ALTRINCHAM manager Mark Ward revealed this week the effort he made to keep Danny Adams at Moss Lane.

The dependable stopper signed for Macclesfield Town last week for £25,000 - realising a long-standing ambition to return to league football after three years in the Moss Lane left-back berth.

Speaking to SAM sport earlier this week, Ward said, "I did not want to lose Danny, and to illustrate how highly I rated him, I offered to match the terms that Macclesfield had offered him.

"However, he has always wanted to play in the league again and we just cannot compete with the full-time training that Macclesfield can provide."

Ward added, "I feel that Macc have struck a real bargain, especially in this day and age with the way even non-league transfer fees are going."

Meanwhile, Ward was counting the cost of a brusing opening month to the league programme with no less than five first team players out of action.

Carl Furlong is yet to start for the club, and Leroy Chambers is still one week from recovery.

Also, immediately recovering from a serious head injury, Mark Quayle is out with a hamstring problem.

Ankle-injury victim Shaun Goodwin has been placed on the transfer list at his own request, with Gainsborough Trinity the most interested party.

These injuries have forced Ward's hand into drafting in some younger players for the trip to Marine on Tuesday and the visit of Emley this Saturday.

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