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[ArmchairAlty]

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/sport/football/s/1419118_robins-boss-mckenna-calls-for-survival-push

Altrincham manager Ken McKenna said he wants to pull off a great escape so he can take the club on to bigger and better things.

Speaking before Saturday’s crunch relegation meeting with already doomed Eastbourne Borough, McKenna said that even with one game left, he thinks his side are in a false position.

Lying third bottom – one point from safety – the Robins must rely on other results to go their way if they are to stay in the Blue Square Premier League for another year.

Southport must lose at Kettering, while Altrincham must hope that 21st-placed Tamworth do not draw at home to 19th-placed Forest Green Rovers. But McKenna’s men have given themselves a fighting chance of survival after the inspiring 1-0 win at Grimsby on Monday – when anything but victory would have seen them relegated.

McKenna said: "With the group of players we’ve got, there’s no way in the world we should be in the bottom four in this league. We have battered some teams, especially at home. When the players are at it, they are a good side.

"Everybody says that if you go down you deserve to go down. That’s as well as maybe but I would love to have another chance to take this team forward at this level, with a few additions, and finish much higher up the table.

"If anyone deserves a bit of luck, it’s this group of players – and I hope they get it for the club’s sake."

The Robins boss points out that when he took over at Moss Lane in September, Alty had one point from eight games and were rock bottom in the table – and looking like relegation certainties. A 5-0 reverse at Saturday’s opponents in his first game was followed by an upturn in results for the Robins and Borough’s decline.

He added: "Saturday is a pressure game but we have been under pressure from the moment we took over here.

"We have been playing catch-up all along, and when results started to go for us, we missed any number of opportunities to move up the table."

Perhaps because of that thrashing in East Sussex, McKenna is still wary of Saturday’s opponents – despite the fact that their relegation is already confirmed following their 1-1 home draw with Kidderminster Harriers early this month. McKenna said: "They are no mugs. The thing about this league is that anyone can beat anyone."

Altrincham are offering entry to Moss Lane for just £5 to season ticket-holders from other clubs for the relegation decider against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.

Neither Manchester City or Manchester United are playing that day, and Alty are hoping for a bumper crowd to help them try to preserve their Blue Square Premier status.

[(S)ALTY]

Great article, but unfortunate surname for the reporter if he suffers from spoonerisums ?      

[distancetraveller]

Good article plus it shows that Kenny wants to take the club onwards and upwards which indicates to me that he would rather manage Alty than be a scout for Brabbin which was suggested in other posts...

One big effort.  Three results to go the right way and its onwards and upwards

Cmon you ALTY

B E L I E V E

[Sarf London Alty]

Very good article.

Hope that appears in the print version too, either way that is some great publicitiy.

I hope we are looking around the 1800-2k mark on Saturday.

Come on Kettering, come on Tamworth!

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

Very good article.

Hope that appears in the print version too, either way that is some great publicitiy.

That article dominates the back page of this week's issue of the Sale & Altrincham Advertiser.

[andrewflynn]

Brilliant article

[Brian Flynn]

Great article, but unfortunate surname for the reporter if he suffers from spoonerisums ?      

He was the guy sat to your right at Nantwich.......& will probably be there on Saturday.

[RageAgainstTheFirstTeam]

Great article, but unfortunate surname for the reporter if he suffers from spoonerisums ?      

He was the guy sat to your right at Nantwich.......& will probably be there on Saturday.

Him! I basically did his article for him as he didn't know what was going on...

I was highly amused when 60 minutes in to the game I looked over at his work and he was typing "Northwich Victoria deservedly won victory in the Cheshire Senior Cup..."

Seemed a nice chap though.