Match Report

SUMMARY:

Above, Stephen Rose plays the ball to Steve Aspinall at Shawe View.

Alty came back from two-down (both penalties) to snatch a winner two minutes from the end against an impressive Trafford side. Without Scott and Talbot, and also starting without Maddox, Alty fell behind after 42 minutes when Acton was adjudged to have tripped Trafford striker Lundy. The skilful Graham Vaughan netted the spot-kick. After substitute Maddox had upended Lundy, Vaughan scored again from the spot on the hour. When substitutes Kieran Lugsden and Stuart Wright joined the fray Alty looked a better side and scored twice in two minutes through Little and Lugsden (70 & 72 mins). A rasping shot from Holt hit the bar (as Shuttleworth had done in the first half) but Hallows tapped in the winner following neat work from Lugsden and Little, both of whom had good games once more (88 mins).

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr A. TAYLOR

Alty beat Trafford 4-1 on their last pre-season visit to Shawe View, in August 2001. The Alty goals that day came from Illingworth, Poland (2) and Hargreaves. However, Trafford beat Alty 1-0 at Moss Lane the following October in the UniBond League Cup. Trafford now play in the NW Counties Division One and are managed by Danny Johnson, who turned their form round after taking over during last season. As ever, the Shawe View pitch was in excellent condition and the club was as welcoming as ever to the substantial contingent of visiting fans from Altrincham.

TEAM NEWS

Stuart Coburn was not available, after his recent wedding, to play against the team where he first made his mark and there was no place for another ex-Trafford man, Alty trialist Gareth Feeney. Alty were without Gary Scott, Danny Murphy and Rod Thornley, all of whom watched the match, and also missed centre-back Gary Talbot. Alty also rested Talbot's defensive partner, Mark Maddox for the first half. So, Peter Band assumed the captaincy and played at centre-back, initially alongside Chris Adams. Trialist Mark Rawlinson got his first start, in central midfield where Ged Kielty also made his first appearance of pre-season.

Trafford welcomed back defender Lee Southwood, who had been one of the Trafford players to leave Shawe View a couple of seasons ago when manager Mark Molyneaux moved to Chorley. Otherwise, the Trafford side was much as finished last season after new manager Danny Johnson arrived in mid-campaign to steer them to a respectable league finish in NW Counties One. Trafford striker Andy Lundy signed UniBond forms for Alty last season to cover the Robins' injury crisis but he never played for the Robins.

TRAFFORD (All white): 1. Dave CUMMINS, 2. Colin BULWICH, 3. Bradley HOWARD, 4. Haydn EAMES, 5. Chris DALTON, 6. Lee SOUTHWOOD, 7. Mike OGDEN, 8. Franny VAUGHAN, 9. Andy LUNDY, 10. Scott WEIR, 11. Graham VAUGHAN. Subs: 12. Tom PURCELL, 14. Gareth JOHNSON, 15. ROURKE, 16. FIELDING, 17. APPLEBY.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, white shorts and black socks): 1. Richard ACTON, 2. Steve ASPINALL, 3.Barry SHUTTLEWORTH, 4. Chris ADAMS, 5. Peter BAND (capt.), 6. Stephen ROSE, 7. Mark RAWLINSON, 8. Ged KIELTY, 9. Niell HARDY, 10. Peter WRIGHT, 11. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 12. Mark MADDOX, 14. Marcus HALLOWS, 15. Kieran LUGSDEN, 16. Stuart WRIGHT, 17. David HOLT.

REPORT

After a fine day, rain started to fall and got heavier as the first half progressed. After four minutes of neat passing from both sides, Alty won the first corner through the efforts of Peter Wright on the right. Rawlinson then fired a shot narrowly over the bar from just outside the box as Alty began to look the better side (10 mins). But Trafford continued to pass the ball around quickly and accurately. There were few openings for either side with Trafford's best early moment coming when a long ball for Franny Vaughan only just reached the alert Acton before the Trafford man could get it (18 mins).

For Altrincham, Barry Shuttleworth now got the ball forward well to Little whose attempted lob of the keeper was only just wide (20 mins). Alty won a second corner when Eames cleared from Peter Wright. From this corner, by Little, Band almost scored. Adams and Rose were showing their customary commitment for Alty making some firm tackles as the rain now poured down (23 mins). Hardy was showing some neat touches but it was Little who, as on Saturday, was the Alty player to take the eye. A good cross from Shuttleworth from the left was then caught by Cummins off the head of Hardy (27 mins) before a well-directed ball from Ogden for Franny Vaughan only just evaded the Trafford no.8 and was gathered by Acton.

With the rain still lashing down, Rawlinson found Shuttleworth who expertly jinked round a challenge and advanced towards the left front edge of the box before lashing in a drive which came back off the underside of the bar. Hardy attempted to convert the rebound but his effort was blocked (30 mins). Next, Little hit a 25 yarder wide. With Peter Wright on the right supporting Hardy and Little , Alty had now changed their formation at the back with Chris Adams at left-back and Stephen Rose alongside Band in the centre of defence. Band was soon in action, doing well to stop Lundy, and then Acton fielded a long-range effort from Trafford.

Little now got into the box to win another Alty corner on the right. Alty's next effort was a rising shot from Hardy, from a Little feed, which rose just over the angle of bar and Cummins's left upright (37 mins). Trafford were making things a lot more difficult for Alty than their NW Counties' rivals Abbey Hey had done on Saturday but the only danger from them at this stage came when Acton fielded a long shot from Eames (38 mins). But then a mis-directed clearance from Acton came out to Franny Vaughan who fed Graham Vaughan. However, as he entered the left of the box, Vaughan slipped and the opening was gone.

From Rawlinson's pass, Hardy went past two men to win a free-kick 25 yards out but Adams's free-kick curled to Cummins (39 mins). Peter Wright then won another free-kick against Franny Vaughan. Aspinall's free-kick led to a header over the bar from Hardy (40 mins). At the other end, Lundy got behind Band and as Acton dived at his feet, the big striker went down and referee Taylor pointed to the spot. Graham Vaughan coolly put the penalty into the bottom corner to Acton's right to give Trafford the lead (42 mins).

Following the restart, Cummins saved well before a cross from Band won Alty another corner, on the right. This was scrambled clear. Half-time arrived with Alty five ahead in the corner count but a goal behind. Alty had created the better goalscoring chances but had not played as fluently as at Abbey Hey on Saturday.

Altrincham changed things at half-time with Mark Maddox coming on to join Band at centre-back and Marcus Hallows arriving at the sharp end. Shuttleworth and Rawlinson were the players substituted. As in the first half, Alty won an early corner (47 mins). But Trafford put together a good move involving Lundy, Eames and Franny Vaughan which Adams did well to break up. Then Graham Vaughan got clear and his cross reached Eames, who shot over the bar as Maddox challenged. Things improved when a ten-pass Alty move ended with Hallows chipping the ball over the bar from the left (50 mins). Trafford continued to pass the ball well without seriously threatening a goal before a fine threaded ball forward by Kielty up the inside-left channel saw Hardy find Little. Little's cross came to Hallows and, as keeper Cummins lost his footing, the Alty striker shot over the bar as he was tackled (53 mins).

Altrincham continued to attack and when Little's clever flick found Hallows, his pass led to a shot from Hardy which the keeper blocked (55 mins). There was then a crucial moment when Ogden did well but the retreating Maddox, instead of rolling a back pass to Acton, played the ball square to his left and straight to Weir. Acton did very well to stand his ground and force Weir to shoot against him (58 mins). Trafford then won a corner which Acton caught before Maddox had another moment of bad fortune after Lundy had cleverly got past Rose. "Mad Dog" ended up knocking his Trafford opponent to the ground, over his own back, to concede his side's second penalty kick. Once again Graham Vaughan converted it with a low shot to Acton's right but, this time, the keeper almost got the ball (60 mins).

Alty made an immediate change with Kieran Lugsden coming on up front for Niell Hardy, whilst Trafford brought on Purcell for Weir (61 mins). Soon, Stuart Wright replaced Ged Kielty in midfield (63 mins). Lugsden was soon impressing with a fine cross from the left which came off Stuart Wright for a goalkick. Rose then did well to stop a Trafford attack, at the cost of a corner (67 mins). Trafford now brought on Rourke for Howard (68 mins). A foul by Purcell soon gave Alty a freekick on the right some 45 yards out. Aspinall floated this in for Band to nod on. As Little and the Trafford keeper closed in on the ball simultaneously, it bounced from their collision, off Little and into the net to make it 2-1 (70 mins). Alty now brought on Holt for Peter Wright and, within a minute or so, were level. Again Aspinall was the originator with his ball coming to Little who nodded it into the path of Lugsden, who neatly lifted it over the keeper from a central position (72 mins).

With the scores now level, Alty looked the likely winners. A fine ball from Stuart Wright on the left, evaded Lugsden but ran to the incoming Holt behind him. His firm drive went just wide of the keeper's left post (73 mins). Trafford then won a corner, before which they replaced Ogden by Fielding (75 mins). The corner was cleared to Lugsden whose fine pass to the right found Holt. Holt beat his marker well and he smashed a fine shot at goal which bounced off the top of the crossbar (76 mins). Two minutes later Cummins had to make a good save from a header by Lugsden (78 mins).

With Trafford now penned back, Alty continued to press forward. From another ball forward by Aspinall, a deft header by Lugsden found Hallows but his first touch took him too far left to get in a telling shot at Cummins (82 mins). Little continued to be influential and from his feed, Lugsden won a corner with a deflected shot. After a scramble which included a shot from Maddox, Trafford cleared their lines. But the winner eventually came when Aspinall's pass came to Lugsden and his well-struck effort was parried by Cummins. The ball came to Little, wide left of goal and his shot was blocked by a defender but fell for Hallows to tap the ball in from close range (88 mins).

After their 8-0 romp at Abbey Hey this had been a much more severe test for Altrincham and they showed good spirit in recovering from two-down. Trafford played some good football and look to be set for a good campaign in the NW Counties. Alty now move on to face UniBond opposition when they travel to Chorley on Saturday.