Altrincham secured their first victory of the 2026-27 campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over FC Halifax Town at the J. Davidson Stadium on Friday evening. After suffering three consecutive defeats, the Robins took control early with goals from Jimmy Knowles and captain Tom Crawford in the first half, before withstanding a late surge from the visitors.

The opening goal came in the 16th minute when Knowles capitalized on a mistake by Halifax midfielder Max Bardell, who delivered a weak pass back to goalkeeper True Grant. Knowles pounced on the opportunity, outpacing former Oldham defender Shaun Hobson to slot the ball past Grant. Altrincham continued to press and doubled their advantage just before halftime. Crawford volleyed a poorly cleared cross into the top corner, putting the hosts firmly in command at the break.

Halifax manager John McGrath, who took charge of the club during the summer after leaving Buxton, described his team’s first-half performance as passive. “We didn’t lay a glove on Altrincham and individuals didn’t do their jobs,” McGrath said. He acknowledged responsibility for the opening goal’s build-up and criticized his side’s defensive lapses on the second. “That first 45 minutes is not a representation of how we want to play.”

The visitors returned from halftime with greater intensity, pressing to reduce the deficit. While a late disallowed goal for substitute Owen Bray was ruled offside, they managed to get on the scoresheet in the 81st minute. Matty Kosylo, Altrincham’s right-back who had delivered a strong defensive performance despite his error, inadvertently volleyed a cross into his own net, bringing Halifax within one.

The closing stages were tense, with Halifax pushing for an equalizer, but Altrincham’s defense held firm. Key interventions from Lewis Banks and Sam Taylor in the defensive third prevented scoring opportunities, helping the Robins hold on for their first three points of the season.

Manager Neil Gibson praised his side’s efforts, saying the win was well deserved after hard work on and off the pitch. “We have played well for long periods of our games so far but to put in that sort of professional performance across 90 minutes, we got the win that we needed,” Gibson commented. He added that the fans witnessed the team’s determination to recover from a difficult start to the campaign.

The result marks a turning point for Altrincham, who will look to build momentum as they continue their National League fixtures. Meanwhile, Halifax will aim to regroup and improve after a disappointing start to the season.