Altrincham FC manager Lee Sinnott will be giving us the inside track on the Robins’ return to the Conference. Here’s his latest column for Altrincham Today.
I was really angry after our 2-0 defeat last Saturday at Torquay and my thoughts immediately following the game are unprintable.
We were still on the bus for the first 45 minutes, and there was some blistering of paint at half-time. I said to the players that if they were going to stink the place out, couldn’t they at least have done it an hour’s drive away, out of consideration for the fans?
It was unfortunate, to say the least, but I can assure everyone it’s not a case of the players already being on the beach. Sometimes, games don’t always unfold as they should, but we will be going for it in our last two games against Telford and Braintree.
They have done superbly, particularly given the size of the squad.
They are a genuine and honest bunch who have worked their socks off to make us safe in the Vanarama Conference. But I won’t accept standards dropping, and I felt particularly sorry for almost a hundred supporters who had an expensive day, travelling all that way and paying admission prices that were a bit steep.
Below: Watch highlights from the defeat at Torquay
I wasn’t happy on Saturday, and things were said, but when you consider the season as a whole, you have to give the players full credit for what they have achieved.
The approach in both of these final games will be exactly the same as in previous weeks – with a mindset that we want to win. We know what is needed to give us the best opportunity to win each game, and that’s what we will be looking to execute.
There are problems with injury and suspension, but, to be fair, if you’re going to have to contend with those, you’d rather it was after you’ve safeguarded your place in the league, than before. Peter Cavanagh and Jake Moult are suspended, Shaun Densmore and Stuart Coburn are injured and it will have to be a late decision on Sean Williams, due to his back condition.
But it gives others an opportunity, and I’m sure they will be keen to take it, because we all want a positive finale.
I like the sound of us having 60 points to our name. My goal is to be in the 60s and if we can make it 62 with two wins, that would be the ideal way to round off a season of real progress.
The outcome at Torquay might have been different, but for Damian Reeves having a goal ruled out by a debatable offside decision in the first few minutes.
I wasn’t in line, so it was difficult for me to judge. Our supporters were pretty much level, and in a far better position to make a call, and the feedback we got was no-one could quite understand why it was disallowed.
Picture (from the game v Wrexham): Michael Ripley
