Match Report


HALIFAX TOWN (1) 1 ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Nationwide Conference National match
played on Monday, 1 January, 2007 at 3pm.


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    SUMMARY:

    Alty warm up under the shadow of the unfinished stand at The Shay.

    In a very entertaining game played in spells of torrential rain, Altrincham took an early lead but once more could not hold on to a lead gained away from home. Peter Thomson made his full debut, up front, alongside Patrick McFadden, who was also making his first start of the season. Altrincham went ahead after 10 minutes when McFadden dribbled into the box and got to the by-line, right of goal. From his low cross, Peter Thomson netted from close range. Slowly, the misfiring Shaymen applied some pressure and deservedly equalised when Coburn was unable to keep out Joynes's shot from the outer part of the box, left of goal (42 mins). In a well-contested second half, Alty withstood Halifax pressure before getting forward themselves late in the game. Altrincham have taken five points from the Christmas games and this was the seventh consecutive league game in which they have scored.


    SCORERS

  • 10 mins Peter THOMSON (Halifax Town 0 Altrincham 1)
  • 42 mins Nathan JOYNES (Halifax Town 1 Altrincham 1)

    REFEREE: Mr. D. H. Coote


    ATTENDANCE: 1,791


    TEAM NEWS

    Peter Band played, despite being stretchered off only 48 hours earlier, as Altrincham started with the same eleven who finished the game last Saturday. So, Peter Thomson made his full debut for the club, up front, alongside Pat McFadden, who was also making his first start of the season. Rod Thornley was missing as he had been called up to be on duty as masseur for Manchester United at Newcastle today.

    Halifax included former Alty winger Steve Torpey in their starting line-up whilst former Shaymen, Steve Bushell, Val Owen, Justin Bowler and Karl Munroe were in the Alty squad. However, a fifth ex-Town player, Colin Little, was suspended for today's game.

    BACKGROUND:

    This was both sides' third game of the Christmas period. Halifax had lost the previous two, away from home, whereas Altrincham had secured a home win and a draw.


    LINE-UPS

    HALIFAX TOWN (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Craig MAWSON; 22. Gus UHLENBEEK, 4. Greg YOUNG, 5. Adam QUINN, 3. Matthew DOUGHTY, 10. Lewis KILLEEN, 8. Martin FOSTER, 6. Tom KEARNEY, 20. Steve TORPEY; 15. Chris SENIOR, 26. Nathan JOYNES. Subs: 9. Shane SMELTZ, 11. Ryan SUGDEN, 12. Ryan TOULSON, 14. Jake WRIGHT, 18. Tyrone THOMPSON.

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 2. Steve ASPINALL, 4. Peter BAND, 17. Karl MUNROE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL (capt), 8. Val OWEN, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 16. Peter THOMSON, 18. Pat McFADDEN. Subs: 3. Gary SCOTT, 5. Gary TALBOT, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 15. Justin BOWLER, 20. Stephen ROSE.

    Altrincham substitutes:

  • 65 mins: SCOTT for BUSHELL
  • 69 mins: O'NEILL for THOMSON
  • 79 mins: BOWLER for McFADDEN


    REPORT

    On a dismal and increasingly damp afternoon, Halifax kicked off towards the away end at The Shay, where the main stand still remains incomplete. Halifax were to concede numerous first-half freekicks, starting in the first minute but the home side won two early corners, the second arising when Joynes, the on-loan Barnsley striker, delayed his shot and was blocked off by the Alty defence (5 mins). Rain now started to pour down as the home side failed to sparkle and things got worse for them as Aspinall found McFadden, who calmly dribbled through the penalty area towards the by-line, right of goal, before sending in a low cross which Thomson converted from close range - his first goal for The Robins (10 mins).

    McFadden's close-control and pace continued to set Halifax problems and when Chalmers surged forward and fed the Alty striker, Mawson had to beat out McFadden's shot for an Alty corner (16 mins). Soon, a fine tackle from Chalmers won possession but Thomson could not take advantage as Alty continued to play well. After another foul by Joynes, the striker was lectured and following the freekick, Chalmers did well and the ball came to Lawton, whose well-struck 25-yard shot flashed narrowly wide of Mawson's right upright (22 mins).

    But now Halifax came to life with a slick passing movement up the middle between Kearney, Torpey and Quinn but Coburn made a great save and, in any case, offside was given (23 mins). Soon afterwards Quinn had a shot saved by Coburn and then Uhlenbeek, who had earlier come off worse from an aerial challenge with Coburn, was substituted by Toulson at right-back (25 mins). Next, Peyton, Thomson and Lawton put together a good move, at the end of which Thomson unaccountably delayed taking a shot and the chance disappeared. And, soon afterwards, McFadden again got to the by-line, right of goal, but his shot was saved, as the rain started falling heavily again, on an already soft pitch. Halifax now swept to the other end where Senior saw his shot well saved by Coburn (28 mins). When the combative Joynes had caught Munroe long after the ball had gone out for a goalkick, the referee had words with the Barnsley loanee. Mr. Coote was contributing well to the entertainment, allowing the game to flow and not being over fussy at either side’s indiscretions. Just after the half hour Thomson won Alty a corner as the visitors continued to play well.

    But Halifax then won two corners for themselves, the second coming after Torpey's first kick had dropped short and been touched out by Owen at the near post. When the ball was cleared from the second corner, Alty had no one more than 25 yards from their own goal. After Chalmers had been victim of Young's foul, referee Coote appeared to give Alty captain Steve Bushell a warning for his team about timewasting. Halifax now pressed forwards but Alty held their own until the referee gave the home side a freekick just outside the front edge of the box, to the right of goal, for reasons that were far from clear. It was to prove a costly decision for Altrincham. Though the freekick itself came to the feet of one of the Halifax defenders inside the Alty goalmouth, there seemed little danger as he laid the ball away from goal to Joynes. From left of goal, the loan-striker managed to beat Stuart Coburn at the near post with a well struck shot from the outer part of the penalty area to make it 1-1 (42 mins).

    Halifax continued to press after the equaliser until Alty gained some relief when the Shaymen conceded another freekick, for a foul against Pat McFadden. From Peyton’s freekick the ball came off an outstretched Halifax boot for an Altrincham corner on their left. Two minutes of added time were announced as the deluge continued but Bushell's corner was cleared and the interval soon arrived with the sides deservedly level. After a bright start from Altrincham, Halifax had got themselves back into the game and the second half promised to be a long one for the visitors.


    Half-Time: HALIFAX TOWN 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

    The rain eased during the interval and Altrincham kicked off the second period attacking their own supporters' end of the ground. Almost immediately, Coburn dashed to the touchline to make a clearance as Joynes threatened. Five minutes into the half Thomson escaped censure when he held Young's shirt and as the big defender went down he appeared to twist his leg and had to be stretchered off, to be replaced by Jake Wright (51 mins). The sides then traded attacks, with Alty's best effort at this stage being another good shot from McFadden which the keeper saved, low down (55 mins). Then Coburn had to punch clear after a miskick by Munroe but the Alty keeper was fouled in the process and awarded a freekick to the dismay of the home crowd. Halifax now pressed forward and a foot-up challenge saw Aspinall booked on the centre-line - his seventh yellow card of the season (60 mins).

    When Senior got behind Peyton, Munroe had to come across to concede a corner, but Chalmers headed this clear. As the rain again poured down, Alty captain Steve Bushell was barely able to move with a leg injury and soon hobbled off, to be replaced by Scott (65 mins). Bushell received a generous ovation from the home crowd, having been a favourite at The Shay for many years. Scott slotted in at left back with Peyton moving into midfield and Chalmers moving infield. From a Coburn goalkick Pat McFadden was brought down by Quinn, arguably the last man, but only a freekick resulted. In torrential rain, Peyton's freekick was deflected out for an Altrincham corner. From Peyton's inswinging corner from the right, the ball pinged around the goalmouth but McFadden was unable to turn the ball in past the body of defenders. At this point Thomson was replaced up front for Alty by Joe O'Neill (69 mins). McFadden then continued to impress, as he got in a cross from the left (70 mins). The game was providing excellent entertainment now and it was Peter Band’s great tackle which next saw off a Halifax attack. Owen then made a superb run up the left, getting past Quinn, despite the defender’s attempt to obstruct him, but Owen's shot from the left of the box was deflected out by a covering defender for an Altrincham corner on the right (76 mins).

    Another Altrincham corner soon followed when Peyton’s cross hit a defender. At this stage, Pat McFadden was surprisingly withdrawn in favour of Justin Bowler (79 mins). A couple of minutes later Halifax brought on Ryan Sugden for Chris Senior, who had been on the end of some harsh verbal treatment from some of the Halifax supporters (81 mins). Cheered on by their supporters, Altrincham gained a freekick soon afterwards but then Munroe was penalised, only for Kearney to make a hash of the freekick, hitting it into the side netting from right of goal (85 mins). Toulson was impressing as he got forward on the Halifax right and soon Coburn had to make a fine save from Sugden's effort from that side of the field. This gave Halifax a corner as they now applied sustained pressure . As the ninety minutes ended, the corner was taken and in its aftermath Karl Munroe was left injured, inside the Altrincham net, and received prolonged treatment there from Andy Hosgood.

    Three added minutes were announced before Munroe briefly hobbled off the pitch. Alty then had to withstand more pressure which saw Scott make a superb clearing header off the Alty goal-line (90 mins). Munroe now came back on as Alty soaked up the late pressure whilst, up front, Bowler had barely got in a touch of the ball after coming onto the pitch. As the final moments ticked away there seemed to be a heated exchange between the Halifax bench and the fourth official on the far side of the pitch but the final whistle soon went to give Altrincham a valued point from a very hardworking performance, in which Pat McFadden had excelled on his first start of the season. However, Alty dropped a place and face a long second half of the campaign, starting next week with a crucial home game against a side below them in the table, Rushden and Diamonds.


    Full-Time: HALIFAX TOWN 1 ALTRINCHAM 1