Andy Firth marks Altrincham debut with victory over Hartlepool

Andy Firth made his competitive debut for Altrincham in a 2-1 victory over Hartlepool United on Wednesday night. The 29-year-old goalkeeper's return to action came almost two years after his last appearance, providing experienced cover for the National League side.

Firth joined the club in August in a player-coach role, combining playing duties with responsibility for working with the goalkeepers. His arrival followed a summer departure from Welsh side Connah's Quay Nomads and a subsequent coaching stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ettifaq.

"That felt good," Firth posted on social media after the match.

Manager Neil Gibson highlighted the value of Firth's extensive background when announcing the signing. "Andy’s extremely well respected in the game and vastly experienced both with spells at big clubs like Liverpool and Glasgow Rangers and in the National League with Barrow," Gibson said.

Firth's career path is unique. He came through Liverpool's academy, where he worked under Steven Gerrard, before following Gerrard to Rangers in January 2019. He was part of the Rangers squad that won the Scottish Premiership title unbeaten in the 2020/21 season, though his only competitive appearance for the club came earlier, in a 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock on the final day of the 2018/19 campaign. After leaving Ibrox permanently in 2022, he spent two seasons with Connah's Quay Nomads before his move into coaching.

His debut for Altrincham came in a tight contest. Kane Hemmings opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 28th minute, but Hartlepool's Joe Miley levelled before half-time. The winner arrived in the 81st minute through Tom Crawford, securing all three points for the Robins.

That result forms part of a strong recent run for Altrincham, who have won four of their last five matches. They followed the Hartlepool victory with another 2-1 win, this time away at AFC Fylde on Saturday. Hemmings was again on the scoresheet, with Matty Kosylo netting the decisive goal.

Those wins have lifted Altrincham to 10th place in the National League table, with 15 points from their opening nine games. They are now just eight points behind leaders Boreham Wood.

The team's next challenge is a home fixture against AFC Hornchurch this Saturday. Hornchurch currently sit one place above Altrincham in ninth, setting up a closely contested match at The J.Davidson Stadium. Firth's return adds a new layer of experience to the squad as they aim to continue their positive form.

The original report is at livescore.com