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[Linda]

My first time at Tamworth (and first time in seeing Alty away for years, and indeed seeing Alty since the late 80s when I was at school).

Second half at the other end involved being interspersed with bitterness from Tamworth fans about "surviving the Conference" and "we don't want your Mickey Mouse cup..." etc.

There was a distinct lack of supervision from Tamworth stewards during Alty's second half. Not sure why Tamworth had yellow-coated stewards. I felt there was a small Tamworth crowd whose repartee consisted of Coronation Street references, and in some instances very bad geographical references too ("you're only just a small town in Stockport etc...).

If only they knew the truth...

[Unemployed Coalminer]

The small town in Stockport thing is typical football baiting. It's like calling geordies scottish and Hereford and Shrewsbury welsh. I can't think why Tamworth fans would be so dismissive of the Trophy when they reached the final in 2003.

[tammie]

I stood in the end where Tamworth scored .the steward at TFC are crazy ,stopped me from standing at front in case I invaced the pitch ,I am 54 ,overweight ,and after watching the 1st half was in more danger of falling asleep ,at last weeks match against Norwich we had stewards from Walsall ,they where great.

[gazwarrington]

Tammie a very fair reflection from someone who went to the game. makes a difference when you can comment from first hand reports.

Maybe now people will not think its the end of the world and that Altrincham actually did ok, in what I may add was a very poor match.

Ps; Small town near Stockport is actually quite original, although being told that Altrincham is full of slums and we are all inbred was very amusing. Pot , kettle and all that

Unemployed Coalminer you seem to hold the Trophy in high regard ? And IF we were in the Conference North (winning more games than we are now, which is no guarantee as we would not be able to attract the same players) should we have been beating a side above us , as Tamworth would have been ?

Just shows how well we have progressed that we have a chance against Conference National clubs.

[Amsterdam Alty]

the small town in stockport thing just amused me! mainly because stockport is geographically virtually as near as manchester, and the corrie theme tune thing was odd, it not like we all think they live in a poorley run hotel that got took off the airs only to be returned again years later to just fail again.

anyroads (or is it crossroads?), onwards and upwards, enjoyed the banter UC!

[Jimmy Hill]

So would finishing 17th in the Conference and going out of the Trophy in the first round constitute a good season to you? How about finishing 17th in the Conference and winning the Trophy? Sound better. If you can guarantee Altrincham will now stay up due to losing today i'll let you put a tenner on for me at Ladbrokes. It is never ok to lose. Develop that mentality and you will never win anything.

Obviously the latter scenario is preferable to the former, however what most people now accept is that the league is king; far, far more important than the Trophy. The importance of the league is such that should we go down yet win the Trophy for many it will have been a poor season.

If both competitions existed in a bubble then there would be no reason to see some positives to losing in the Trophy, unfortunately they don't. As the chances of winning the Trophy increase the chances of staying up, in all likelihood, diminish. I'm not glad we lost, however I can see the benefits of doing so.

As for the attitude of Alty fans to defeat I actually feel that as a set of fans we take a very reasonable approach most of the time and consider issues such as relative squad budgets in any assessment of the result.

[Unemployed Coalminer]

Gaz, look back at Altrinchams FA Cup record. You don't have to be in the same league as a team to have a chance of beating them, but you do need a winning mentality.

[gazwarrington]

As I say all the time its about being realistic and as fans I think *well thought* we have become.

I'd expect to beat certains teams at home but that does not mean its doom and gloom if we don't. Would rather be losing to Conference National clubs than beating \ drawing or losing to Alfreton, Hyde, Stalybridge, Barrow .. need I go on.

I think losing to two late goals is significant to the result and shows that we could have easily have won 1-0 and no one would have said anything.

UC, just seen your reply : Did we go 1-0 up and hold that lead until the 87th min ?? If so then that surely shows a desire to score and therefore win. Sometimes sh*t happens and you have to put it into context. A league defeat is much worse than a Trophy defeat. Still unbeaten in the league in 2007 

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Gary,

You still haven't explained why a team who score two goals in five minutes are "lucky".

Furthermore, as we are being "realistic", where do you honestly see an Alty away win happening in the near future? 

[Alex]

on the 23rd of january to be exact around about half nine quater to ten Altrincham will have not only won away but will have thrashed v*cs again

[Amsterdam Alty]

on the 23rd of january to be exact around about half nine quater to ten Altrincham will have not only won away but will have thrashed v*cs again

exactly, not saying this because its vics, saying this because they are poor, if we are as fired up as boxing day then its a no brainer

[Tamuff87]

To be honest i'm surprised we won at all, considering we had to draft in some youth players and Cooper to make up the numbers...

But good luck for the rest of the season.

[gazwarrington]

You still haven't explained why a team who score two goals in five minutes are "lucky".
Because they obviously were not good enough to be leading for the other 87 mins ? Two scrappy goals won it, winning with the last kick of the game, maybe thats why Surely to be losing from the first half would have been worse than the last 5 mins, although yes still a defeat it was just freak that it happened. Any team that loses to a 94th minute goal can surely count themselves as unlucky ? I'm not sure how you can comment without going to the game, you have no idea what the game was like so surely can not judge if they were lucky or not ?

"realistic", where do you honestly see an Alty away win happening in the near future
Why not the next away game ? (oh no I'm being positive again)

Seems that some people love to be negative and some try and be\stay positive.

Should the game be £4,000 lost, whens the next away win or now we can concentrate staying in the conference and we were unlucky to lose in the last 5 mins.

[Bob]

Gaz, look back at Altrinchams FA Cup record. You don't have to be in the same league as a team to have a chance of beating them, but you do need a winning mentality.

I'm afraid what we have done in the FA Cup and the Trophy in the 70s and 80s has no relevance to what we should be expecting now.  The number of non-league giant killings in the cup appears to have dropped off  (and if someone can correct me on that then fair enough) and the FA Trophy's prestige in status in recent years has collapsed.  Look at some of the attendances and sides knocked out yesterday.

I didn't go yesterday so I cannot comment on the performance but when I heard we'd lost I was gutted. Does anyone think losing like that wouldn't hurt?  The £4000 would have been great, as would the £5000 if we'd beaten Welling.  However, I cannot help but think that a Trophy run would have been a double edged sword.  There is little doubt in my mind that we will tire between now and May, and another 4 or 5 Trophy games would not have helped in any way.  Use Tamworth as a yardstick, I reckon their cup runs have affected their league form this season and last.  And if people think this is accepting defeat, its actually trying to stay positive and look on the bright side, rather than dwell on negativity.

As for rather challenging in Conference North as opposed to struggling in the Conference.  Give me the latter any day, there's no guarantee that we'll challenge in Conference North.  What was our average position in the UniBond?  

I'll take Conference status and higher profile games every week, rather than a 678 average and a run in a declining competition.  If that alienates people because it goes against our "traditions" then so be it.  The game has changed and so has our club.

[gazwarrington]

I think this is a great statement Bob and sums it up.  (have a Goodwin  )

And if people think this is accepting defeat, its actually trying to stay positive and look on the bright side, rather than dwell on negativity.