Words Henry Watts Picture Jonathan Moore

Hartlepool 3 Altrincham 1

For the first five minutes of this National league fixture, Hartlepool kept possession, passing around the back line as Altrincham sat in a low block, making it very hard for the home side to play through them.

Ben Mensah (pictured on main page) hit the post with a powerful header from a corner in the 10th minute, and, soon after, the young Robins went one better by taking the lead from an attack that started with Isaac Mannion beating his man with some trickery and winning a free-kick to the right side of the box.

Harry Watson stepped up and delivered a ball to Henry Watts, who flicked it on to Kian Mattison for an assured finish, as the Alty player connected perfectly with a beautiful volley into the bottom corner.

It could have been 2-0 after Mannion latched on to a ball from Joe Weston and whipped in an inviting cross that looked tailor-made for Mensah. The Alty player looked to have been taken out by a Hartlepool defender, but no penalty was penalty.

The home side survived a Weston shot that went just wide in the 35th minute and then hit back with an equaliser in the final minute of the first half.

From a throw-in, they played it inside, and their number eight beat two players and set up their striker to make it 1-1.

At half-time, Harry St Romaine was withdrawn with an injury to his knee, to be replaced by Jimmy Taafe at right-back. In the first 10 minutes, Altrincham had the majority of the possession, dominating out wide through Mannion and Jay Martin on the wings.

Unfortunately, no-one could get on the end of the crosses they supplied, some being blocked at the expense of a corner.

On the hour, Altrincham paid the penalty for giving the ball away in midfield, as it was played down the line for the Hartlepool full-back to pick out a cross for a free man at the back post, who tapped home to put his side in front.

Harley Renshaw's introduction in the 75th minute provided some trickery on the left-hand side, as he beat his man and created good chances that unfortunately couldn't be taken.

Hartlepool's striker slotted home to make it 3-1, and though Alty went close from a free-kick and a fractionally off-target shot from Renshaw in the closing stages, there was no way back for the Robins.

Squad on the day :
Theo Bunting
Jimmy Taafe
Henry Watts  
Charlie Hough 
Harry St Romaine
Kian Mattison 
Joe Weston
Harry Watson
Harley Renshaw 
Isaac Mannion
Noah Lavin
Josh Obamwanyi
Jay Martin 
Ben Mensah
Ryan Knowles