Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Solihull Moors 3 Altrincham 3

What a fightback by irrepressible Altrincham, as they wiped out two-goal arrears with a double from Regan Linney and last-gasp equaliser by Matty Kosylo to claim a priceless point at The ARMCO Arena.

All seemed lost after Solihull responded to Linney clipping their two-goal lead, firing home in the 72nd minute, by making it 3-1 with just 11 minutes to go.

But after Linney made it 3-2 with an expertly-guided header, manager Phil Parkinson's substitutions worked their magic, as second-half replacements Joe Nuttall and Kosylo combined to round off a stunning turnaround with a rapturously-received leveller in the last minute.

Nuttall's pass was perfect for Kossy, and the livewire Alty forward kept his cool to fire home a thoroughly-deserved leveller with the most dramatic of games about to enter added time.

If ever there was an example of how a never-say-die spirit can reap its rewards, this was surely it, and the return journey from the West Midlands must have been filled with a renewed sense of optimism about what this season might still hold for Phil Parkinson and his players.

Solihull mustered the first on-target goal attempt in only the third minute with a low drive from Jamey Osborne that swerved through the air but was still held comfortably enough by Ethan Ross.

If that was an early sign of intent from the home side, it was more than matched by Alty in the next few minutes.

What a chance the Robins had in the ninth minute after a superb ball forward found Alex Newby in space on the left, with an unmarked Linney in support in the middle.

The pass from Newby, delivered with the outside of his right boot, was both pinpoint and perfectly paced for Linney to latch on to and steady himself with just Laurie Walker to beat.

But, calling on all his vast experience, the Solihull keeper read that Linney was shaping to dink the ball over him and reacted brilliantly to keep out the effort with an outstretched arm.

Pressure by Linney on the left of the Solihull area led to the ball breaking into the path of Newby in the 14th minute, only for his goalbound shot to hit a defender and bounce clear of danger.

Alty's in-possession play was looking increasingly impressive, never more so than in the 21st minute when they again threatened a breakthrough.

Passes pinged from one Alty player to another in and around the left flank in a dazzling move that ended with Linney firing in a shot from the edge of the area.

It looked to have been deflected away from goal by a Solihull defender, not for the first time, but to add insult to injury, the referee awarded a goal-kick.

It had been a lively start, with Alty contributing significantly to the free-flowing attacking football on show, but it was Solihull who went ahead after going close in the 25th minute and then making another chance count two minutes later.

The initial near-miss was all down to an astonishing save from Ross, reacting in stunning style to turn a first-time close-range shot from Bradley Stevenson round the post.

The Alty keeper responded superbly again from the resulting corner, beating away a thunderous drive from Alex Whitmore that flew through a ruck of players, but there was nothing he could do soon after when a right-wing cross led to a header that came back off the bar.

Tylor Golden looked to have rescued the Robins by heading the loose ball away from the six-yard box, but Whitmore was perfectly placed to hammer it back into the roof of the net.

Worse followed for the Robins in the 40th minute, as Solihull doubled their lead with a simple finish from Sam Bowen.

Bowen fed the ball through to Stevenson, and when his low drive was parried by Ross, the Solihull midfielder was on hand to shoot into an unguarded net.

It was a hammerblow that left Alty two goals adrift and facing an uphill task to salvage anything from what was always likely to prove one of their tougher tests on the road.

Solihull thought they had extended their lead just after the hour mark when Jack Stevens floated a quick free-kick over the wall and into the top corner of Alty's net. It transpired it had been taken a little too quickly for the referee's liking, as a retake was ordered that Stevens curled narrowly wide of the left post.

Alty made the most of their good fortune by reducing the arrears in the 72nd minute when a bout of pressure by the Robins gave Kosylo the chance to reach the bye-line on the right and cut the ball back across the six-yard area.

It reached Linney beyond the far post, and the in-form Alty striker made no mistake with an unerring angled drive into the roof of the net.

Buoyed by Linney's emphatic finish, Alty went in search of an equaliser and might have located one in the 76th minute, had Newby taken a little more care after being picked out by an outstanding through ball from Tom Crawford.

Newby sprinted clear down the right but was unable to find a team-mate with his resulting low cross, and the chance was lost.

So, too, it seemed, was any hope of Alty levelling matters, as Solihull restored their two-goal advantage just three minutes later.

Stevenson teed up Stevens, and he held off a challenge before drilling past Ross from inside the area.

That would be that from an Alty perspective, surely. Or would it?

At 3-1 down with 11 minutes left, it certainly looked to be all up for the Robins, but Phil Parkinson's resilient side had other ideas.

In the 82nd minute, the deficit was back to a single goal after another exceptional Crawford through ball was met by a deft glancing header from Linney that looped over the stranded Walker and sailed into the net.

When substitute Jake Bickerstaff curled a shot agonisingly wide of the far post in the 85th minute, it appeared the clock would be against Alty, but while there was still time, there was still belief.

And how that belief was rewarded in the 90th minute, as one substitute, Nuttall, rolled the ball into the path of another, Kosylo, who kept his composure with a low shot that evaded the diving Walker's straining fingertips to spark frenzied celebrations among Alty's players and the travelling fans behind the goal.

Solihull Walker; Clarke, Newton, Osborne (c) (Bostock, 73'), Whitmore, Stevens, Bowen, Wilkinson, Oakley, Stevenson (Gale, 90'), Adu-Poku. Subs not used: Flahavan, Morrison, Tipton, Howell, Warburton.

Altrincham Ross; E.Jones, Baines (c), Linney (Cooper, 90'+3), Newby (Bickerstaff, 82'), Humbles (Osborne, 61'), J.Jones, Wilson (Nuttall, 65'), Reddin (Kosylo, 61'), Crawford, Golden. Subs not used: Marriott, Randle.

HT 2-0

Goals Whitmore 27', Bowen 40', Stevens 79' | Linney 71', 82', Kosylo 90'

Yellows None | Reddin 48', Kosylo 65'

Reds None | None

Referee Richard Eley

Assistants Jake Topp & Matthew Jackson

Fourth official Matthew Jackson

Attendance 1,059

Next Up

We head home for our Remembrance Day fixture against Southend United on Saturday, November 16th (3pm) at The J.Davidson Stadium.

General admission tickets for the game are on sale online here, however, our John King Lounge hospitality packages sold out weeks ago.