At the J. Davidson Stadium, Altrincham and Forest Green Rovers contested a match that, despite the 1-2 scoreline, was filled with drama and tactical maneuvering. Referee Aaron Jackson officiated the encounter, which included goals, a sending-off, and several cautions, ultimately concluding with a Forest Green Rovers victory.
The first half saw both teams testing each other’s resolve. Forest Green struck first in the 27th minute, with Nick Haughton putting his name on the scoresheet. Altrincham responded quickly, Kahrel Reddin finding the net in the 32nd minute, assisted by Tylor Golden.
The second half took a decisive turn in the 61st minute when Tylor Golden was shown a second yellow card for violent conduct, reducing Altrincham to ten men. In the 65th minute, Altrincham manager Phil Parkinson reacted with a tactical substitution, introducing Samuel Reed in place of Keaton Ward to reinforce the defence. Further changes followed in the 69th minute, with James Gale replacing Oliver Crankshaw.
Forest Green Rovers, sensing their advantage, made their own adjustments. Jayden Clarke was brought on at half-time, and in the 75th minute, manager Robbie Savage introduced Jose Marquez and Neil Kengni. The pressure eventually told when Ryan Inniss scored for Forest Green Rovers in the 75th minute, assisted by Jayden Clarke, capitalising on Altrincham’s numerical disadvantage following Tylor Golden’s dismissal.
The remainder of the match was tense, with Forest Green managing their lead and Altrincham fighting hard despite being a player down. Both sides continued to make substitutions: Harvey Bunker replaced Haughton for Forest Green in the 82nd minute, and Altrincham made a triple substitution in the 86th minute, bringing on Owen German, Matthew Kosylo, and Charlie Kirk. Forest Green Rovers made a final substitution in the 95th minute of added time, with James Balagizi replacing Kairo Mitchell. The final whistle confirmed a 1-2 victory for the visitors.
The result sees Forest Green Rovers strengthen their position at the top of the English National League, extending their lead with a total of 27 points from 11 games and maintaining their undefeated status this season. Altrincham, meanwhile, find themselves in 13th place with 12 points. They will need to regroup to recover from this defeat and improve their league position.