BEST RESULT OF THE SEASON", SAYS LEE
Alty Press Officer John Edwards writes, "Lee Sinnott (below, left) hailed a dramatic 2-1 win over promotion rivals Stalybridge Celtic as ‘our best result of the season’ and urged his players to continue their pursuit of a play-off place against Bishop’s Stortford at Moss Lane on Saturday.
A double half-time substitution helped Altrincham turn round 1-0 arrears against 10-man Stalybridge and close in on the top five with a Damian Reeves equaliser and 88th-minute winner from defender Matt Flynn.
Stalybridge had Kristian Platt sent off for a second-minute foul on new signing Leighton McGivern and were finally undone after the half-time introduction of fellow-newcomer Scott Phelan and Nicky Clee gave Alty extra impetus.
As he reflected on the late drama, with Flynn bundling home the last-gasp winner after Alty themselves had been reduced to 10 men due to an injury to Marlon Broomes, Alty boss Sinnott said:
‘I don’t know where to start with that one. The format before the game was to win it. We did that, and put another three points on the board, but that only tells half the story.
‘For the neutrals, I imagine it was quite entertaining, but for each manager and set of supporters, it was one where you just didn’t know which way it was going to go. It certainly kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
‘I thought, for the sending off, Leighton turned their lad really well, and you could tell he was brought to ground in a central position, just outside the area. He was going to get an effort in on goal, so by the letter of the law, Kristian had to go.
‘That left Stalybridge with 10 men, but, daft as it sounds, it seemed to help them more than us. They went to a 4-4-1, and worked the system very well, and it seemed to put us out of our stride more than it did them.
‘They didn’t put us under any sustained pressure, or threaten our goal too much, but they looked far too comfortable for my liking in the first half. Their two banks of four coped quite easily, and that was largely down to the fact that when we worked the ball round the park, it was just too ponderous. We didn’t punch holes in areas where we might have caused problems, and it was clear to me after half-an-hour what needed doing.
‘I just sensed the full-back areas were going to be key against a team who were a man short. We needed quality in those areas, and I thought Shaun Densmore moving to right-back and Nicky coming on at left-back gave us that.
‘I told the players at half-time they were going to have to pick the tempo up, or Stalybridge would see the game out, and that’s exactly what they did. In a tight derby game between two teams battling for a play-off place, it was vital we took our chances, and I’m thankful we did.
‘It was a fantastic finish by Damian for the equaliser. To spin and get it in the far corner like that just about sums up his season. He had a couple of chances just before, and might normally have expected to stick at least one away, but he kept getting in the right positions, as he always does, and he duly got his reward.
‘If people are suggesting there may have been a hint of offside about the winner, then who knows? We don’t have the luxury of instant replays and freeze-frame at this level, so you have to go with whatever decision is made. I’m sure some have gone against us, and if luck did favour us on this occasion, I would argue it was deserved.
‘It was a bobbly, scruffy goal, but who cares? They all count, and I told the players afterwards that it was the best result we’ve had all season. You have to say that, when you consider the enormity of the game and the pressure on us, because if the points had gone to Stalybridge, it may have left us with too big a gap to bridge, given the time left.
‘There were a lot of plusses from the night, not least a very positive debut from Leighton. He is lively and will always cause defenders problems, as he proved within the opening two minutes, with the sending off. He is a nuisance – a bit like Craig Bellamy and Andy Johnson rolled into one – and I’m sure he will get goals for us. He got himself into good positions, and he will finish chances, because he has a history of finishing. He put in a full 90 minutes, too, despite not playing for a couple of weeks, so full credit to him for that.
‘It was a good debut from Scott Phelan as well. He acquitted himself well, when he went on for the second half, and gave us that drive to take the game to Stalybridge. We pushed forward more quickly and accurately in the second half and started asking questions of their back four, instead of their middle four. That was because we upped the tempo and increased the pace and quality of our play, and it was exactly what was needed.
‘With 10 games to go, we need to be fortunate now with form, injuries and suspension, but, to be fair, everyone is walking the same tightrope. Kieran Walmsley should be OK for Saturday, but Marlon Broomes might have tweaked his other hamstring, and we will also have to evaluate Nicky Clee, who managed 45 minutes, despite a problem with his ribs.
‘But we are looking strong. When you look over your shoulder and see what you’ve got on the bench, it gives you an indication of how strong your squad is. It is very important for the players who have a shirt to realise they have to maintain their form, or someone will step in and take it off them.
‘We need to keep putting points on the board, especially against teams around us, because it will mean we are pegging them back. But it is also essential our approach is right against teams below us, because throwing away points when you have been on your game is how not to make the play-offs.
‘We can’t just turn up against Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday and assume we will beat them. I told the players at the end of the Stalybridge game that I don’t want any Lord Mayor’s Show scenario. If we are ponderous in our build up, they will get bodies behind the ball, in their 4-1-4-1 formation, and make it hard for us. So we have to replicate the second-half performance for the entire 90 minutes. We are looking to avenge the 1-0 defeat of two weeks ago, but we know our approach will have to be spot-on'".
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BEST RESULT OF THE SEASON", SAYS LEE
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