Match Report

SUMMARY:

Alty defended their Cheshire Senior Cup successfully in this first round match on Woodley's impressive artificial pitch but lost Lewis Chalmers and Richard Acton, both to ankle injuries which left them both hopping round the perimeter after the game. Chalmers hobbled off shortly before the interval and in the second half left-back Chris Adams (right) came on to keep goal for the last 36 minutes after Acton's injury, emulating his appearance in goal at Harrogate two seasons ago, when Acton was also injured.

Alty took the lead after 16 minutes with an excellently taken goal by Lee Hendley from Munroe's cross from the right. Brickell equalised for Woodley after 40 minutes when he got free and lobbed Acton. Rod Thornley restored Alty's lead with a close range header from a header towards goal by Maddox (52 mins). Hendley then further enhanced his growing reputation with a second goal after holding off a challenge by Lomax (54 mins). A quite magnificent goal, a left foot thunderbolt from the excellent Peter Band, made it 4-1 after 66 minutes. But former Alty youth player Wes Wilkinson made it 4-2 after 82 minutes when he drove a shot past Adams.

SCORERS

REFEREE: Mr. D. Moraheb

The game was played on Woodley's magnificent new artificial pitch which is a far better surface then the bouncy plastic pitches of twenty years or more ago. Only founded in 1970, Woodley's Lambeth Grove ground already boasts one modern stand and currently the opposite side and the area behind the goal to the left are out of bounds as major redvelopment takes place as part of a £3.5 million development. It was also a pleasure to be entertained by officials of a hospitable UniBond club after one or two off-field instances of unpleasantness on our Conference travels so far this season.

TEAM NEWS

Alty included a number of players who had recently been sidelined by injury or who are on the fringes of the first-team but regulars included in the line-up tonight included Peter Band, who was the captain, Steve Hawes and Colin Little. Steve Aspinall and Gary Talbot were amongst the limping non-participants tonight.

Woodley included ex-Alty men Dave Swanick and Chris Young, the latter nowadays operating in central midfield. On the bench was ex-Alty youth player and a summer trialist at Moss Lane, Wes Wilkinson. Woodley's number five, Clive Brown, is the brother of Man Utd's Wes Brown.

WOODLEY SPORTS: (Blue & red shirts, blue shorts and socks): 1. Liam HIGGINBOTHAM, 2. Dave SWANICK, 3. Mike LOMAX, 4. Chris YOUNG, 5. Clive BROWN, 6. Gary WAGER, 7. Russ HEADLEY, 8. Carlos MEAKIN (capt)., 9. Greg BRICKELL, 10. Liam DICKINSON, 11. Luke HORROCKS. Subs: 12. Andy PAVEY, 14. Wesley WILKINSON, 15. Daniel DOUGLAS-PRINGLE.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts, dark blue shorts and pale blue socks) : 13. Richard ACTON, 17. Karl MUNROE, 15. Peter BAND (capt), 24. George MELLING 23. Kirk HILTON; 25. Nehru McKENZIE, 12. Steve HAWES, 14. Lewis CHALMERS, 9. Colin LITTLE; 26. Lee HENDLEY, 10. Rod THORNLEY. Subs: 3. Chris ADAMS, 4. Mark MADDOX, 16, James OLSEN.

REPORT

Alty kicked off but it was Woodley who got in the first decent shot, but Acton saved Horrocks's effort. The game started and continued at a fast pace with the artificial surface favouring a passing type of game. Soon, Hawes got in a shot from 25 yards which was deflected to the keeper. Then, following a throw from Chalmers, the ball came to Munroe on the right and his cross was well anticipated by Hendley who timed his run to perfection to reach the ball first, as it bounced in the penalty area. The young striker steered his first-time shot into the far corner for a very well-taken goal (16 mins). Peter Band then made a fine defensive interception and in midfield, Steve Hawes was also busily involved for the visitors.

Next, Chalmers and McKenzie then got the ball to Little, whose first shot from outside the box hit a defender and his second, from the rebound, was skied well over the bar (20 mins). Alty were passing the ball about well but Hilton then conceded a corner on the Woodley right from which Meakin got a free header but he glanced it wide. At the other end, Thornley used his body well to guide the ball on to Hawes, whose lay off found McKenzie. His placed shot went narrowly wide of the keeper's right post (28 mins). Soon after this, Chalmers went down off the ball and it became apparent that he had a bad injury to his ankle. After several minutes treatment, a stretcher was brought on but Lewis managed to hobble off to the dugout on the far side of the pitch. But his game was over and Mark Maddox replaced him (37 mins). Band moved into midfield as a consequence.

Alty now won a corner, taken by Hilton. Via Maddox, the ball came to Band who controlled the ball well but lifted his shot over the bar. After what appeared to be a foul on an Alty player just inside the Woodley half, play continued and a long ball set Brickell free and, apparently, on-side. As Acton advanced towards him, Brickell lifted the ball over the keeper and it dropped into the net as Mark Maddox vainly raced back to try and clear (40 mins).

After 42 minutes some fine play from Band saw him surge past an opponent and get in an excellent shot which Higginbotham saved well. After a foul on Brickell, Maddox was lectured before the half came to a conclusion. At the interval Lewis Chalmers was assisted across the pitch towards the changing rooms with his right ankle bandaged up.

After a foul by Horrocks on McKenzie, Hilton's early freekick induced a corner from the Woodley defence. From this, Maddox headed towards goal and Thornley, from close range, headed the ball on into the net to make it 2-1 to the visitors (52 mins). A little over a minute later, a ball forward to Hendley saw the young striker hold off a challenge from Lomax before driving the ball, low, across goal and into the far corner of the net from a narrow angle on the right. In 2(+1) appearances for the Reserves this season, Lee has scored five goals and in 1(+1) appearances for the first team he has scored twice, making a total of 7 goals in 3(+2) games.

But just as Altrincham looked to be set for a comfortable passage to Round Two, keeper Acton went down with an ankle injury after clearing a ball. After lengthy treatment he had to hop round the perimeter to the dressing room and his place is goal was taken by Chris "The Cat" Adams, Alty's left-back who came on from the subs' bench (57 mins). Chris had likewise replaced Richard Acton at Harrogate in 2003-04 and on that occasion had kept a clean sheet for 50 minutes.

Woodley soon won a corner but did not test the new keeper but Adams soon distinguished himself as he stopped Dickinson's advance into the box. But the Alty injury curse continued as, now, Melling went down needing treatment but he recovered to complete the game (62 mins). For their part, Sports brought on Wilkinson for Headley (63 mins). Despite some pressing from the home side, Alty then extended their lead with the best goal of the night. It came after Maddox had cleared to Little and he found Band, just outside the box. The Alty captain teed the ball up and then fired a superb left foot shot into the top of the net, giving keeper Higginbotham no chance (66 mins).

Soon after the restart, Adams did well, saving a Meakin effort at the foot of the post. At this point, James Olsen replaced Little (68 mins). Wilkinson then fired wildly over from 22 yards before Melling did well to see off the same player as he sought to impress against Alty who had had him on trial this summer but had not kept him on their books. Hendley then showed amazing pace as he caught and overtook an opponent who had a five-yard start but the score remained 1-4 as the home side made a double switch, bringing on Pavey and Douglas-Pringle for Brickell and Meakin (74 mins). Soon after this, the useful Horrocks got to the byline but Dickinson headed his cross just over the bar as the home side pressed forward. Now, following a foul on Hendley, an Alty freekick led to a corner and then another frekick but these were all defended well. Next, Thornley had an optimistic pop at goal from 22 yards but aimed far too high but a minute later Woodley made it 4-2. Their second goal came when Douglas-Pringle had an effort half cleared and Wilkinson fired the rebound past Adams (82 mins). Moments later the tackle of the night, from Maddox, stopped Wilkinson in his tracks and with Douglas-Pringle and Horrocks also probing the defence it looked as if Alty would be on the backfoot for the final minutes. Adams then had use his defender's rather than goalkeepr's skills to block Dickinson but soon afterwards the stand-in keeper held Young's freekick (86 mins).

Woodley continued to attack and Munroe's foul gave them a late freekick left of goal. Horrocks's resulting cross went across goal but Wilkinson slashed his shot well wide. In added time there was time for Hendley to show more skill as he sidestepped two tackles but the game ended without further change to the scoreline. This had been an entertaining game which helped Alty recover their confidence after Saturday's heavy home defeat by Dagenham. Sadly the injuries to Chalmers and Acton marred the night but in the continuing good form of Hendley, there was confirmation of his great promise. Once again Band had an excellent game and over the first part of the season he has been Alty's most consistently good performer.