Cellino. However, his negative experience at Leeds has not put him off. He told the Worcester News yesterday just how excited he was to be back into management, 'Kidderminster have always been a big name at this level and this is a big challenge - it's one I am relishing and one I am looking forward to'.

Hockaday was an unpopular choice at Leeds when he took over. Cellino liked the personality of the former Watford youth coach but his lack of experience at that level had Leeds fans worried from the offset. In the future Hockaday may be a man for a Football League club but the jump to Leeds certainly came to him far too soon. If he can keep Kidderminster from relegation this season then it would be an incredible achievement and perhaps his reputation will begin to be restored."

Prior to his Leeds experience, Hockaday twice guided Forest Green Rovers to tenth place in the Conference before losing his job.

Mike Garnett provides Alty's record in matches between the two clubs...

• At home: p24-w11-d5-l8-f34-a27
• Away: 24-9-6-9-26-39
• All: 48-20-11-17-60-66

ALDERSHOT TOWN 2 ALTRINCHAM 0

Right: James Lawrie's path is cut off by an Aldershot player in Saturday's game.

According to Get Hampshire, "Aldershot Town finally gave the EBB faithful some home cheer as they returned to form with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Altrincham. With just seven of their 20 points won on home soil before kick-off, the Shots were desperate to appease the increasingly restless supporters, especially in the wake of back-to-back 3-0 defeats by Macclesfield and Forest Green.

Perhaps understandably, Barry Smith's men started nervously but in the end enjoyed, arguably, their most comfortable home success of the season...

'We know that our form can be better but performances like today show the fans what we are capable of', Smith said afterwards... 'The harder you work, the luckier you get... Although we won't be taking massive steps we are moving in the right direction'.

Smith's men took a while to get going but led by the industrious striker Richard Brodie, they soon began to take control... Brodie also brought the first save of the afternoon from Altrincham's Tim Deasy, with a low, skidding effort from 20 yards which the keeper did well to divert away from the on-rushing Charlie Walker for a corner. Deasy was tested again by Browne minutes later following a mazy run into the box but the winger's shot, off balance, was weak and straight at him.

Finally, the pressure told on 33 minutes when Aldershot took the lead. Great work from Brodie earned a free-kick in the far right-hand corner, Dan Walker swung the ball in and Saville leapt highest at the far post to steer the ball home.

The Shots, however, had an almighty let-off on the stroke of half-time when Damian Reeves turned in Shaun Densmore's low centre from close range but the assistant referee halted the visitors' celebrations with a raised offside flag. Alty's frustration was evident as the players trudged off when handbags between Clee and Charlie Walker spilled out down the tunnel.

Thankfully for Smith, this didn't unsettle his side after the break and it was no surprise when the Shots doubled their lead on 63 minutes, albeit with the aid of a helping hand. After intercepting a one-two between Brodie and Browne, left-back Adam Griffin saw his back pass to Deasy fall well short and the pacey Browne nipped in to tuck the ball beyond the bamboozled keeper.

By now it was a question of how many as Dan Walker and Browne both fired efforts high over the bar from good positions, while Charlie Walker hit the inside of the post... Not even the introduction of former Shot Michael Rankine could inspire Altrincham".

YOUTHS' 7-1 WIN

FA YOUTH CUP

Newcastle Benfield U-18s are holders of the Northumberland Junior Cup and beat Darlington RA in the last round of the FA Youth Cup.

ALDERSHOT TOWN 2 ALTRINCHAM 0

Above: With Aldershot wearing blue shorts, Alty's away kit was modified to include black shorts in Saturday's match.

With Ryan Crowther and Andy Parry added to the injury list, and Michael Rankine only fit enought to start on the bench, Alty were nevertheless the better side for the opening twenty minutes. But they ended up comfortably beaten

Match report here.

ALDERSHOT MATCH VIEWS

In fact, Aldershot Town's match statistics show that Alty had the lion's share of poseession but the tally of shots tells a different story...

• Possession: Aldershot 39% v 61% Altrincham
• Bookings: 2 v 1
• Corners: 4 v 3
• Fouls: 10 v 6
• Offsides: 7 v 2
• Shots on Target: 5 v 1
• Shots off Target: 8 v 4.

The BBC adds that "The Shots went close through Richard Brodie and Omar Heckles before taking the lead through a Saville header from Dan Walker's free-kick. Browne made it 2-0 just after the hour, receiving the ball from Brodie before finishing with his right foot. Altrincham's Scott Leather headed a chance wide but Aldershot held on for a win that takes them up to 14th place.

Aldershot Town boss Barry Smith told BBC Surrey, 'We showed showed the home fans what they are capable of with a hard-working and good performance which was combined with some quality. The second goal was excellent and overall we did get the ball down and play and showed the home fans what we are capable of. We played with two wide guys and we wanted to get at the full-backs and get crosses in and it certainly worked. The two centre backs got stick off myself after Wednesday's performance because I think they can do better. They showed how good they can play'".

TASC SUPPORTERS' TRANSPORT TO GATESHEAD

FA CUP DRAW ON MONDAY

In Saturday's Third Round Qualifying matches the scores in matches involving northern clubs were:

• 1 Harrogate Town 3 - 0 Burscough
• 2 Salford City 1 - 1 Bradford (Park Avenue)
• 3 Whitley Bay 2 - 3 Chorley
• 4 Stourbridge 1 - 0 Rushall Olympic
• 5 Solihull Moors 1 - 1 Worcester City
• 8 Chasetown 1 - 1 Stalybridge Celtic
• 9 North Ferriby United 2 - 1 Nuneaton Town
• 10 AFC Fylde 9 - 0 Coleshill Town
• 11 Barwell 1 - 0 King's Lynn Town
• 12 Hednesford Town 2 - 4 Alfreton Town
• 13 Droylsden 3 - 4 Gainsborough Trinity
• 14 Sporting Khalsa 1 - 1 Spalding United
• 15 Brackley Town 1 - 1 Rugby Town
• 16 Kettering Town 1 - 1 Bamber Bridge
• 17 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 2 - 0 Ashton United

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The 57 year-old admits the work will be tough as he takes on a team that's yet to taste victory in the National League... Having been invited to train with the players on Friday, he's been able to size up the task and reflected, 'To be given the opportunity to get back out on to the grass, that's something I have been waiting for. I am a coach - that's what my reputation is and that's what I am known as...

Success here for us this season will be to stay in this league and if I didn't think we could achieve that, I wouldn't have been interested'... Hockaday knows a number of the senior members of the squad well, having previously worked with the likes of skipper Jas Hodgkiss and striker Reece Styche during his time at the New Lawn. He added, 'I know a few of the players and that makes me coming in a little bit easier but Kidderminster want to produce some of their own players as well and that excites me, it's really good project'".

After defeat at Macclesfield on Saturday Harriers reported that "Head Coach, Dave Hockaday, wants to see Harriers start how they finished at Macclesfield after seeing a late show fall just short of being enough to grab a point in a 2-1 defeat.The visitors submitted a poor first half performance that saw the Silkmen led by two, owing to some poor defending at corners.

An important half-time saw more than just the shuffling of a few tactics, according to the new man at the helm...

'Today it was a game of two halves and, in the first half, we were nowhere near good enough', he said. 'And yet, for all their dominance, Macclesfield have scored from two corners and that cannot happened again. In the second half we changed the shape but, more importantly, I changed the attitude. We were more aggressive with our starting possession, we got more of the second ball and we passed more with a purpose. We scored and they were reeling. On another day, with better finishing and better decision making around the box, we could certainly have got something from the game.

But what I would say is that, when you're 2-0 down, it's easy to be brave and I need players who are going to be brave at 0-0 or when we're 1-0 up'".

GATES

• 1412 Aldershot Town v Altrincham
• 543 Boreham Wood v Welling United
• 1394 Braintree Town v Grimsby Town
• 2455 Bromley v Barrow
• 2224 Chesterv Lincoln City
• 1253 Dover Athletic v Wrexham
• 1155 FC Halifax Town v Woking
• 1749 Forest Green Rovers v Guiseley
• 1238 Gateshead v Cheltenham Town
• 1653 Macclesfield Town v Kidderminster Harriers
• 1104 Southport v Torquay United
• 5133 Tranmere Rovers v Eastleigh

SATURDAY GAMES

• Aldershot Town v Bromley
• Barrow v Welling United
• Cheltenham Town v Eastleigh
• ChestervHalifax Town
• Dover Athletic v Macclesfield Town
• Forest Green Rovers v Tranmere Rovers
• Gateshead v Altrincham
• Guiseley v Boreham Wood
• Kidderminster Harriers v Southport
• Lincoln City v Braintree Town
• Torquay United v Grimsby Town

OFF THE ROAD

SATURDAY GAMES

• Aldershot Town 2-0 Altrincham
• Boreham Wood 2-0 Welling United
• Braintree Town 0-0 Grimsby Town
• Bromley 5-0 Barrow
• Chester FC 2-3 Lincoln City
• Dover Athletic 2-1 Wrexham
• FC Halifax Town 0-3 Woking
• Forest Green Rovers 3-0 Guiseley
• Gateshead 1-1 Cheltenham Town
• Macclesfield Town 2-1 Kidderminster Harriers k.o. 12.30pm BT Sport
• Southport 0-1 Torquay United
• Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Eastleigh

ALDERSHOT TOWN v ALTRINCHAM: MATCH COVERAGE

You can follow the fixture via this website's minute by minute text updates by clicking on the icon below. Alternatively Radio Robins' coverage of the game is outlined below as well.

Brian Flynn advises that "Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, is providing full live commentary of Saturday's game at Aldershot. The match commentary sponsor is SKkits, a major independent sports brand in the North West, supplying Altrincham and a further 8 leading semi-pro clubs including Warrington Town, Buxton, Kendal Town and Lancaster City.

SKkits is a well established company, owned and run by Ian Senior, with a reputation for supplying high class products at unbelievably low prices to sports clubs the length and breadth of the UK, and due to their unique relationship with their suppliers they guarantee that they will not be beaten on price and service.

All products delivered within 14 days of order free of charge to mainland UK. Have a look at their website or call Ian Senior directly on 07960 137232.

The commentators are Ian Wilkinson and Niall Flynn and the match summariser is Brian Flynn. Coverage starts at 2.55pm".

ALTY YOUTH

Match report here.

A recording of the Radio Robins commentary from the FA Youth Cup, 2nd Round Qualifying tie at Workington has been made available:

• First Half
• Second Half.

Brian Flynn writes, "I'm afraid the microphone was switched off for the first 8 minutes of the second half".

The Altrincham supporters who made the trip to Workington may be interested to know that Friday's West Cumbria News & Star reported that Workington's first team manager, Derek Townsley, told the paper that "his depleted squad represents ample opportunity for youngsters to force their way into his thinking. He said 'Liam Studholme (no.8 against Alty Youth) comes into the group; he's one that we know is doing well'".

BEFORE THE ALDERSHOT TOWN GAME

A regular in the West Ham Development squad... Nathan will wear shirt number 21 and is available for selection for tomorrow’s Vanarama National League game against Altrincham".

Meanwhile Aldershot confirm that "Nick Anderton has returned to Preston North End at the end of his two-month loan spell with Aldershot Town. The 19 year-old left-back made 11 appearances for The Shots after joining in August".

And "Wednesday night’s home defeat to league leaders Forest Green Rovers, the Shots’ third defeat in four games, moved them down to 15th in the National League standings. This weekend, Aldershot Town face a second home game in three days as they welcome Altrincham to the EBB Stadium. BBC Surrey’s Gavin Denison previews the action.

Manager "Barry Smith was highly critical of his team’s defending after the game, especially with regard to individual errors. Forest Green Rovers’ tally means the Shots have conceded at least three goals in four of their last seven games, with only four National League sides conceding more than Aldershot Town’s 25 goals in this campaign so far. It was also a second consecutive 3-0 home loss, which continues a worrying trend. Since beating Dover Athletic 3-1 on 3 March, Aldershot Town have only won three of their last twelve home league outings. They’ve only managed twelve goals in those games, scoring more than once on just two occasions, whilst keeping just two clean sheets during that stretch...

Altrincham's struggles this season have come about from a poor goalscoring record, notching just thirteen league goals. Only Southport with twelve have scored less in the National League in 2015-16...

Tom Richards made his first appearance since 29 August after coming on at half-time for Nick Anderton and, with the Preston North End left-back returning to his parent club, Saturday could see Richards’ first start since the opening day. Another option for the Shots boss would be for Luke Oliver to return at centre-back with Jack Saville moving to the left.

Jake Gallagher will serve the final game of his three-match ban at the weekend, whilst defenders Joe Oastler and Sean McGinty, however, are longer-term absentees".

There is a video interview with Shots' manager Barry Smith here.

From Get Hampshire comes news that in midweek "Barry Smith conceded his players 'weren't good enough' as they fell to a 3-0 defeat on home turf... Smith was forced to tell a few painful home truths as Aldershot Town once more became the authors of their own downfall...

The Shots’ form at the EBB Stadium again stuttered and stumbled as defensive mistakes gifted the National League leaders an all-too-comfortable victory...

'We fully understand that our home form isn’t good enough', admitted Smith. 'The goals that we conceded are poor and we have to do better defensively as we’re conceding too many goals'...

Rhys Browne was again the catalyst for the pacy, dynamic opening...

'The same basic errors are being made and if you’re making the same mistake week in week out it’s a problem', conceded Smith... 'We need leaders on the park, someone who is going to demand it off the players, because I think we’re quite quiet as a team... We’ve lost two of the last four but that means we’ve also won two of the last four, and that’s the way I look at it...

We’re not happy to get beat at home but we could all be doom and gloom or we can move on and strive to win our next three points'".

SATURDAY'S REFEREE

So far as Alty games are concerned, he has officiated us as follows:

• 4 January, 2015: Eastleigh 0 Altrincham 2
• 11 April, 2015: Torquay United 2 Altrincham 0

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Originally on the books at Cambridge United as a boy, he joined West Ham United in 2005 and was with the Hammers for eleven years, and during that time he won caps for the Republic of Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level. He was released by West Ham in February 2015 moved to Scotland, making eleven appearances for St.Mirren".

NL Pitchero reports that "Kidderminster Harriers have added yet another new face to their ranks on the eve of the live BT Sport clash with Macclesfield Town with the signing of bustling striker Callum Hassan.

A former Hartlepool United man, Hassan... signs non-contract forms to join the club... Powerfully built and standing 6`4”, Hassan spent much of his early career in the north, featuring for United along with, on loan, Harrogate Town and Blyth Spartans among others.

After leaving Hartlepool three years ago, the youngster has struggled to nail down a footballing home and even took a break from the game altogether to pursue outside interests including boxing. However he returned to the scene in the summer and enjoyed a trial with League Two giants Portsmouth.

He’s been handed a place in the Harriers ranks after his impressive performances in training, with football development director Colin Gordon saying, 'He’s made a big impact and we’ve been impressed with his attitude, which has been fantastic. He’s a big presence up front and a target man, something which we don’t already have here; he’s young and enthusiastic and we’re looking forward to getting a close look at him'".

In addition, "Kidderminster Harriers have strengthened their attacking options with the signing of striker Jordan Murphy on loan from Walsall. The 19-year-old has penned forms for a one-month stay at Aggborough and goes straight in to the squad for tomorrow’s trip to Macclesfield Town which is being screened live on BT Sport.

The promising talent came to the Saddlers’ attention with his goalscoring exploits at Stourbridge... His senior appearances have been limited in the Football League but he’s remained firmly part of the first-team picture with Dean Smith’s squad, while also further honing his talents with a successful loan spell here at Aggborough with Worcester City last term".

According to Wigan Today "Wigan Athletic have finally agreed an ‘undisclosed’ fee with Tranmere Rovers for midfielder Max Power. The 22-year-old moved to the DW Stadium from Prenton Park in the summer after his contract expired.

With Rovers entitled to a fee due to his age, the two clubs were unable to agree a deal until now... But the clubs have reached a compromise with which they are both happy, and all parties can now draw a line under the matter".

VICS ESCAPE FA CUP DISMISSAL

Bulls' News adds that "Northwich Victoria have been told to replay their Second Qualifying Round FA Cup match with Hyde United after being found guilty of fielding on loan goalkeeper Mason Springthorpe without the proper registration in two rounds. The Vics would normally have been thrown out of the competition, but will now face the replay and forfeit £3,000 in prize money to First Qualifying Round opponents AFC Blackpool, who they beat 4-0, as well as not getting half the gate receipts for the replayed match."

ALTY YOUTH PROGRESS IN FA YOUTH CUP

Match report here.

Altrincham now have another away tie at either Gateshead or Newcastle Benfield who meet on Monday night.

PIKESLEY HAT-TRICK

Three of Barry Pikesley's most recent articles from the Robins' Review, are now on the website:

• Down Memory Lane: Nick Banner.
• Subterranean Homesick Bluebirds.
• Down Memory Lane.

Pictured, right, is Luca Havern's goal line clearance at Lincoln City earlier this season.

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

The Bucks' managing director spelled out the stark reality at a packed fans' forum at the Learning Centre last night (Wednesday). Chairman Ian Dosser revealed to supporters that appointing manager Steve Kittrick, who was sacked just four games into the season, 'was a mistake'. And Carter admitted that with hindsight the Yorkshireman should have gone in April.

Gates are down 28 per cent, with average attendances at the New Bucks Head now 1,200 as opposed to around 1,800 in the Conference Premier last season. Seventeen players are on contract and manager Rob Smith has been told he cannot pay anyone off. The club are due to post small losses for the last financial year. But the purse strings are now being watched on a weekly basis, with Carter saying, 'The way we’re going, we will not have a club here in 12 months’ time. We’ve seen a number of people leave the club from the board over the last few months and people have stopped coming here in their droves on a Saturday.

'Things have got to change but things will be better if the 250 members of the Supporters Trust give us a mandate to decide what to do. We are taking a bit of a flier supporting Rob and Larry (Chambers) to get us out of it. We have to move as quickly as possible'".

ALTY IN FA YOUTH CUP

Workington say to their fans "Come and support Reds’ talented youngsters and help them cause a cup upset [in the] FA Youth Cup... Admission: Adult - £3, Junior - £1"

The winners of Thursday's FA Youth Cup 2QR clash between Workington and Altrincham meet the winners of the Gateshead v Newcastle Benfield tie. However, Gateshead announced on Wednesday that "Tonight's FA Youth Cup Second Qualifying Round tie between Gateshead and Newcastle Benfield has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch at the International Stadium." It will now be played on Monday 12 October 2015.

KEEPER SIGNS FORMS

Callum (d.o.b. 6 May 1997) was with Blackburn Rovers and played regularly for their under-18 side in 2013-14 season. Callum has been assigned the no.23 squad number previously assigned to Josh.

Meanwhile, Stuart Coburn continues his recovery from the Achilles injury which has already sidelined him for several weeks.

DAMIAN NEARS ANOTHER LANDMARK

Above, Gavin Rathbone's image captures Damian Reeves celebrating his 149th goal for the club, on Tuesday night against FC Halifax Town. Hopefully the landmark 150th will arrive on Saturday. Damian is now second only to the legendary Jackie Swindells in the number of goals that he has scored for the club. Damian's goals have come in 221(+32) appearances.

And Mike Ripley also has excellent images of the game.

Also approaching a landmark is Shaun Densmore. two further starts will bring him to 300 starts for the club. He has also made nine appearances from the bench.

FRIENDS OF ALTY PRIZE DRAW

1. No.73 Julie Brady
2. No.22 Laurence Haworth
3. No.82 John Gothard
4. No.43 Nigel Hennerley

LEE'S VIEWS ON TUESDAY'S GAME

JE: After we equalised, shouldn’t that have been the springboard to go on and win it?

LS: Of course, I’d certainly agree with that. I wasn’t happy with the way we started the game. I think it took individuals too long to get going when they were involved in the play. The play centralised itself a bit in the first half-hour, and I just thought we took a bit too long to get going. I keep it very simple for the players, because we haven’t got the luxury of being full time and able to work on things on the training pitch every day. That’s why I keep it simple, but we didn’t move the ball quickly enough early on. When we did get into our stride, it was fine, but we were already a goal behind by then.

JE: On their first two goals, might we have done more to cut the service to Jordan Burrow?

LS: I’m not ducking that, but I would have to have another look at the goals to judge. But what I do know full well is we were the instigators of our own downfall. We gave the ball away twice in an area where we were just starting to commit players to a forward phase of play. We gave it away cheaply twice, enabling them to play it out wide and get nice, inviting crosses in that were both finished by good headers. I need to see it again to find out if we could have dealt with it better after losing possession.

I don’t know without another look, but that’s what you have people there for, to deal with things. You could say the ball should not have come in and that their lad should not have got his head on it. Maybe we should have prevented both, but I can’t be sure without another look. What I can say for sure is you don’t give the ball away cheaply when you are committing players to a forward phase, because you are going to get caught out of position. We didn’t do that once, we did it twice, and if I’m a neutral and being very ruthless about it, I would say you got what you deserved.

If you take away the penalty right at the end, it was pretty much a game of three crosses and three headers, and we have come down on the wrong side of it.

JE: Would it be fair to say the second goal hurt us most, because we were right back in it at the time?

LS: It was very simple what I was asking for, and when it was delivered, we started giving them problems. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions really. It was a night game under lights, there was no wind, a perfect temperature and a lot of zip in the pitch because of the rain. That should have been ideal for us. The better players know what they are going to do before they actually receive the ball. When we get our game going, that’s what we do. We move the ball quickly, but sometimes you need to sharpen up a bit mentally and have that picture in your mind. There were signs of us just starting to do that when they went ahead again, so, yes, that second goal did come at a bad time for us. It knocked the stuffing out of the situation, but I have to say as well we could have done with better quality in the final third.

JE: There was a lot to admire about our goal, with Adam Griffin creating space for himself and delivering a cross that Damian Reeves finished off with a clever header.

LS: It was a difficult cross for their keeper to deal with, because it was a long looping one, rather than flat or whizzed in. It was a bit of an awkward one. To be fair to Damian, I wondered initially whether he was going to put it wide when he headed it back across goal, but he actually met it perfectly, and it nestled in the corner. It was good movement all round and a good goal, and you think ‘all right, if we are not going to win it, let’s make sure we don’t lose it.’ You want to win it, of course you do, but don’t let them back in it.

I said to the players afterwards, you made the same mistake twice, and that can’t happen. You can’t afford to do that.

JE: Typical persistence from Reevesie, though, wasn’t it, after he missed with a couple of first-half headers?

LS: He wants to score goals, and that drives him on, so it’s up to us to provide the service for him and lay on the sort of chances you know he will stick away. He has shown that time and again, and it will do him good to be on the scoresheet again.

JE: What about the penalty? It looked as though the referee was not going to give it, then he did on the linesman’s advice. Yet he was surely well placed to judge for himself, given he had just as clear a view and was just as close to the incident?

LS: I couldn’t see that well from my vantage point, and if you were looking at it from the gantry, over on that side, you would have had a clearer view than I had. If it was a penalty, and the linesman indicated as much, then that’s perfectly correct, but you will have to forgive me a wry smile if that is the case. We have had instances this season where the linesman has not got involved, and it has been to our detriment. To be fair, I’m looking more at the first two goals, because we were chasing the game after that. That’s where the damage was done.

I didn’t blister the paint afterwards, but I am always on at the players about taking the next step forward, and we won’t do that by having games like this one at home against teams who sit below us. We will only do it by eradicating them. If the game is panning out the way this one did, you make sure that if you can’t win it, you don’t lose it. That, for me, is how we move up to the next level. To make the same mistake twice .. well, you don’t get away with that.

You can’t have any sympathy when that happens. This is a bizarre league in my ways, when you consider the mix of full-time and part-time clubs and contrast in finances. But I want to continue the pattern of seeing us improve our points tally. We will see about that at the end of the season, but, in the meantime, we have to take on board that you don’t concede like we did against Halifax and contribute to three points going the way of a team below us. If you can’t extend the points gap, then make sure they don’t close it. That’s what I find annoying about games like this.

JE: What do you make of the way we keep producing top performances and results against leading teams, only to slip up against lesser ones?

LS: There is nothing in what you have just said that I haven’t covered in great detail with the players. We are a part-time outfit with a small squad, so you have to be careful with that one. It is an interesting question, but if we were beating everyone, teams above us and below us, we would be in the Football League. What you can say, I suppose, is we blow hot and cold. As I said, this league is unlike any other, with the mixture of full-time and part-time teams, which, in turn, tends to lead to a mixture of performances and results. It is that consistency of performance and result we must strive for.

I had to reinforce the message of what I wanted at half-time, and I thought we were delivering and having a good spell of play when we went and shot ourselves in the foot. You could sense, after we equalised, that we wanted to expand the play, stretch them and have a go. But then we gave the ball away on the halfway line, at the start of a phase that committed players forward, and that left us caught out of position again.

JE: Finally, Lee, is there an injury update, with Saturday’s game at Aldershot in mind?

LS: I would not rule out Michael Rankine or Ryan Crowther, but then again I wouldn’t say you can rule them in, either, at this stage. We will monitor them, as we will Andy Parry (right). Nicky Clee had 15 minutes on Saturday, after quite a while out, and it was always going to be a case of 45 minutes to an hour tonight. I wanted to change things round to three at the back for the start of the second half, and that began well enough for us, with another man higher up and a little closer to Reevesie. So that meant Nicky coming off after getting another 45 minutes under his belt.

You have to be careful because if you flog him for 80 minutes, there might be nothing left for Saturday. Shaun Densmore got more minutes on the pitch as well, so that was another positive".

HALIFAX MATCH

Match report here.

HALIFAX BOSS ELATED

The Shaymen weathered the storm both on and off the pitch to erase memories of a horror showing on Saturday, as Jordan Burrow’s brace and a last minute penalty from Kingsley James secured a second victory of the season, ending a winless run which had stretched back eight games... Kelly said, 'It’s great. It’s important that we take the same performance of tonight into Saturday because I think that tonight we were exceptional, especially in the first 30 minutes. I thought we came out and showed the good quality that I was hoping to get out on Saturday and we got that tonight.

'I thought we played some fantastic stuff and we created some fantastic opportunities, overall I think that we totally deserved the game and it’s a great boost for the lads, you could see all the effort tonight and they deserved it. They worked extremely hard and I’m thrilled for them...

'We had a good chat after Saturday and we responded positively tonight. It’s important now that we don’t stop tonight, I said to the players after the game that the season starts tonight. We got three points and it’s important that the standards are high and it’s important to take this on into Saturday and hopefully then we will get three points again. At 1-0 up we were in control of the game, then obviously we conceded. I was very interested then to see how the players would respond and how their character would be, and do you know what, they were excellent. They showed desire to get back into the game and I couldn’t have asked any more from the boys'.

The precision of Kevin Roberts’ pin-point deliveries and the clinical finishing of Jordan Burrow played a pivotal role during the game, with the latter netting his ninth and tenth goals to break into double figures for the campaign and help Town move up to 22nd, within a win of moving out of the bottom four. 'Jordan’s been fantastic,' said Kelly. 'To be honest on Saturday I thought he was one of the shining lights as well, but it’s a team game. Before the game I expect him to score and he’s gone and got two. You also have to look at the delivery that he received from Kevin, which was absolutely fantastic and that’s important. At the end of the day you play to your strengths'...

The 36-year-old also had plenty of praise for the travelling Shaymen faithful, who turned out in force to brave out miserable conditions at Moss Lane, despite the disappointment of last weekend. 'The supporters that travelled down were exceptional, the voice from behind the net was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. It was absolutely chucking it down at one stage of the game but they were still there in voice, they got behind their team even after getting absolutely drenched.

'This is an incredible football club and it’s important that we create that winning mentality for them as well because the majority of the supporters in the stadium tonight were Altrincham fans and rightly so as it’s their home ground, but I thought that our supporters out sung [sic] them. They were a credit to the football club tonight'".

Halifax's match report is here. It concludes that "Town had done enough to secure all three points with a brilliant performance. "

WEDNESDAY FIXTURE

VANARAMA NATIONAL NEWS

According to the BBC "Braintree Town players shook the hands of all 30 fans who made the 290-mile round trip from Essex to Cheltenham after Tuesday's National League match. Braintree drew 1-1 with Cheltenham despite taking an 90th-minute lead. 'It's quite a regular occurrence for them to go over and clap fans', said Iron fan Gordon Humphris, who was reporting on the game for local media. 'But, given the nature of the game and distance, they walked along the line and shook everyone's hand.'"

In the Kent News we learn that "Dover Athletic have responded to claims they owe compensation for the transfer of winger Toby Ajala from Torquay United. The club released a statement on its official website... just hours after the two sides met in the National League, with Dover running out 3-2 winners...

The statement read, 'The club were very disappointed to read quotes in the local newspaper stating that Torquay United are preparing to take Dover Athletic to an FA tribunal and are seeking compensation for the player who joined us in September. Prior to Tuesday night’s 3-2 victory at Plainmoor, Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter met with officials from Torquay United and, when the issue was raised, clarified that no compensation was due, as per regulations.

'We have no case to answer in relation to these allegations. We have not used a loophole or acted in an inappropriate or underhanded manner, we have simply applied the regulations that all clubs have to work to. We are disappointed that Torquay United have approached the press prior to any discussion on the subject but trust that, following clarification of the regulations last night, the matter is closed'".

Kidderminster Harriers report that "A late Boreham Wood equaliser denied Harriers their first win of the season, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table three points adrift of the next team.

Zaine Francis-Angol was brought into the side for his first start and was soon Harriers' hero but not before the visitors had given them an early fright. A low ball across the face of goal from the right was not dealt with by the Harriers' defence leaving Junior Morias at the far post with an easy chance to open the scoring but he couldn't get his shot on target.

Harriers took the lead, for just the fourth time all season, on nine minutes; Joe Clarke's corner from the left was met at the near post by Francis-Angol who guided a header past James Russell in the visitors' goal. The lead should have been doubled just three minutes later; Tahvon Campbell broke clear through the middle of the Boreham Wood defence but hesitated too long before getting his shot away and Russell was able to save...

After the break Harriers were pushed back by the visitors who looked better in possession, even though they weren't troubling Alex Palmer in the Harriers' goal. The quality of the game dropped off considerably as Harriers looked increasingly nervous of holding on to their lead. As it was, Harriers held the lead for longer then they had all season but they were unable to hold on until the end. The visitors drew level on 77 minutes; a needlessly conceded free-kick just outside the penalty area was despatched past the wall and beyond the reach of Palmer by Connor Clifford.

Morias, who had wasted a number of chances throughout the game, should have won the match for the visitors with nine minutes left, his shot on the turn beat Palmer but came back off the post. In a frantic closing few minutes Harriers finally woke up again and pressed for a winner themselves".

ALTRINCHAM 1 FC HALIFAX TOWN 3

Match report here.

TUESDAY SCORES

• Altrincham 1-3 Halifax Town
• Barrow 3-2 Chester FC
• Cheltenham Town 1-1 Braintree Town
• Grimsby Town 2-1 Gateshead
• Guiseley 0-3 Macclesfield Town
• Kidderminster Harriers 1-1 Boreham Wood
• Torquay United 2-3 Dover Athletic
• Welling United 1-2 Bromley
• Wrexham 2-2 Tranmere Rovers

ALTRINCHAM ON TV

"BTSport has announced two selections for screening from the Vanarama National League for November.

After their storming success in September, when they played six and won all six of their fixtures, Bromley will feature for the first time in a live televised match as the Ravens entertain Altrincham on Saturday 14th November with the match kicking off at 12.30pm.

On current form the Ravens may well start favourites but, under the guidance of Lee Sinott, have no doubts Alty will prove formidable opposition and already have several scalps in their campaign to date including high flying Cheltenham Town. Meanwhile Mark Goldberg will wish to carry on the good work he has already done which includes along picking up the Vanarama 'Manager of the Month' award in September. Both clubs also have top class finishers in the shape of Moses Emmanuel and Damian Reeves respectively.

Two weeks later on Saturday 28th November again with a 12.30pm kick off, the cameras return to the south coast for a further visit to the Spitfires of Eastleigh who, after being many pundits' favourites for promotion, have slipped in recent weeks with manager Richard Hill leaving the club. Who will be the manager in late November may yet still to be decided but interim manager Chris Todd has had many personal battles to face in his life and he will be relishing the chance to be at the helm when they welcome Southport.

This will be the first time in almost two years since the Sandgrounders featured in a live league match and the long journey for Paul Carden's squad from the North West will be seen as an opportunity to show the rest of the competition that their current lowly position will not be the one they occupy come the end of the season.

Two very contrasting games are on offer and for a number of reasons expect both to be full of lots of action and excitement. All four clubs have a lot to win and without doubt a lot to lose. And that is often a recipe for top class entertainment in the football world.

Both fixtures are scheduled to be screened on BTSport 1".

Colin Peake, Media & Partnership Support Director".

ALTRINCHAM v FC HALIFAX TOWN: MATCH COVERAGE

You can follow the fixture via this website's minute by minute text updates by clicking on the icon below. Alternatively Radio Robins' coverage of the game is outlined below as well.

Brian Flynn advises that "Radio Robins, sponsored by Ashley Mowers Garden Machinery, is providing is providing full live commentary of Tuesday night's game at The J.Davidson Stadium. The commentators are Mike Reeves and Brian Flynn, and the match summariser is Rod Thornley.

Coverage starts at 7.40pm and you can listen to Radio Robins on the internet at http://www.radiorobins.com/

Mike Garnett's statistics summarise the history of matches between the two clubs:

• Home - p.3 w.1 d.2 l.0 f.3 a.1
• Away - p.4 w,3 d.0 l.1 f.13 a.11
• Overall - p.7 w.4 d.2 l.1 f.16 a.12

Howard Watts's Through the Years records for today's date are here.

HALIFAX BOSS "DETESTS NEGATIVITY"

That this humiliation came on home soil and in front of the club’s second highest crowd of the season simply rubbed salt into a wound that is going to take some healing in the coming weeks. The defeat, Halifax’s ninth in 14 games, left the Yorkshire club second bottom of the National League and in grave danger of suffering a first relegation since reforming in 2008.

If that fate is to be avoided, time is of the essence even though October less than a week old. The Shaymen may be just four points adrift of safety but with there being a further six- point gap between Boreham Wood in 20th place and sixth bottom Altrincham, the fear is that Kelly’s men could soon be cut adrift in a group of five clubs all battling to avoid finishing in one of the four relegation spots.

Tonight, therefore, has a potentially huge significance as Halifax head to Altrincham with their new manager ready to lay down the law to his players.

'I want to wake this place up,' said the 36-year-old to The Yorkshire Post. 'For me, if the players don’t produce then they will be left behind. They will not be part of what we are trying to do. This is a ruthless business, as I found out at Oldham (where Kelly was sacked last month after just nine games). This is a great football club, the supporters pay a lot of money to go through the gates and they deserve the team giving its absolute all.

'If the players can’t do that, they won’t be part of it. I want to create something here so, if the players are slacking and not doing things, they will be left behind. Simple as that'...

Kelly beat a host of applicants to succeed Neil Aspin at The Shay... Changes have already been made, with the part-time squad now training on three nights per week rather than two. That number may be increased further in the future, with the former York City defender keen to introduce a Friday session to work on team shape. The aim is to bring what Kelly, who is assisted in his new role by former Morecambe manager Jim Harvey, considers to be a more professional approach to the club.

'I am very hands-on,” he said. 'I am a bit OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), if you like, in how I want to do things. I want everything to a professional standard and for things to be done at a high tempo. Look at the facilities here and this is a Football League set-up. I need to change the players’ mentality to match that and I want to change the work ethic. We have to work harder'.

Kelly, who has been based in York since playing for the Minstermen, decided at an early age that coaching was for him... Two summers ago, he earned the UEFA Pro-Licence while Kelly is also qualified in sports therapy...

'I detest negativity', stressed Kelly. 'I don‘t want the thinking to be, "We are second bottom, if we can just stay up". We must aim higher. I want supporters to be thinking about play-offs and promotion. Psychologically, being where we are (in the league) can be a negative thing. But it is what it is. If we get one win, it can create two or three'".

COMMUNITY SPORTS TRUST PRESENTATION

The ceremony is to publicise the support that the FCT provides to clubs in the National League. For us, this support has been the main source of funding for activities such as school curriculum coaching, ladies football, fun weeks, youth group coaching and, latterly, new activities that have been run in the Community Sports Hall.

These activities have contributed to increasing participation in football and improving the fitness and health of members of the local community. They have also helped to raise the profile of the club within the local community, and increase supporter levels.

The Football Conference Trust is a charity that offers grant aid to National League clubs to support and develop their community projects. Funding is made possible by the generous support of the Premier League and the Professional Footballers' Association. Each has contributed to a fund of £5.2m. Over 59 National League clubs are currently running projects after receiving funding from the Trust. We would like to thank Brian Lee and the Football Conference Trust, The Premier League and The PFA for their continued support.

We will be including more information re this presentation, and our Community activities in one of our forthcoming programmes. However, if you are interested in finding out more about the Community Co., please contact the club on 0161 928 1045".

NEXT OPPONENTS: FC HALIFAX TOWN

Former Oldham chief Kelly admits... 'I’ve learnt a lot about the team, and I’m included in that because we all take responsibility', he said. 'I haven’t worked with the team yet. Today is the first time I’ve seen them but that doesn’t get away from the fact that today was an embarrassing result... We’ll be in training on Monday and doing a lot of work to prepare for Tuesday'...

FC Halifax Town: Glennon, K Roberts, Brown, Banton, Bolton, Macdonald (Tuton 68), Racchi (Walker 68), James, Bencherif (Hattersley 68), Hughes, Burrow. Unused substitutes: Porter, Hibbs".

And the Halifax Courier says that "Town boss Darren Kelly believes Tuesday’s game at Altrincham is a chance for his players to make up for their horror show against Cheltenham at the weekend. Halifax fell to their biggest defeat for 12 years with a 7-1 humbling at The Shay on Saturday to leave them four points adrift of safety in the National League.

The Shaymen have conceded more than any other team in the league and have the worst goal difference. No other side in the division has lost more games than Town, while only bottom-club Kidderminster have won fewer matches...

'I spoke to the players when I came in on Thursday and said it was a clean slate, go and prove your worth to the team', said Kelly. 'I can’t take too much out of that from Saturday. On that performance, it raised a lot of question marks over a lot of things. But there’s a game to prepare for on Tuesday. It’s an opportunity to put it right and show their worth and we’ll take it from there.'

Winger Josh Macdonald came off with a cramp in his hamstring during the second-half on Saturday, but Town are expected to have a fully-fit squad to choose from other than that. Kelly wasn’t happy with his squad’s reaction to Cheltenham’s third goal just after the interval on Saturday, and has called on his side to show more character at Altrincham.

'It’s how the players deal with it mentally now', he added. 'When Cheltenham scored their third I thought mentally, that did us and drained the life out of us. Looking to Tuesday, that can’t happen... Mentally you’ve got to deal with situations but show good character to come back when you go a goal, two, three down. We didn’t do that.'

Town have gone 22 games without keeping a clean sheet, with their last shut-out coming at Altrincham back in March. Halifax have lost all their away games so far this term, with their last success on the road coming at Nuneaton, also in March.

No other team have scored fewer goals in the league than Altrincham, but their three-game unbeaten run is their best spell of form so far this season... Lee Sinnott’s men, who include ex-Town winger Ryan Crowther in their ranks, have already recorded impressive home wins over Grimsby, Tranmere and Cheltenham."

FOLLOW ALTY TO ALDERSHOT

We have a 29 seater coach booked with Haytons Travel, will stop for half and hour on the way down and back and aim to get there 1:15 - 1:30 in time for a pre-match drink. Contact the club (0161 928-1045)to book or get your name down in the Community Sports Hall on Tuesday".

Times and fares are on the Away Travel page.

FLYNNY INTERVIEWS NEIL TOLSON

WIN FOR THE RESERVES

TUESDAY GAMES

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

On Saturday, the Bluebirds spurned a string of opportunities at Altrincham where they were condemned to a 1-0 defeat by Damian Reeves’s 61st-minute goal. Barrow will get a quick chance to bounce back when they host Chester tomorrow night, with Grimes one of the fringe players targeting a start...

'If you’ve got a full squad and everybody’s fit, if you can move one or two around and freshen things up, then there probably is a need to do it', said [manager] Edmondson. 'Grimes also maybe now has to be given the chance. In training, he’s the ice-finisher so it is maybe time that Grimesy gets a run in the team'...

On the back of Barrow’s underwhelming 1-1 home draw with Kidderminster, Edmondson said that he had selection calls to make ahead of the Alty game in outlining his squad’s need to score more goals. But he made just one team change at Moss Lane, fit-again winger Dan Pilkington coming in for Benjamin van den Broek.

Edmondson added, 'I didn’t feel it needed tweaking too much. You can over-analyse things. The way we came out of the blocks in the first 20 minutes, the two wingers were tearing them apart, the two centre-forwards were making great runs, we were peppering their goal and we must have had five of our chances in the first 20 minutes. So, from that point of view, I don’t think there’s anything else the players can do other than hit the net which is the hardest part in football...

'On a general rule of thumb, anybody watching this game will know that we should have won that'.

Barrow missed a hatful of chances, while they were denied by good saves by ex-Bluebirds keeper Tim Deasy and struck the woodwork twice. Edmondson said, 'Out of 19 chances we’ve hit the target 14 times...we were very good on that one. But it’s got to hit the net; the keeper has made some good saves, they’ve made blocks, we’ve hit the post twice. It’s difficult to analyse without watching it back. But from a general look at 95 minutes of football we were by far the better team, we were the team on top and the team that deserved points'...

Edmondson added, 'It is frustrating because it’s a points job we’re in... Over the course of the season, the table won’t lie. But if we keep performing to that standard, then we will be nowhere near where we are at the moment, I’m pretty certain of that'".

In the Kidderminster Shuttle we read that "Chairman Rod Brown has revealed what happened during Harriers’ unsuccessful attempt to shake-up backroom staff in September.

Kidderminster are currently looking for a new head coach after the departure of the previous management team of Gary Whild, Mark Creighton and Tim Flowers. But, before finally deciding to make a wholesale change behind the scenes, the board had tried restructure the back room staff in a bid to improve results on the pitch...

During that testing period for the club, Whild appeared to be directing the team from the technical area and continuing his media duties, despite apparently been taken out of the firing line. It was a decision which left supporters frustrated and confused. The loss to Lincoln saw Whild end a memorable five year time at Aggborough and prompted Harriers’ search for a head coach rather than a manager.

'It got to a situation where we had not won in nine games and the way we were playing was not good. We felt if we continued to play like that we would struggle', said the chairman. 'We felt the way forward was to play with a lower budget with younger players coming up and create a style of football that would probably get the best out of them. We all agreed to appoint a head coach. I know it is a modern term for a manager but it means a manager who focuses on the training ground. It has to be someone who has elite coaching experience with younger players because I think that is the future of the club based on the finances we have got.

'We sat down with Gary Whild and Tim Flowers and wanted to give it to someone else on the training ground and felt it was only right to offer it to Tim... He said "Yes, I am very interested chairman and I will have a think about it". We thought he had embraced the role but it became very obvious 24 hours later that was not the case. It caused us a few problems and very quickly we realised that maybe Tim did not see himself in that role.

'By the middle of the week Tim and I established it was not to be. We decided then to identify the criteria going forward'.

Meanwhile, the chairman suggested that the club will try to strengthen after signing former Motherwell player Zaine Francis-Angol."

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!

Dave writes, "While admitting Reeves was only in the starting line up due to an injury to Michael Rankine, Sinnott expressed his disappointment at criticism of some of his other players and warned they could lead to dire consequences. 'Everyone has their favourites but some comments are uncalled for', Sinnott moaned. 'Fans have to remember that I am always 24 hours from the sack but also 24 hours from resigning'. Sinnott, however, was full of praise for his match winner but also hailed the efforts of his defence...

'Damian ran himself into the ground... Barrow started well and were the better team for long periods. I asked the defenders at the break to step forward ten yards to meet Barrow's forwards and I cannot fault their effort'".

RADIO ROBINS

According to the BBC match statistics in the game on Saturday the breakdown was as follows:

• Possession: Altrincham 44/ Barrow 56%
• Shots: 9/20
• On target: 3/4
• Corners: 2/9
• Fouls: 11/15

HELP THE JUNIORS!

Altrincham FC Junior Football Club is raising funds towards the £20,000 cost of participating in the prestigious Foyle Cup competition in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in July 2016, sponsored by Hughes Insurance. The aim is to enter an elite Altrincham under-12s' team and a composite youth team drawn from the club's appropriate age-group teams. A major fundraising event will be "An Evening with Graham Heathcote", the former Altrincham manager and player, which will be held at the J. Davidson Stadium on 7th November 2015 at 7.30pm.

Tickets, at just £15, are available to order by e-mail or by ringing 07967 191610. Please see the adjacent poster for further information.

MIKE'S GOOD WEEK

BARROW GAME

Match report here.

Michael Ripley has images of the game.

FA YOUTH CUP

On Sunday, Alty won 2-1 away in the league at Morecambe. The league table is here.

TIM DEASY ON THE BARROW GAME

'Barrow put us under pressure in the first half and may count themselves unfortunate after hitting the post and being denied by Tim,' said manager Lee Sinnott, whose side are at home to FC Halifax on Tuesday night. 'There were a couple of great saves to ensure a second successive clean sheet for Tim, and I'm delighted at the way he has stepped up and made the most of his opportunity.

'That's what keepers are about. They are a bit like centre-forwards. They want the glory but, when the time comes, it's down to them to make those saves. Tim did, and all credit to him.

'I'm pleased for Reevesie, the way he stuck that chance away. The system we have been playing dictates one up front, and, to be fair, Michael Rankine has been doing really well in that role. But we know what Reevesie is capable of, and he demonstrated it again. Striking is all about confidence, and that will have done him the world of good.'

Rankine missed the game with a back injury and faces a fitness test for the visit of Halifax".

Brian Flynn conducted an interview with goalkeeper Tim Deasy after Saturday's game and this can be heard here.

LADIES' LOSS IN LIVERPOOL

NEXT OPPONENTS: FC HALIFAX TOWN

Taking charge for the first time since his appointment on Thursday, Kelly saw his side heavily beaten at The Shay... The result means Town have slipped to 23rd in the Vanarama National League and are without a win in seven.

An honest Kelly said, 'It’s hugely disappointing, especially with the supporters supporting us like they do and getting behind the team, but that’s not acceptable. After the game I’ve told the players what I think, I’ve been very honest. On today’s performance it’s pretty much the opposite of how I want to do things and it’s not going to happen again...

'All credit to Cheltenham, they were very good but the thing for me is when we conceded, it’s about how you respond, and especially after the third goal the heads went down. I think mentally it sucked the life out of some of the players and through that they were just gone.

'If I’m being honest I wasn’t really impressed from start to finish, I actually thought we started that bit slow, but there are certain characters in there that give their all. I wanted to get some really good positives from today to take into Tuesday but at the minute I can’t seem to find any. There’s an extreme amount of work to be done...

'I learnt a lot from today and I learnt a lot about the players. Obviously I only came in on Thursday so I didn’t get the opportunity to work with them this week, if I had perhaps I would have had a better understanding and maybe I would have changed certain personnel. It’s a quick turnaround and hopefully today will hurt so that we look to respond on Tuesday'".

Meanwhile, "FC Halifax Town defender Matty Brown has called on the side to take a look at themselves in the wake of the 7-1 defeat... avisibly upset Brown insisted things have to change on the field...

'We started okay but the way it has gone in the end is just embarrassing... I think it was just an accumulation of things towards the end. We’re not getting the rub of the green and not playing particularly well so heads are dropping. Something needs to change quick because us as players are the only ones who can change something...

I’m sure in the next few weeks you’ll see a bit of identity to come with the new manager. He’ll bring in his own ideas and his own players, but something needs to be done'...

Brown and the squad will have an opportunity to bounce back on Tuesday night when they make the relatively short journey to Altrincham. The new management regime will take charge of their first training session on Monday night".

And "Sam Walker has expressed his sympathy to the FC Halifax Town supporters, after they watched their side go down to a brutal 7-1 defeat at home... Sam Walker admitted, 'Everyone is pretty embarrassed...

Walker was introduced in the second half after starting on the bench, and he gave away the penalty in the final minute which allowed Munns to seal his hat-trick...

'In 75% of the goals which have come, they are preventable. I was at fault for one (the penalty) and I didn’t think I caught the lad'...

Walker and his teammates have the opportunity to put things right on Tuesday night, when they travel to Altrincham. Coincidentally, Tuesday’s location is the scene of Town’s last clean sheet, 21 games ago, and the side will be determined to grab their first of the season this time around. The Shaymen have conceded the most goals in the National League this campaign, 32 goals going in so far in 14 games."

The Halifax Courier adds that "Richard Peniket believes he is a long way down the road to recovery from his anterior cruciate ligament injury. The Town forward has been out of action since sustaining the injury in the 0-0 draw at Altrincham back in March.

But he is optimistic that a return to action is on the horizon after gradually stepping up his rehabilitation programme... He said... 'I’m four months in and the ligament is strong now'...

Peniket is confident he can come back as the same player he was before the injury... 'I’m keen to get back as quickly as possible,' he added. 'The physios are telling me Christmas and I’m telling them November!'".

OLD BOYS

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Munns said, 'If we can produce that more often, then I don't think there are any teams that can live with us. We need to do that on the bigger occasions now against Forest Green, Grimsby and so on'".

ALTRINCHAM 1 BARROW 0

Match report here.

Above, right: Alty team-mates congratulate Damian Reeves on his goal.

BARROW VIEW

AFC were unable to make breakthrough having been the better side for the majority of the first half, although Altrincham created a few good chances of their own. Barrow continued to offer more attacking threat after the break but Reeves produced what the visitors couldn't; a clinical finish.

Barrow looked sprightly from the first whistle. On three minutes, centre-back Danny Livesey rose well to meet a corner but his header was saved by ex-Bluebirds keeper Tim Deasy, who looked in the mood to foil his former club...

Alty turned the tables by starting to pose their own attacking threat... Barrow keeper Joel Dixon then made a great save to scoop away Reeves' angled attempt. Dave Symington and Jake Moult traded long-range drives that went wide.

Barrow were competing well again as Deasy did well to tip Cook's shot onto the post on 39 minutes, while Cowperthwaite's header hit the bar four minutes later...

Reeves hit the hosts' winner on 61 minutes, latching on to a through ball and winning his one-on-one duel with Dixon by slotting home... Barrow were left to rue their wasted opportunities after falling to defeat".

NEXT OPPONENTS: FC HALIFAX TOWN

On Saturday, the Yorkshire Post told us that "The Darren Kelly-era at FC Halifax Town got off to the worst possible start as they were thrashed 7-1 at home by Cheltenham. The Shaymen have seen some miserable days over the last few months, but none as bad as this.

But all that was brushed aside as Town’s season, and arguably their whole history since reforming, hit a new nadir. Again, Town’s only positive was a defeat for Kidderminster meaning at least they weren’t bottom of the table. The scoreline possessed an almost cruel similarity for Kelly, who lost his final game in charge of Oldham 5-1 at home.

But the scale of the task ahead for the Northern Irishman was laid bare here as Halifax capitulated before his eyes. Cheltenham were good, very good, at times, but Halifax were awful; it says much that Cheltenham weren’t flattered too much by the scoreline.

Steve Nichol, who selected the side in the absence of Gareth McClelland and due to the recency [sic] of Kelly’s appointment, made three changes from Welling.

Kelly’s message to his players was an unequivocal ‘Show me what you can do’, and Town at least seemed determined to do just that early on, with Josh Macdonald and James Bolton particularly catching the eye down the right flank with some bursts forward... Despite that promising first 10 minutes, Town’s wait for a clean sheet was extended to 22 games as Jack Munns latched on to a superb through ball by Danny Wright and coolly lifted the ball over the onrushing Matt Glennon.

Kelly had been given a great ovation from the Town fans before kick-off, and that atmosphere carried on into the match, but was punctured by Munns’ goal. Town seemed to fall flat on the pitch after that goal too, with the early bite and snap in their play dissipating...

But... the side with the second-worst shots on target tally had equalised against the joint-best defence in the division; maybe some things do change...

There was also plenty of evidence why only Torquay had conceded more goals than Town in the National League; changing that must surely be very high on Kelly’s to-do list...

Town were a dispirited team and were soon subjected to greater punishment as substitute Billy Waters smashed the ball past Glennon from Morgan-Smith’s deft pass [5-1]. A lone cry of ‘I want my money back’ from the South Stand minutes before the end seemed to sum things up pretty well. There was still time for Munns to seal his hat-trick as he beat a couple of Town challenges before curling his shot beyond Glennon.

Then, the final humiliation saw Munns grab his fourth from the spot after he was fouled by Bolton shortly before the final whistle was greeted with a mixture of boos and stunned disbelief."

FC Halifax Town themselves report that "The Shaymen were beginning to take control of proceedings just as Cheltenham provided the sucker punch on the break. Having edged the run of play in the opening exchanges, Town fell behind in the 11th minute as Danny Wright played in Munns, who smashed home from just outside of the box...

Jack Bartram raced towards Town’s box and unleased a stinging drive that Matty Glennon had to be at his best to parry behind for a corner, before The Shaymen broke away and found the equaliser following some excellent play. Josh Macdonald charged into The Robins half, before squaring an inch perfect cross to the feet of James, who composed himself and fired home his first goal for the club. Town took the momentum from the leveller...

The home fans... were silenced shortly after when Amari Morgan-Smith raced past Town’s back four and slotted a left footed effort past Glennon’s right hand side from the edge of the box... Town were hit by with a huge blow almost instantly after the break, when a bizarre cross come shot by Munns evaded everyone and somehow found its way into the net...

It didn’t take long for things to go from bad to worse for The Shaymen, as Cheltenham made it four just before the hour mark... New boss Kelly rolled the dice by making a triple substitution with Shaun Tuton replacing Macdonald, while Racchi was switched with Sam Walker. The final change saw Danny Hattersley come on in place of Bencherif.

With Cheltenham now in full command, substitute Bill Waters got in on the act when he smashed home to make it five in the 80th minute, before Munns added his second goal ten minutes later with a strike which flew into the top right hand corner. There was even time for a seventh in added time, as Morgan-Smith drew a foul from Walker in the box. Munns stepped and sent Glennon the wrong way to complete his hat-trick".

VANARAMA NATIONAL NEWS!

Cheltenham Town thrashed FC Halifax Town 7-1 to... end an unbeaten home run of five matches at The Shay. A Jack Munns hat-trick, two of which came in the final minutes, gave the away side a comfortable margin of victory, after Kingsley James's first goal for Town had brought The Shaymen level in the first half... Munns curled home his second goal from the edge of the area, before completing his hat-trick from the spot after Sam Walker fouled Morgan-Smith, ending Darren Kelly’s first game in charge with a crushing home defeat.

Andy Mangan and Jonathon Margetts both bagged braces as Tranmere Rovers comprehensively brought Bromley's run of six league wins to an end at Prenton Park...

Tranmere also leap-frogged Gateshead after they suffered a 3-2 defeat at the International Stadium to Dover Athletic... The win moves the Whites up to fifth place in the table.

Bragging rights went to Chester FC as they claimed a 3-2 cross-border derby win against Wrexham at the Deva Stadium. John Rooney put Chester ahead after 34 minutes with a superb free-kick into the top corner. But Wrexham hit back 6 minutes before the break, Dominic Vose slotting home from the spot after Ben Heneghan had hauled down Blaine Hudson in the box.

But goals from Tom Shaw after 58 minutes and Kane Richards on 69 minutes put Chester into a 3-1 lead, and they could even afford to allow Wrexham a late consolation goal from Connor Jennings in the 3rd minute of injury-time.

Braintree Town continued to be the division`s away experts as they won once again on the road. This time, it was Eastleigh who were on the receiving end as the Iron made it sixteen points from a possible eighteen away from the Avanti Stadium. The breakthrough came for Braintree from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute... And Braintree’s own grip was further strengthened on the hour-mark when a cross by Dan Sparkes saw Cheek tuck the ball away...

Macclesfield Town failed to break down a resilient Boreham Wood at the Moss Rose on Saturday afternoon as the game ended goalless...

A brace from Cole Stockton helped Southport to only their second win of the season against Woking at Kingfield. Stockton, on loan from league rivals Tranmere Rovers, scored the opener after 8 minutes with a low strike. The 21-year-old striker doubled Southport's lead in the 17th minute...

Kevin Nicholson's first game in charge of Torquay United ended in a 2-0 defeat at Plainmoor against Aldershot Town to extend the Gulls' run without a win to eleven matches...

George Porter scored the only goal at Aggborough as Welling United won to stretch Kidderminster Harriers' win-less start to the season to fourteen games. Porter's free-kick went straight through the wall to find the bottom corner on 49 minutes... Harriers went down to ten-men just 3 minutes later when Tunnicliffe was shown a red card for a foul on Porter. It was a third game without a win for Harriers' caretaker boss Colin Gordon."

SATURDAY'S ATTENDANCES

• Att: 1384 Altrincham v Barrow
• Att: 3741 Chester FC v Wrexham
• Att: 1330 Eastleigh v Braintree Town
• Att: 1267 FC Halifax Town v Cheltenham Town
• Att: 949 Gateshead v Dover Athletic
• Att: 5034 Grimsby Town v Forest Green Rovers
• Att: 1438 Kidderminster Harriers v Welling United
• Att: 1186 Macclesfield Town v Boreham Wood
• Att: 1946 Torquay United v Aldershot Town
• Att: 4817 Tranmere Rovers v Bromley
• Att: 1510 Woking v Southport

WEEKEND RESULTS

• Guiseley 0-1 Lincoln City

Saturday, 3 October

• Altrincham 1-0 Barrow
• Chester FC 3-2 Wrexham k.o. 2pm
• Eastleigh 0-2 Braintree Town
• FC Halifax Town 1-7 Cheltenham Town
• Gateshead 2-3 Dover Athletic
• Grimsby Town 1-1 Forest Green Rovers
• Kidderminster Harriers 0-1 Welling United
• Macclesfield Town 0-0 Boreham Wood
• Torquay United 0-2 Aldershot Town
• Tranmere Rovers 4-0 Bromley
• Woking 1-2 Southport
• Howard Watts's Through the Years data.

LADIES' SIGNINGS

The second new signing Lissy Taylor, who is a player we have played against many times and she has always impressed us with her tough tackling and will to win. Lissy joins us from Whitchurch Alport (via Crewe Alex LFC) and plays as a midfield/forward. Lissy also weighs in with a fair few goals to boot. We hope both players enjoy their time with us".

BARROW, BEFORE THE GAME

Full-back George Williams was also ruled out of AFC’s 1-1 draw with Kidderminster last weekend after picking up a foot problem. The defender was rested yesterday [Thursday] but it is hoped that he will train today when he will be further assessed. If Williams is declared fit, Edmondson must decide whether to recall him or keep faith with playing Dave Symington at right-back.

AFC have only managed a total of 14 goals from their 13 National League games this season, the joint-17th worst record in the division. Barrow boss Edmondson said, 'I think there are big (selection) decisions all over to be honest. Pilks coming back is obviously a plus for the squad and ,if George is also fit, then that’s great. As it stands, we have decisions to make because we’re not scoring enough goals. There are a lot of people pushing for starts at the moment, which is very good.

'If there are any changes I don’t think anybody can have any qualms because we are still conceding at the moment, plus on the flip side, we’re not scoring enough.'

Leading goalscorer Andy Cook has bagged more than half of AFC’s goals this term having scored on eight occasions in league action. Edmondson added, 'We’ve got to get goals from elsewhere, whether that’s from defenders coming for corners, wide players coming inside and taking chances or midfielders and other forwards scoring goals'...

Altrincham can certainly be classed as banana-skin opposition having bloodied the nose of some of the National League’s big guns this season... But they sit sixth-from-bottom in the table, having lost seven of their opening 13 league games

Edmondson said, 'I think that sometimes inconsistency can come from being part-time and, sometimes, what financial benefits give you is inconsistent players. So, all managers in this league at the moment will be frustrated by what their group of players are bringing because, with the exception of one or two clubs, there have been a lot of inconsistent starts this year. We’ve got three games in a week so we’ve got to make sure that we’re very consistent in what we do, that we don’t give Alty any time to build some momentum.

'They’ll pass the ball, they’ve got some good players in there and they’re producing some positive results. The tempo in our second-half performance against Kidderminster is what we need to achieve right from the first whistle'".

The Mail also reports that "Barrow AFC striker Anthony Wilson insists he is willing and able to resume starting duties after ending his latest injury nightmare. During the summer the 28-year-old underwent knee cartilage surgery – his third such operation within the space of a year and made his comeback by emerging as a late substitute in the 3-1 home defeat by Aldershot Town a fortnight ago. And he got more than 30 minutes under his belt after arriving from the bench in the second half of last weekend’s 1-1 home draw with Kidderminster Harriers.

Ahead of the Aldershot game, Bluebirds boss Darren Edmondson outlined the need to give the powerful marksman a chance to bed back into the squad... Wilson understands that point of view but he will not shy away from the task in hand if Edmondson gives him the nod to start at National League rivals Altrincham...

Said Wilson, 'I’ve not played for a while, I’ve missed a lot of football and pre-season. But once you’re fit and then joining back in you just want to get involved straight away'...

Wilson believes his troublesome knee can stand up to the rigours of playing for longer periods... Said Wilson, 'In my head, at first, I was a bit wary but now I’m starting to trust the knee and it does feel good now. I’m not having any problems with it at all apart from a little ache here and there'...

'I’m hoping that maybe I will [start] but, to be fair, we’ve been doing well recently so if I don’t start I can’t have any qualms about it'. Wilson joined Barrow from North Ferriby United before the start of last season, but knee injures have limited hnto the team because the club haven’t really seen me on a run yet, so I’ve got until the end of the season to kind of prove myself,' said Wilson... 'I feel like I kind of owe Barrow a little bit because I’ve been injured'".

Still at Holker Street, we learn that "Elliot Newby is grateful for the first-team opportunities he has been handed this season... The Barrovian teenager joined his twin brother, Alex, in the Barrow ranks during the summer and made a dream start on a personal level, making his competitive debut by arriving as an 85th-minute substitute at Grimsby Town and scoring in injury time on August 11...

The 19-year-old went on to show plenty of promise during a handful of other National League substitute appearances.

'First of all, I’ve really enjoyed it,' said Newby... [Darren Edmndson has] put a lot of faith in me, putting me on in games where we’ve been winning and it’s been tight in the last 10 or 20 minutes when he might need a spark or to just keep the game solid...

'I’m not looking to be on the fringes, I want to really help the team out as much as possible'...

The ex-Bolton Wanderers youngster... Newby admits to not doing too well on his home debut against Guiseley... 'I’m not worried about how many minutes I get early on in the season but, definitely as the season progresses, if I get into the team I want to stay there...

'Basically, the more I play, the better I think I’ll get'...

Newby has not appeared for the Bluebirds since mid-September... But Newby himself agrees with the way his fledgling career is being handled and understands that Edmondson has to bring him on in a sensible manner...

'At the moment he’s got me champing at the bit because I’m eager to play... It’s sort of driving me on to keep doing well in training and when I’m given minutes... So I agree with the way the gaffer has brought me in and edged me into the team and stuff'".

Yet more from the NW Evening Mail comes in ex-Alty player Alex Meechan's column; he is assistant boss at Barrow thse days. He says, "I know Altrincham well as I played for the club during my career. Their latest squad boasts plenty of good players. They’ve got the big boy up front, Michael Rankine and they’ve got Damian Reeves.

The latter banged in goals for fun and his record shows that he was an able replacement for Colin Little who was a legend at Alty. Jake Moult, in midfield, is very competitive and he tries to create catalysts for attacks with his tackling. At the back they’ve got the likes of centre-back Gianluca Havern.

They’ve got Adam Griffin at left-back, another experienced player at this level. So they’ve got players who know the level, who are experienced and who can turn games in their favour. Jamies Lawrie is a very clever little player, who plays at number 10. <> I was with him at Telford so I know a lot about him. I think the whole league, other than three of four teams, has been inconsistent...

We know what Altrincham are about, they try and play in the right way, they’ve got some good players and they’ve got a nice big pitch at Moss Lane. But it’s another game that you really want to have a go at...

We’re still there or thereabouts in that we’re looking up the table and that’s the way the Barrow owner and the club wants us to be".

NEXT SATURDAY'S OPPONENTS

Several non-league clubs have extended this deal to every home game, including Gateshead, to show Premier League and Championship supporters what the Vanarama National League has to offer. This initiative has been made possible by the Fans For Diversity scheme, which has made The Shots’ game against Altrincham one of just four designated matches on Non-League Day.

Chairman Shahid Azeem said, 'We recognise the need to reach out to new supporters and this is a great opportunity to showcase the passion and excitement of Aldershot Town and the EBB Stadium. We would especially hope to welcome some fans who already know the club through attending Chelsea Academy matches. This area is a hotbed of football support and we want to prove the value of Aldershot Town to thousands of potential new fans'. Supporters wishing to take advantage of this offer must present their season ticket booklets at the EBB Stadium turnstiles on the day."

OLD BOYS

At the start of the 2013/14 season, he joined Barnsley and was sent on loan to Oldham Athletic, before leaving the Tykes to join St Johnstone... He joined Celtic from St Johnstone in August 2014 and then departed Bower Fold the following October to join Burscough."

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

Moses Emmanuel has been a huge contributor to the twenty goals having scored eight of them, including a memorable twenty-two minute hat-trick against Torquay. To win both awards in only the Club's second month of Vanarama National League football is a huge achievement".

According to the BBC, "Kidderminster Harriers director Colin Gordon is to remain in caretaker charge of the National League's bottom club while they search for a new head coach. Gordon has so far overseen two matches, a 3-2 away defeat at Bromley and last Saturday's 1-1 draw at Barrow. And he will still be in charge for Saturday's home game with fellow strugglers Welling United.

'We hope to have someone in place in the next couple of weeks,' said chairman Rod Brown. 'Supporters should be in no doubt that the football world still sees Kidderminster Harriers as an attractive proposition. That's been reflected in what we've seen as a board in this process so far. "But the process will take as long as it takes. It is vitally important for the long-term future of the club that we get this right and, in that sense, we are in no hurry. We are happy that the team is in good hands in the immediate short-term as Colin Gordon and the staff have been working hard and the players have responded.'

Harriers, who have slashed their playing budget over the last six months, started the new season with Gary Whild as manager. He was then moved sideways to become 'head of football operations' when the club offered the job of head coach to former England goalkeeper Tim Flowers. But Flowers never accepted the job, meaning that the Harriers then undertook their next three games without anyone formally in charge. Flowers then left following Harriers' last home game, the 2-0 defeat by Lincoln City, since when Gordon has picked the team. Much-travelled former Harriers striker turned football agent Gordon, 52, joined the board at Aggborough in April".

In the meantime, the Worcester News confirms that "Harriers have signed former Motherwell player Zaine Francis-Angol on a short-term contract. The 22-year-old London-born left-sided player progressed through the youth system of Tottenham Hotspur. He made more than 70 domestic and European appearances for Motherwell before leaving in the summer.

Comfortable on the left of midfield or at left-back, Francis-Angol has agreed a contract with the club that initially runs until January. Francis-Angol, who is also an Antigua and Barbuda International, said... 'From what I have seen in training this is a good set-up and everything is high-tempo. The standard is good and doesn’t really reflect the league position'".

SATURDAY'S GAME: ALTY v BARROW

Altrincham have injury concerns over striker Michael Rankine who has a back problem. Of course, long-term absentees Tom Marshall and Stuart Coburn remain out of contention for Saturday's match.

Meanwhile, the National Scene's latest issue tells us that next Saturday's opponents, Barrow, have the National League's "Player with most shots on target" namely Andy Cook with 25; from these he has scored 8 goals.

The NW Evening Mail reports that "George Williams hopes his Barrow AFC loan deal will be extended and has been boosted by the confirmation that he has escaped serious injury.

The 22-year-old right-back has made a positive impression at Holker Street since arriving on a three-month temporary deal from Barnsley in August, making nine starts for the Bluebirds. So much so that manager Darren Edmondson says, at this stage, he intends to try and extend the defender’s loan stay when his initial deal runs out in November...

'I’m loving my time at Barrow, it’s been absolutely brilliant and I’m playing football which is the most important thing,' said Williams. 'It’s a case of Barrow and Barnsley speaking, I’m absolutely loving it here so I’d love to stay. I’ve been playing week-in, week-out and the manager has put his trust in me, and Barrow have a really good group of lads.

'Honestly, I like everything about the club and it’s just really good to be back playing, we’re doing well and hopefully we can keep a good run going... I haven’t really thought too much about next season'...

Williams’ run in the AFC side came to an end last weekend when he was ruled out of the home clash with Kidderminster Harriers after picking up a foot injury. He subsequently returned to Barnsley at the start of this week to be assessed, and the ex-Worcester City man hopes that he will be declared fit ahead of Saturday’s National League fixture at Altrincham.

' 'I went for a scan just to make sure that the injury was nothing serious and it came back with positive results, there’s no fracture or anything like that, so that’s a good sign,' explained Williams.... 'I think I’ll be all right for the weekend'...

Dave Symington replaced Williams at right-back in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Harriers. After the former Carlisle player produced an encouraging display, Edmondson is likely to have a tough selection decision on his hands if Williams sufficiently recovers ahead of the weekend".

SATURDAY'S REFEREE

• ALTRINCHAM (0) 2 STALYBRIDGE CELTIC (1) 1, on Tuesday, 6 March, 2012.
• WORCESTER CITY (0) 0 ALTRINCHAM (3) 3, FA Trophy, on Saturday, 10 November 2012.
• LINCOLN CITY (0) 1 ALTRINCHAM (1) 2 on Tuesday, 4 November 2014.
• ALTRINCHAM (1) 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN (0) 0, FA Trophy, on Saturday, 13 December 2014.

NEW RECRUITS EVENING

Tickets are, as usual, just £15 and include a two-course meal provided by Richie Bentley, the club's official caterer. These are always entertaining evenings and you will get to learn what goes behind the scenes at the club! Contact the club on 0161 928 1045 to make your booking.

OLD BOYS

NON-LEAGUE DAY

"Vehicle leasing specialists and National League sponsors Vanarama www.vanarama.co.uk, together with Prostate Cancer UK are launching #WearTheWig for Non-League Day 2015 on 10th October 2015. After a successful ‘Thumbs Up For Non-League Day’ campaign in 2014 that saw £7735 raised for the charity, Vanarama are back again to lend their support.

Non-League Day provides a platform for non-league clubs to take advantage of the international break in fixtures and draw in fans from Premier League and Football League clubs that have no fixtures.

Vanarama is supporting Prostate Cancer UK’s pledge campaign with a series of big ticket pledges to raise money and drive attendances on Non-League Day. #WearTheWig aims to amplify the pledge campaign by challenging football personalities and teams and fans to get involved and #WearTheWig for Prostate Cancer UK.

James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said 'Men United is about men joining together to fight a common opponent – prostate cancer. One man dies every hour from this disease but it’s been proven by taking this issue to football terraces up and down the land that we are starting to make a difference. The power of football consistently helps us reach out to men and their friends and families, and we are very grateful for the continued backing from Vanarama as we continue to raise money and awareness throughout the grassroots game in innovative ways. By teaming up with us once more they will play a vital role in saving lives.'

Andy Alderson, Managing Director of Vanarama, said 'We’re delighted to be once again supporting two very worthy causes. As National League sponsors we are proud to play our part in supporting Non-League Day. By partnering with Prostate Cancer UK we hope to raise as much as we can to support what is a vital charity, doing great work. We hope fans will have as much fun supporting the campaign as we will.'

To find out more about the range of pledges Vanarama is supporting and how you can get involved visit here".

Aldershot Town, add that "Barry Smith will also have a special new member of his squad for one day only as The Shots host Altrincham, with number 42 allocated to Men United in recognition of the 42,000 men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year".

VANARAMA NATIONAL NEWS

Terms have been agreed for the rest of this season, with an option to extend.

'I am delighted to be joining such an historic club. This is a fantastic opportunity for me and I am excited about the challenge we have ahead of us', said Darren, who will also be joined by assistant Jim Harvey. 'We are delighted to welcome both Darren and Jim to the football club. They are both highly regarded within the game and we are confident they have the drive and ambition to take this club forward', said Chairman David Bosomworth."

From the National League we learn that "Chester FC have announced that striker James Roberts (19) has joined the club on a month`s loan... from Oxford United – having made twenty-six appearances for the "U"s, scoring 5 goals.

Also, the Blues announced that Dale Tonge has left the club after making three appearances. The 30-year-old signed for Chester in August, having previously made fifty-three appearances for Torquay United and 163 for Rotherham after starting out at Barnsley, for whom he played forty-six times."

Meanwhile, "Welling United have taken young forward Sandro Semedo on loan until January 9th 2016 from Leyton Orient. The Portuguese winger signed a two-year professional contract with Leyton Orient having impressed for the O’s youth team."

According to the Daily Post "Gary Mills was delighted to bolster his ranks with two loan signings ahead of tomorrow’s derby with Chester, and he has paid tribute to the character of skipper Lee Fowler, who has been made available to leave the club on loan.

Mills was busy yesterday as he brought in 23-year-old midfielder Jon Nolan on a three-month loan from Lincoln City and Bournemouth youngster Joe Quigley, 18, who featured against the Dragons for Torquay United earlier in the campaign, on a one-month deal...

Mills said, 'Joe impressed me initially when he played against us for Torquay, I thought he played really well against us. He is available now and after being on our radar since he played us, we are delighted to get him in. And Jon is someone I have known for a while and tried to get at Gateshead but it didn’t quite come off'”.

RYAN PRAISED BY HIS BOSS

Confined to the bench for the first few weeks of the Vanarama National League season, the much-travelled 27-year-old has fought his way back into the Robins' starting line-up...

The Alty winger stated his case for a starting place with some impressive substitute appearances that included a vital opening goal in the 2-1 win over Cheltenham. It was enough to convince Sinnott and Crowther responded to his promotion by scoring at Lincoln and earning a penalty that Michael Rankine dispatched for the only goal at Boreham Wood.

'Ryan is a great example to anyone who is not in the team at the moment', said Sinnott. 'He has taken his opportunity and forced my hand, and that is exactly what you want from your players in those circumstances. He featured again at Boreham Wood with a good positive run into the box that tempted the challenge. If you look at the games he has contributed to, he has had a major hand in so many of our better moments. I am very pleased with him.

'It was a case of getting over the line at Boreham Wood, but there were some notable performances. The industry and energy Simon Richman showed in the middle of the park caught my eye. You always get that from Simon, but it's not to be under-estimated. He gets through a player-and-a-half's workload, and that is important to us.'".

HOME DEFEAT

VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS

'I am not going to be taking it any further', Wrexham manager Gary Mills told the Evening Leader. 'You get someone in to take a look at them and it is just not quite right for what I am looking for. I need someone to come in and hit the ground running and Jason is not at that stage'".

At Torquay United, "Player-manager, Kevin Nicholson, won’t be rushed into appointing an assistant manager. The United Legend, who took over at the helm on Monday, will initially tap into the knowledge of the existing support staff before looking to bring in a right-hand man.

'The decision to bring in an assistant manager is one that needs to be made properly', he said. 'I would be naive if I rushed into it, particularly as I already have good people around me. I need to find someone who will stand up to me if they feel I am wrong and someone I can trust to make key decisions from the bench if I am out there on the pitch. I don’t want someone who will massage my ego and tell me that I am great, as that will be no benefit to anyone.

'It’s a big decision and one that I won’t dive into. I am putting together a list and will speak to a few people before taking things from there. It has to be someone on the same page as myself, who has the same philosophies'".

CHRISTMAS AT ALTY

All enquiries about the Altrincham FC Christmas Party Nights (above) should, please, be made by phone (0161 928-1045) or by e-mail. Places are limited, so booking in advance is essential.

FORMER ALTY TRIALIST GAOLED

The victim of the two-footed lunge in a Sunday league game needed a pin and plate in his ankle after it was broken in two places by Nathaniel Kerr (seen left, in 2008), known as Nat. Kerr, 27, was once a promising youngster who began his career at Crewe Alexandra and went on to play in the football league for Rotherham United.

However, he was playing for Longsight pub team AFC Gold Cup when he launched the attack on innocent Stuart Parsons just two minutes into the first game of the season. The dad-of-one became riled up after an early foul on one of his fellow players by one of Parson’s teammates in the game against The Emigration from Offerton, Stockport, a court heard. And after losing control of the ball he dived over it and, whilst grunting, flew at Mr Parsons 'like an athlete doing a long jump' before landing and stamping on his leg.

In the immediate aftermath he carried on abusing his victim as he lay in agony on the ground shouting, 'Get up you soft c**t'. As a melee erupted he then turned to the man who committed the original foul and said: “I did this because of you', Justin Hayhoe prosecuting told Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.

The sickening break was visible through his socks and once the severity of the injury became clear Kerr did show remorse, the court heard. However he was sent off and the match was abandoned as the air ambulance came to Mr Parsons’ aid on playing fields in Hazel Grove. In his official report, the referee said he had 'never seen such aggression on a football pitch'.

Kerr, of Chapel Grove, Urmston was arrested several weeks after the incident on Sunday August 30 last year and was later charged with wounding with intent by officers. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge causing grievous bodily harm at an earlier hearing. The M.E.N understands no action has been taken by the football authorities whilst the court case has been ongoing. And in the meantime Kerr has been playing for Northern Premier League Division One North side Droylsden, being sent off on one occasion...

Andrew Scott defending Kerr said, 'He accepts he assaulted Mr Parsons'... However a judge said he had no option but to send Kerr, who has previous convictions for violence, straight to prison due to the harm caused".