Match Report

SCORERS

REFEREE: ?

Two more goals for second-half substitute Lee Hendley took his tally to four in pre-season and gave Alty their second win in 24 hours. In a well-contested match at Shawe View, Alty went ahead after 49 minutes when Hendley dribbled his way up the inside-left channel before beating the keeper, Rooney. Trafford deservedly levelled after 69 minutes when Barker nodded in a freekick past substitute keeper Cummins. But Hendley sealed the game when he was quickest to react to Little's header as it came back off the upright (80 mins). Band, Peyton and Chalmers were the only Alty players to play the full 90 minutes, as Alty's substitutions almost reached double figures, (one sub was subbed himself).

Coming to Trafford FC is always a pleasure; a good pitch, a friendly club and none of the trouble which Alty had experienced last night from a small minority of the FC United supporters who came to Moss Lane. This was Trafford's first pre-season game but Alty's fourth, and their third on successive nights.

TEAM NEWS

As expected, the Altrincham team showed numerous changes as the club fulfilled its third fixture in 72 hours. Coburn, Band, Munroe and Peyton were the only survivors from the starting line-up against FCUM so Chalmers, Mannion, Norris, Owen, Norton, Lugsden and McFadden came into the eleven. Chalmers was deployed at right-back and Peyton at left-back, with Mannion in right midfield and Norton on the left. Norris and Owen were the central midfield pairing. Mannion is a young trialist, recently released by Crewe who has figured in previous pre-season games for Altrincham.

Trafford included a number of ex-Alty players. In defence were Simon Woodford and Sean Smith, up front was Glyn Barker who was a trialist a couple of seasons ago. On the bench were former Alty Reserves Dion Depeiaza and Levi Kennedy.

TRAFFORD (All white): 1. Damien ROONEY, 2. Simon WOODFORD (capt)., 3. Sean SMITH, 4. ???, 5. Billy McCARTNEY, 6. Gareth JOHNSON, 7.Liam DONNELLY, 8. Andrew SIMPSON, 9. Troy HAYDER, 10. Glyn BARKER, 11. James LINDLEY. Subs: Ross McNAIR, Danny HOOPER, Dean CANNING, Martin SEMPLE, Dion DEPEIAZA, 15. Levi KENNEDY, 16. Martyn ANDREWS, Ayrton FIELDING.

ALTRINCHAM (Pale blue shirts and socks, dark blue shorts.) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Lewis CHALMERS, 15. Peter BAND (capt), 17. Karl MUNROE, 12. Warren PEYTON; 19. Lee MANNION, 22. Richard NORRIS, 8. Val OWEN, 18. Blake NORTON; 20. Kieran LUGSDEN, 28. Pat McFADDEN. Subs: 1*. Andrew CUMMINS (gk), 3. Chris ADAMS, 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Robbie LAWTON, 16. Justin BOWLER, 26. Lee HENDLEY, 30. Steve BUSHELL, No Number: Steve SAVAGE, No Number: Joe O'NEILL.

REPORT

Right: Richard Norris, Blake Norton and Val Owen take a breather at Trafford.

Although local posters had shown the kick off time as 7.45pm, the game started as scheduled at 7.30pm with spectators still arriving. Alty won the first corner after four minutes. But Norton's kick disappointingly found only the side netting. It was then Trafford who had the better of the opening stages as, first, Hayder headed narrowly over and then another Trafford shot cleared the Alty bar. Trafford came even closer soon afterwards when a foul by Norris on Simpson yielded a freekick. Taken by the no.4, the freekick came off an Alty head and onto the top of the cross bar before going out of play for what should have been a corner but which was given as a goalkick to Altrincham. A Trafford corner did soon follow but after this had come to nothing, Lugsden won Alty a corner at the other end (17 mins).

Manager Graham Heathcote called for more urgency from his side and after several more minutes of play shouted at the players that "Nearly half an hour has gone; have we had a shot?" (25 mins). Shortly afterwards, Owen went down under a challenge in the box but play was waved on. After another Trafford corner had been and gone, McFadden won Altrincham a flag-kick. Peyton's corner led to a Chalmers throw-in from which Band rose well, but headed over the bar under a challenge. Altrincham were now beginning to play better and won another corner off Woodford. Following this, a good cross from Peyton found Norton but he lashed his shot wide. A better chance arose soon afterwards when Pat McFadden dispossessed an opponent and fed Norris on the edge of the box, who tried to place his shot but saw Rooney make a fine save to his left at the cost of a corner (35 mins). Following this a surge forward by Norton maintained Alty's impetus but Trafford replied with a shot from Barker which Coburn gathered comfortably. After a long throw from Chalmers, who was playing well in his defensive role, another Alty corner resulted. Peyton’s corner-kick found McFadden at the back post but he miscued his first-time hook and the ball fell for Owen, who fired well over the target (39 mins). Half-time arrived with the game still goalless.

Altrincham made four changes at the interval. Trialist keeper Cummins replaced another ex-Trafford man in Stuart Coburn in goal; Chris Adams came on at centre-back for Karl Munroe, whilst Kieran Lugsden and Pat McFadden were withdrawn in favour of trialist Steve Savage and Lee Hendley. Savage has experience in Welsh football and with Mond Rangers (now Runcorn Town). Trafford also made a couple of changes of personnel as their nos.12 and 17 appeared. As the game entered the 49th minute, the yellow-booted Hendley dribbled up the inside left channel before drawing Rooney and finishing calmly to put Altrincham ahead. It was the 19 year-old former Alty Youth team striker's third goal in barely an hour's pre-season action, having previously played 45 minutes at Kidsgrove and 14 minutes against FCUM and scored in both games. After an injury blighted season in 2005-06, when he made 1 cup start for the first team and four sub appearances in the Conference, Lee appears to have recovered full fitness again.

Alty now brought on Bowler and O'Neill for Norton and Mannion (54 mins) and soon afterwards, Hendley won Alty a corner. From this, Savage headed narrowly over the bar. Trafford now had Depeiaza, a former Alty reserve, on the pitch but the game was briefly halted when a late tackle by Owen on Woodford meant that the Trafford defender needed treatment. Then Alty made two more changes, bringing their total to eight in 14 second-half minutes, as Bushell and Lawton came on for Owen and Norris (59 mins). Alty then went close again as Bowler and Savage combined, the ball finally being headed over the bar (62 mins). After Barker had nodded over at the other end, Trafford made a double change, with Levi Kennedy and Martyn Andrews coming on for their no. 4 and Simpson (65 mins). Two minutes later Alty brought on Colin Little for Savage (67 mins). Almost immediately, Bushell was penalised for holding Kennedy. From the freekick, 25 yards out, Barker rose well to glance the ball into the net off the far post, with Cummins given no chance to save (69 mins). Trafford were now playing well and won a corner when Cummins had to make a fine save from Barker’s rasping shot from an Andrews feed (72 mins). Next, Trafford made another change as Lindley returned to replace Sean Smith, the former Alty player (73 mins).

Following their equaliser, Trafford were now taking the game to Altrincham but after a well constructed Altrincham counter attack involving Bushell, Little and Hendley, the ball came to O'Neill who found Little advancing into the box. However, Rooney made an excellent save from the Alty striker’s shot, an Alty corner being the outcome on the left. This was taken short and the ball was worked right and then back to Bushell on the left. From his ball into the box, Little headed against the far post, the ball rebounding across goal to where Hendley was the quickest to react. He put the ball into the net for his fourth strike of pre-season action, to give Alty a 2-1 lead (80 mins). Moments later Hendley threatened again, getting free on the left but his first time effort dropped just wide of the far post (83 mins). The same player shot wide again a minute later before a good ball from Bowler gave Little an opening but his very well-hit shot was superbly saved once again by the Trafford keeper, Rooney (86 mins). The referee allowed no added time before blowing the final whistle leaving Altrincham with their second win in 24 hours.

Hendley's four goals in less than two hours of pre-season action will, as well as his bright yellow boots, have made an impact on the Alty management. Other positive outcomes of the game included Chalmers again proving his versatility with a good game at right-back after having played in three positions against FCUM, 24 hours earlier. Likewise, Peyton at left-back and Adams in central defence showed that they can offer the management options in the back-line.