ALTY JUST SO BRUTAL TO ROBINS
ALTRINCHAM saw off Trophy giant-killers Bracknell Town with a ruthless display at the SB Stadium.
The Robins have beaten no fewer than four teams of higher rank in this year’s cup competitions and faced an Alty side sat 14th in the National League, two leagues above their Berkshire hosts.
They took the lead just nine minutes in after Tyrese Sinclair carried the ball forwards and drilled his effort from outside the box past Michael Eacott who probably should have done more to keep it out.
The Robins, however, responded well but were guilty of failing to capitalise on their chances.
They thought they had equalised in the 28th minute after a superb longrange fizzer from Kameron English came back off the underside of the crossbar but referee Gary Parsons remained unmoved. Photographic evidence, however, showed that the ball had indeed crossed the line.
To add to Bracknell’s misery, Altrincham went down the other end and doubled their advantage on 31 minutes when Jordan Hulme converted from a corner.
Despite their twogoal disadvantage, Bracknell continued to pose a threat and the Step 3 side deservedly pulled a goal back midway through the second half when a mishit shot from Guy Hollis looped over Oliver Byrne in the Altrincham net.
Altrincham boss Phil Parkinson responded by bringing off three forward players in a bid to stem the flow of the home side who had the bit between their teeth.
But as spaces opened up, Altrincham posed a threat on the counter and they wrapped it up three minutes from time when two of their substitutes combined – Maximillian Oyedele brilliantly pulling the ball back for Armando Quitirna to stroke
home a killer third.
While Parkinson was sympathetic of Bracknell’s disallowed ‘goal’, he felt in the absence of VAR further down the pyramid, those decisions will happen and, in any event, it was about time his side had the rub of the green.
“If it has gone in, that’s unfortunate for them, but that’s football,” Parkinson said.
“Sometimes you get those decisions and sometimes you don’t. We’ve had little or no luck with decisions this season, so it probably went for us today.
“We were not at our best on the ball, but efficient enough in front of goal to get in the next round. It’s really positive all the forwards got on the scoresheet today.
“I was disappointed we couldn’t dominate possession the way we like to, but the lads showed great character to adapt to the pitch and we defended really well when we needed to.”
Gary Parsons