Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Altrincham 3 Braintree 1

Alex Newby had a hand in all three Altrincham goals as the Robins climbed above Rochdale into the play-off places with a hard-earned but deserved win at The J.Davidson Stadium.

The Alty forward was handily placed to apply the final touch to a typically direct piece of play by Regan Linney in the eighth minute, and the roles were reversed as the Robins went further in front on the half-hour, Newby winning a penalty that Linney converted with ease.

The points were in the bag in the 74th minute when Newby put a close-range finish on a plate for Joe Nuttall for a 3-0 lead that was never seriously threatened, despite Chay Cooper reducing the deficit with a rocket of a volley near the end.

It was a win that lifted Alty back into the top seven, but it came at a cost, with Ethan Ross going off injured in the second half and Matty Kosylo being shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident in added time.

Braintree started brightly, but it was Alty who fashioned the first real opportunity after a smart move down the left involving Tylor Golden and Linney in the seventh minute.

When Linney latched on to Golden's pass and returned the compliment with a clever back heel, the Alty full-back's cross was met by a leap and a header by Lucas Weaver that was saved with some difficulty by keeper Henry Gray.

A minute later, a superb crossfield pass by Linney sent Weaver surging clear, only for Gray to block the Alty winger's angled shot with his legs.

Before the eighth minute was out, Alty were ahead with a goal that owed everything to Linney's penchant for motoring past a marker on the left of the area.

He did it for the umpteenth time this season, and when he followed up his burst of speed with a firmly-struck low shot that was only half saved, Newby was on hand to force the rebound over the line from a yard out.

Ross needed a couple of minutes' treatment in the 18th minute after appearing to be injured trying to deal with an inswinging corner a few moments earlier.

It was soon apparent there were no ill-effects as he reacted superbly to parry a first-time John Akinde shot in the 22nd minute, Alty heaving a sigh of relief as Matt Robinson drove the rebound wide.

The Alty keeper's razor-sharp reaction was eclipsed by his opposite number three minutes later as Alty so nearly doubled their lead.

Jet-heeled as ever, Weaver flew down the right and, after a one-two with Lewis Banks, delivered a cross that was only half-cleared to Golden, who chested the ball down before connecting with a blistering volley that looked bound for the top corner until Gray took off to fist it away at full stretch.

A second Alty goal was coming, and it duly materialised in the 30th minute when Newby was tripped by Cooper and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.

Linney composed himself while the official ensured no-one encroached in the area before despatching the penalty with his usual calm authority.

A third Alty goal would surely settle any doubts about the outcome, and it almost arrived in the 63rd minute following a lightning counter-attack down the right.

First, Newby cut in from the right and had a shot blocked on the edge of the area and then Linney pounced on the rebound, only to drill his effort wide of the right post.

Ross finally succumbed to the knock he picked up in the first half in the 68th minute after denying Braintree with an excellent double save from James Vennings and Kyrell Lisbie.

Alty's number one stayed down after the second of those two saves and frantically signalled that he was in severe pain and needed more treatment.

It soon became clear he could not continue, and as he was helped off along the perimeter of the pitch, young Louie Fallon replaced him between the posts.

Before the Robins Academy keeper could be tested, Alty made the points safe with a fine goal to go 3-0 in front.

Substitute Kosylo made it possible with a brilliant, immaculately-measured pass through to Newby on the right, and when he rolled the ball across the area towards the far post, Nuttall gleefully applied the finishing touch from the edge of the six-yard box.

Fallon distinguished himself with an impressive save in a one-on-one with substitute Tom Blackwell in the 80th minute, but he could do nothing about the visitors reducing the arrears three minutes later.

Alty's defence failed to clear their lines from a corner, and as the ball dropped to Cooper, he met it with a thunderous volley that Fallon could scarcely have seen, let alone react to as it flew into the corner of the net.

No matter, it was job done by the Robins and another three points safely banked, the pursuit of a place in the play-offs continuing at a lively pace.

Harvey Nichols Man Of The Match Regan Linney

Altrincham Ross (Fallon, 70'); Banks, Baines (c), Osborne, Linney (Kosylo, 70'), Newby (Taylor, 75'), Weaver, Crawford, Golden (J.Jones, 81'), Nuttall, Olson. Subs not used: Cooper, Reddin, Bickerstaff. .

Braintree Gray; Clampin (Fyfield, 16'), Annesley, Vennings, Cooper, Akinde (c), Lisbie (Blackwell, 72'), Robinson, Francis-Clarke, Pinnington (Judge, 88'), Francis. Subs not used: Miranda.

HT 2-0

Goals Newby 8', LInney 30', Nuttall 74' | Cooper 82'

Yellows Crawford 56', Nuttall 80' | None

Reds Kosylo 90'+2 | None

Referee Greg Rollason

Assistant Emmanuel Edet & Darren Rogers

Fourth official Harry Jones

Attendance 1,674 (61 away)

Next Up

Three away games in a row, beginning on Tuesday night at Oldham Athletic (7:45pm).

Click here for all the info on that game, plus our visits to the North East to face Gateshead and Hartlepool United.