ALTRINCHAM finally ran out of gas on Saturday, as they fought out an unimpressive 0-0 draw with Spalding United in the FA Trophy.

A superlative effort over the last two months has seen the Robins reach the first round of the FA cup and second place in the league.

However, there was very little left in the tank for Saturday's trip to Lincolnshire, and as a result the two teams had to battle it out again on Tuesday night.

Altrincham's wounded list, worryingly long before the match, virtually doubled in size during the 90 minutes, with both Jason Gallagher and Kevin Hulme injuring their injuries and leaving the field early.

The scoreless result is a fair reflection on an uninspiring match, where Altrincham's best chance of the game came late on, when Mark Sertori crashed the Spalding crossbar with a well-struck free kick.

Dave Swannick made his first start of the season in the number 3 shirt, while reserve team players Patrick Claffey, Anthony Hargreaves and Keith Mairs fleshed out the five-man bench.

Gallagher was struggling with something almost as soon as the starting whistle went, lacking his usual pace and industry.

Hulme also needed treatment within ten minutes of the start, but fortunately was able to carry on.

Rod Thornley registered the game's best chance so far on 20 minutes, when he cut in from the right and shaved the top corner of the frame with a curling left footer.

Goalmouth incident, which had been lacking in the early exchanges, made itself apparent now, but with little effect.

Late in the first half, Robins' first injury heartache struck, when Gallagher hit the deck in obvious trouble after a harmless challenge.

The midfielder, one of Alty's most consistent performers was stretchered off with his legs tied together, before reappearing in the stands later, sporting a pair of crutches.

Little else of note took place until the 47th minute when Spalding midfielder Robbie Williams blazed over the bar of an empty net, when it would have been easier to score.

Another worry for Robins weighed in later in the match, when Kevin Hulme, another stalwart up the Alty middle, went down off the ball with what turned out to be a hamstring injury.

Thornley had the ball in the net for the visitors on 76 minutes, but the ref had already blown for a foul on the former Congleton man.

Sertori's free-kick clattered the bar, but Maddox could not convert the re-bound, after good work from Thornley.

A game of very little entertainment and excitement then ended goalless, but few Robins fans would agree that they had lost nothing.

Robins: Coburn, Scott, Swannick, Maddox, Sertori, Hawes, Hulme (Mairs 72), Craney, Gallagher (Poland 37), Thornley, Murphy. Subs not used Edgington, Claffey, Hargreaves.