Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Altrincham 2 Boston United 2

Altrincham let two points slip through their fingers in agonising fashion as 10-man Boston United made light of a second-half red card to fight their way back from a two-goal deficit at The J.Davidson Stadium this afternoon.

There looked to be only one possible outcome when Boston keeper Cameron Gregory's 50th-minute dismissal was followed by two Alty goals in quick succession from Alex Newby and Regan Linney.

But the Pilgrims refused to accept the game was up and left a 2,000-strong crowd rubbing their eyes in disbelief as first substitute Keaton Ward reduced the arrears in the 78th minute and then Cameron Green drove an equaliser beyond the reach of Ethan Ross six minutes later.

Linney looked in the mood to cause problems down the left in the opening moments, and it was his industry and enterprise that led to the game's first scoring opportunity in the fifth minute.

The Alty striker appeared to have been impeded as he cut in from the flank, but Newby seized on the loose ball and cleverly worked enough space for a cross that was headed narrowly wide by Tom Crawford.

The Robins had made a lively start, but it was Boston who carved out the first attempt on target in the ninth minute.

Sam Osborne let fly from the edge of the area, and it took a fine save from Ross, diving low to his right, to keep it out.

Ross was called into action again two minutes later, reacting superbly to beat away a fiercely-struck volley by Jacob Hazel.

Worryingly for Alty, the visitors threatened again soon after that with a close-range effort that was blocked by Tylor Golden.

After goalmouth action at both ends early on, the game began to drift aimlessly towards half-time until suddenly bursting into life just before the break.

First, Alty went close to opening the scoring in the 42nd minute when Golden cut in from the left and Linney took the opportunity to connect with a left-footed shot that looked bound for the bottom right corner of the Boston net until cannoning into a defender and deflecting away from danger.

Boston hit back and were up the other end a minute later, with Ross again demonstrating reflexes and agility of the highest order, as he flung himself to his right to keep out an effort from Frankie Maguire.

The Ross heroics continued at the start of the second half as Tony Weston met a pass from the right with a first-time shot that was heading for the right corner of the net until Alty's number one took off to palm it away at full stretch.

That was in the 50th minute, and, seconds later, Boston were down to 10 men in controversial circumstances.

Chasing a through ball, Justin Amaluzor reached it a fraction ahead of the onrushing Gregory and nicked it past him. A sickening collision between the two players followed a split-second later, leaving both of them sprawled on the turf a good 25 yards from goal.

Considering Amaluzor's touch propelled the ball towards the right touchline, rather than in the vicinity of the Boston area, it came as a surprise when the referee reached to his pocket and produced a red card instead of yellow.

It looked a slightly harsh call, Gregory finally and forlornly dragging himself off the pitch after lengthy treatment and Boston sending on their substitute keeper after finding themselves down to 10 men.

Alty looked to make their numerical advantage count and almost did it in the 64th minute when, after a spell of possession, Linney rolled the ball in to Elliot Osborne, who took aim from 20 yards and unleashed a shot that rattled the crossbar with the keeper beaten.

Two minutes later, any hopes Boston harboured of holding out a man short looked to have been dashed by two Alty goals in as many minutes.

The first, in the 66th minute, came as Newby took a Tom Crawford pass expertly in his stride with a sublime first touch that was followed by an unerring low drive into the corner of the net.

Still recoiling from that setback, Boston were dealt another hammerblow seconds later, as Linney tore into the area on the left and switched the ball on to his right foot to bury a rising drive into the far corner.

When James Jones lost possession in the 72nd minute, a goal-saving block by Jake Cooper rescued the Alty skipper and preserved his side's two-goal lead.

A lightning 73rd-minute counter-attack from the Robins so nearly yielded a third goal that would surely have finished off the Pilgrims once and for all.

It was led by Kahrel Reddin, who released the ball with perfect timing into the path of Amaluzor, only for the winger's low drive to be blocked by Boston's substitute keeper.

Suddenly, Boston were back in it after reducing the deficit with a 78th-minute goal that must have been hard to take for Ross.

The Alty keeper seemed to have safeguarded another richly-deserved clean sheet with yet another exceptional save, only for Ward to force home the rebound.

The Robins almost restored their two-goal cushion in the 81st minute when Crawford met a right-wing corner with a firm header that was cleared off the line.

Instead, Boston grabbed the unlikeliest of opportunities to draw level in the 84th minute.

Green powered forward towards the left of the Alty area and hit a well-struck drive that Ross got fingertips to but couldn't prevent crossing the line.

A player down and two goals behind just a few minutes earlier, the Pilgrims quite astonishingly found themselves back on level terms.

Could there be a winner for either side? There was certainly enough on the clock for one after the referee remarkably deemed that the lengthy delay for treatment to Gregory merited no less than 11 minutes of stoppage time.

Olly Crankshaw's late introduction from the bench was a welcome sight after his long injury absence, and he looked lively on the right flank. Indeed, it was his cross that led to fellow-substitute Jake Bickerstaff spinning near the penalty spot and hammering the game's final chance narrowly over. 

Harvey Nichols MOTM Kahrel Reddin

Altrincham Ross; Banks, Cooper, Osborne, Linney (Bickerstaff, 75'), Newby, Amaluzor (Crankshaw, 87'), J.Jones (c), Reddin, Crawford, Golden. Subs not used: E.Jones, Kosylo, Humbles, Nuttall, Randle.

Boston Gregory; Green, Bostwick (c) (Leak, 81'), Hazel (Marriott, 81'), Rowe, Weston (Aderoju, 66'), Richards, Osborne (Ward, 40'), Maguire, Mills, Hill (Craven, 55'). Subs not used: Mooney, Tomlinson.

HT 0-0

Goals Newby 65', Linney 66' | Ward 78', Green 84'

Yellows Banks 39', Newby 88' | Ward 58'

Reds None | Gregory 49'

Referee Aaron Bannister

Assistants Joe Simpson & Curtis Wood

Fourth official Oliver Noonan

Attendance 2,031 (222 away)

Next Up

We're right back here at The J.Davidson Stadium on Tuesday evening when Dagenham & Redbridge are the visitors for another Vanarama Natonal League clash on home turf.

Kick-off is 7:45pm and tickets can be bought here or on the night via our cash turnstiles.