Altrincham were already a goal up and playing well as the first half drew to a close, when match official Mr Davies spotted a slight push on striker Rod Thornley in the box.

He appeared to be directing traffic rather than giving a penalty, but once the decision became clear, Thornley scored from the spot to double their lead.

It was a huge psychological boost for Alty, and Blyth only recovered from the shock late in the game. The visitors had a slice of luck themselves with their consolation goal, Carl Pepper's long-range shot taking a wicked deflection off Mark Sertori, but the damage had already been done.

It was a crucial three points for the Robins, whose impressive recent run could easily have been brought to an end as their squad was reduced to the bare minimum.

Influential captain Steve Hawes was hit by flu before the game and the injured Jason Gallagher was named as a substitute just to make up the numbers. Jeremy Illingworth parted company with the club during the week because of a lack of first team opportunities. Manager Bernard Taylor did not need to bring his boots, but any injuries during the game would have caused serious problems.

Alty's remaining key players needed to stand up and be counted, which is exactly what they did. Kevin Hulme had a commanding game in midfield and kept his cool despite being on the receiving end of two ugly tackles, while Danny Murphy had one of his best games for the club on the right wing.

Murphy was named man of the match and could have a hat trick on another day. He had two attempts blocked on the line and Blyth keeper Paul Gilmore had to be at his best to keep him out on other occasions.

The winger's pace and aerial power caused Blyth constant problems, and it was his header from Chris Adam's free kick that presented Hulme with the opening goal in the 13th minute. The away team's defence was in tatters as the midfielder fired the ball in, and Thornley could just as easily have put it away if Hulme had missed it.

Altrincham fully deserved their lead and had further good chances before their penalty award. The second goal, in the 42nd minute, may have been fortunate but it did not flatter them.

Blyth slowly got a foothold in the game in the second half but Alty always looked capable of extending their lead. After Murphy's header was clawed away by Gilmore, Thornley presented Carl Furlong with a great opportunity but he mishit his shot.

Thornley looked increasingly dangerous as Blyth were forced to chase the game, but the third goal proved elusive and they had Coburn to thank for making a great save from Steven Stewart in the 73rd minute. He clawed away the winger's curling, goalbound shot with one hand.

The Robins held out for another six minutes before Pepper's hopeful shot was deflected past Coburn. Blyth looked a different team after the goal, and Alty had to survive a number of scares before the final whistle.

Gary Scott was lucky to stay on the pitch when he brought down Stewart as he headed for goal in the 85th minute, receiving only a yellow card for the foul. There was a huge sigh of relief around Moss Lane at the end of what seemed to be half an hour of injury time.

It was a hard-fought win for the Robins, who stayed focused on this league fixture despite the distractions of the FA Cup. However, it is only a matter of time before their threadbare squad gets stretched to breaking point - the money earned from the cup run will need to be spent on a new player or two, or Alty could soon get that sinking feeling.