Altrincham edged out Yeovil Town in a hard-fought National League match at the J. Davidson Stadium, a late goal securing a 2-1 victory for the home side. Referee Dale Baines oversaw a tightly contested affair, characterised by numerous yellow cards and tactical adjustments, particularly from the Yeovil Town bench.
The first half saw both teams feeling each other out. Altrincham took the lead on the half-hour mark when Tylor Golden found the net, assisted by Tom Crawford. However, Yeovil responded swiftly. Just two minutes later, Frankie Terry equalised for Yeovil Town, with Ciaran McGuckin providing the assist, injecting renewed energy into the match. The frantic pace resulted in a double booking in the 37th minute, with Lewis Banks of Altrincham and Kyle Ferguson of Yeovil Town both receiving yellow cards for a foul. Prior to this, Yeovil manager Mark Cooper had already made a double substitution in the 28th minute, introducing Harry Kite and Ryan McLean for Charlie Cooper and Alex Whittle, respectively, indicating a tactical reshuffle.
Yeovil continued their changes at half-time, bringing on Jake Wannell for Josh Sims. Altrincham, managed by Phil Parkinson, remained unchanged at the break. The second half saw the intense midfield battle continue, with both sides struggling to establish dominance. Yeovil made their next substitution on the hour mark, introducing Harvey Greenslade for Ciaran McGuckin. Altrincham responded in the 70th minute, replacing Matthew Kosylo with Kahrel Reddin. As the game wore on, Yeovil made a further change, bringing on Marcel Lavinier for Otis Jan Mohammed Khan in the 77th minute. Altrincham then introduced Alex Newby for Callum Dolan in the 81st minute.
As the match looked destined for a draw, Altrincham had other plans. In the 88th minute, Lewis Baines struck, sending the home fans into celebration and securing a late victory. The closing stages saw a flurry of yellow cards for Yeovil players, with Finn Cousin-Dawson, Marcel Lavinier, and Dominic Bernard all being cautioned in quick succession.
The win sees Altrincham climb to 8th position in the National League, now with 60 points from 41 games, keeping their playoff ambitions alive. Yeovil Town, meanwhile, remain in 15th place with 52 points, their recent winning streak brought to an end by Altrincham’s late goal.