Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Altrincham 1 Morecambe 1

Olly Crankshaw maintained his prolific scoring form as Altrincham managed to avoid becoming the latest victims of the dreaded new boss bounce at The J.Davidson Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Robins had good cause for fearing the worst when Morecambe announced the return of Jim Bentley ahead of their visit to Moss Lane, given his iconic status with Shrimps fans and the way a change of manager at any club invariably coincides with a sudden sharp upturn in their fortunes.

A stunning 48th-minute free-kick by Jack Nolan did nothing to ease any misgivings, but Alty hit back in style with an eye-catching goal of their own soon after to ensure the nine-point gap between the teams in the Enterprise National League remained intact.

With Bentley looking on from the away technical area, Morecambe almost made the most spectacular of fast starts as Chris Popov found himself in space near the left corner of Alty's six-yard box after precisely 23 seconds.

The Morecambe striker made a clean enough connection with his close-range shot, but Luke Hutchinson was equal to it as he sprang to his right to palm it away.

Alty reacted to that early shock to the system by going even closer to an opening goal in the fourth minute.

Tom Crawford started it with a through ball that Jimmy Knowles took expertly in his stride, controlling it with his thigh as he accelerated towards the bye-line on the left.
When Kahrel Reddin took possession of the striker's low cut-back with his back to goal and rolled the ball towards Tylor Golden, the Alty full-back's curling shot looked bound for the far corner of the Morecambe net until Jamal Blackman touched it round the post with an exceptional full-length save.

Blackman was called into action again in the 18th minute as Alty stepped up their search for a breakthrough.

Matty Kosylo's probing pass down the right flank was perfect for Knowles, who surged clear before hitting a low angled shot that Morecambe's keeper blocked with his legs at the expense of a corner.

Morecambe threatened with a header from a 35th-minute corner that brought a smart save from Hutchinson, but it was Alty who were making more of the running in a keenly-contested first half.

Indeed, with the last kick before half-time, Anthony Forde delivered a pinpoint corner from the right that Josh Grant met with a header that flew narrowly over.

Morecambe started the second half in similar fashion to the first, as they went in front in the 48th minute.

From a free-kick just over 20 yards out, Nolan stepped up to bend an unstoppable shot wide of Hutchinson's straining fingertips and into the top corner via the inside of the right-hand post.

Alty were back on terms with a cracking goal of their own in the 56th minute.

Kosylo measured a telling pass down the right, not for the first time, that Knowles reached just before the bye-line and clipped low to Crankshaw in the middle.

Alty's in-form winger still had plenty to do but did it with his usual aplomb, as he swiftly made room for a shot that went in off the left upright for his seventh goal in the last eight games.

When an Alty corner was only half-cleared three minutes later, Kosylo so nearly put his side ahead with a first-time volley that missed the target by inches.

It needed a desperate goalline clearance to stop Morecambe regaining the lead midway through the second half, but Alty were soon up the other end in search of a second themselves in the 73rd minute.

Knowles beat the offside trap on the left, latching on to a through ball before cutting inside and hitting a shot that was deflected wide of the near post.

Two of Alty's second-half substitutes combined in the 77th minute, Charlie Kirk touching the ball back to Lucas Weaver for a shot that was saved, but, try as they might, Alty couldn't find a way through for a win that would have lifted them above Yeovil and Brackley into 14th in the table.

Beeline VIP Travel Man Of The Match Kahrel Reddin

Altrincham Hutchinson; Grant (Cooper, 63'), Crankshaw (Weaver, 74'), Marriott, Knowles (Kirk, 74'), Kosylo, Reddin, Crawford (c), Golden, Forde (Jones, 63'), Sassi. Subs not used: Breckin, Fallon, Olson.

Morecambe Blackman; Payne, Dean, Francillette, Edwards (Tollitt, 71'), Azeez, Williams (McWilliams, 71'), Lewis, Songo'o (c) (Thomas, 78'), Nolan, Popov. Subs not used: Nuttall, Fairclough, Akindileni, Boney.

HT 0-0

Goals Crankshaw 56' | Nolan 48'

Yellows Grant 47', Golden 90' | Williams 45'

Reds None | None

Referee Michael Barlow

Assistants Alan Hull & Thomas Cooke

Fourth official Robert Claussen

Attendance 2,088 (484 away)

Next Up

We're at home again on Saturday - 3pm kick-off against Yeovil Town in the Enterprise National League. Tickets are on sale here and hospitality is on sale here.