Match Report


ALTRINCHAM (1)5
CAMBRIDGE UNITED (0) 0

Nationwide Conference National match
played on Tuesday, 6 March, 2007 at 7.45pm.


SPONSORS:

  • Match: Slater, Heelis, Collier Little & MBN Promotions
  • Matchball: Sarah Rowley & Hawarden Rotary Club
  • Programme: Tintagel Consultancy Ltd


    SUMMARY:

    The five-goal margin did not flatter Altrincham against an abject Cambridge United. Alty played some excellent football, in the first half-hour especially, and went ahead with a fine freekick from 19 yards by Peyton which punished a cynical foul on Bushell. Within 30 seconds of Cambridge kicking off in the second half a tremendous run by Chalmers saw him pick up O'Neill's lay off and sprint into the box before beating keeper Herbert with a low shot (46 mins). Next a good ball from Lawton set Little at goal and as he jinked round Duncan he was brought down. Little took the resulting spot kick which Herbert saved, but could not hold, and Little gratefully converted the loose ball (56 mins). Joe O'Neill made it 4-0 after an impressive 50 yard run by Lewis Chalmers (67 mins) and substitute Chris Senior netted his first goal for Altrincham's first-team when he dribbled round Herbert from Little's feed (76 mins). Cambridge barely troubled Coburn all night but the visiting supporters creditably supported their team to the end in competition with the ecstatic home fans who had only once before this season seen their side score more than two goals.


    SCORERS

  • 22 mins: Warren PEYTON (Altrincham 1 Cambridge United 0)
  • 46 mins: Lewis CHALMERS (Altrincham 2 Cambridge United 0)
  • 56 mins: Colin LITTLE (Altrincham 3 Cambridge United 0)
  • 67 mins: Joe O'NEILL (Altrincham 4 Cambridge United 0)
  • 76 mins: Chris SENIOR (Altrincham 5 Cambridge United 0)

    REFEREE: Mr R J Wigglesworth


    ATTENDANCE: 891


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham were again without the supended Karl Munroe and the starting line-up remained unchanged from the last game, at Burton. On the bench, the only change was that left-back Andy Scott was replaced by striker Peter Thomson.

    Cambridge were without their suspended leading scorer, Robbie Simpson, so Wayne Purser came into the side. Courtney Pitt was on the bench as he had a groin problem whilst Christain Smith was playing the last game of his loan from Port Vale.

    BACKGROUND:

    Despite heavy rain in the previous 24 hours, the pitch was in good condition, though there were one or two sodden spots where the ball did not bounce to normal height. With just 3 wins in their previous 22 league games, Alty were meeting a United side enjoying a revival in its fortunes and unbeaten in its last 7 matches. However, having played more games than anyone else in the division, the "U's" were still far from safe from the threat of relegation. Defeat, or even a draw tonight would have seen Altrincham go bottom if Tamworth were to collect a point in their game.

    Tonight's gate was a very disappointing 891. Obviously the distance to travel for away fans on a Tuesday night in winter, Altrincham's poor run of recent results and the competing TV broadcast of Liverpool's game with Barcelona were all factors in this low turnout.


    LINE-UPS

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 3. Gary SCOTT, 4. Peter BAND, 11. Warren PEYTON; 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL, 8. Val OWEN, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 9. Colin LITTLE, 12.Joe O'NEILL. Subs: 5. Gary TALBOT, 10. Rod THORNLEY, 16. Peter THOMSON, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 19. Chris SENIOR.

    Altrincham substitutes:

  • 73 mins: SENIOR for O'NEILL
  • 79 mins: TALBOT for SCOTT
  • 84 mins: THORNLEY for LITTLE

    CAMBRIDGE UNITED (Dark blue shirts, light blue shorts and socks) : 20. Shane HERBERT; 21. Michael MORRISON, 26. Sam PAGE, 4. Andy DUNCAN (capt), 23. Danny BROWN; 7.Jon BRADY, 8. David BRIDGES, 18. Stephen SMITH, 27. Christian SMITH; 9. Daniel CHILLINGWORTH, 13. Wayne PURSER. subs: 3. Aidan COLLINS, 5. Mark PETERS, 11. Courtney PITT, 12. Josh SIMPSON, 31. Daniel CRANE.


    REPORT

    Altrincham kicked off towards the 20/20 End where the bulk of the travelling supporters were located. The first incident of note saw Purser barge over Gary Scott from behind, an offence so blatant that Graham Heathcote could not believe it when the referee failed to award a freekick and allowed the ball to run on to Coburn (2 mins). An excellent tackle by Peyton led to an impressive passing move which ended with a low cross-shot from Chalmers (4 mins). Altrincham were spending most of the early stages in the Cambridge half whilst, for their part, the visitors main attacking tactic seemed to be the long ball aimed over the top of the defence. When Morrison clearly held O'Neill in the box, again Mr Wigglesworth failed to see the offence. Despite these frustrations, Altrincham continued to play some good football but had a narrow escape from a problem of their own making when Coburn's attempted kicked clearance, from the left of his goal, cannoned off a Cambridge player and only just cleared the bar before nestling on the roof of the net (8 mins).

    Lawton, Bushell and Little were all impressing and when Lawton was fouled by the giant Page, Peyton's freekick, from 25 yards out, came via Bushell and Little to Band but, faced with a clear view of goal, Band was only able to hook his shot wide (10 mins). Manager Graham Heathcote was clearly charged up for this game and kept his team on its toes with a non-stop series of instructions from the technical area. Bushell, Little and Chalmers then combined to set up a well-hit shot from the edge of the box by Lawton which keeper Herbert did well to push over the centre of his bar for the game's first corner on the Alty left (12 mins). Though Chalmers leapt well to meet Bushell's corner, he was penalised. Next a good cross from Lawton almost found O'Neill. At the other end, following a clearance from Band, Christian Smith fired an excellent shot from 30 yards which went only narrowly wide (16 mins). But generally Alty continued to set the pace with Rose and Band repelling anything that came their way from Cambridge. The Cambridge defence on the other hand looked shaky as, for the second time in the game, centre-back Band got forward but shot wide (19 mins). Lawton and Little then started an excellent move up the middle which led to Bushell jinking past a defender on the very edge of the penalty area, only to be cynically tripped by a defender. From the freekick, 19 yards out in a fairly central position, Peyton hammered a curling left-foot shot past Herbert to put Altrincham ahead (22 mins). Just a minute later a Cambridge clearance came to Little whose superbly struck left-foot volley only just cleared the angle of bar and the keeper's right post (23 mins).

    Although Alty's next move was undone when Chalmers played a pass behind his intended colleague, Alty soon put together another impressive move at the end of which the influential Bushell forced a good save from Herbert but he had been given offside in any case. However, at the other end, Brady threatened but his goalbound shot struck Lawton inside the Alty penalty area and this led to a scramble which Owen finally resolved for Altrincham (27 mins). Chalmers now won a corner from a cross and, following this, the impressive Peyton fired a low cross cum shot across the goalmouth (29 mins). Mr Wigglesworth finally produced a yellow card for a Cambridge player for a foul and from the resulting freekick Peyton brilliantly found the head of Little at the back post and his header forced a good save from Herbert (30 mins). At the other end Brady headed comfortably wide as Cambridge struggled to test Coburn in the Alty goal.

    Altrincham now had a quieter spell but Rose saw off the next attack with an excellent tackle. Alty's best shot at this stage was one well over the bar by Chalmers (37 mins). The fact that Alty had slackened off slightly was not missed by manager Heathcote who exhorted his players to "Get your energy back". Mr Wigglesworth for the third time in the half missed an absolutely blatant foul, this time on Rose (41 mins). As Graham Heathcote told his men to "Get playing again!" they got back to the other end and won a freekick for a foul on Band. And once again it was the surprising figure of Band himself who got in the next shot, his third of the game to date, but this struck a body in the box. Two minutes of added time were announced despite no trainer having been on the pitch and, during this period, Rose was hurt as he was fouled making a clearance. But after treatment he resumed moments before the whistle sounded for half-time. Alty well deserved their lead but had only one goal to show for one of their best performances of the season so far.


    Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
    CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0

    Though Cambridge kicked off the second half, it took Altrincham fewer than thirty seconds to double their lead. An excellent lay off towards the left from Joe O'Neill, about 30 yards from goal, was weighted perfectly into the path of the completely unmarked Lewis Chalmers. The young midfielder hared forward with the ball into the left of the box and kept his head well to steer a low shot into the net to the keeper's left (46 mins).

    Cambridge responded by winning their first corner, off Band, and Alty got all eleven players back into the penalty area to defend it. Owen, who had had a quiet half, now began to assert himself and despite two consecutive foul challenges by Stephen Smith, emerged with the ball, a round of applause from the Main Stand, and a freekick from a midfield tussle. But the game now went through a relatively slack period until a fine ball forward from Lawton found Little on the front edge of the box. Little elected to dribble mazily past a couple of defenders before having his legs taken from him and an indisputable penalty was the outcome. In the absence of the normal penalty taker, Steve Aspinall, Little, who has been out of sorts recently in front of goal compared with his normal high standards, elected to take the spot-kick. With the Golf Road end willing him to break his run of no goals in his previous seven league games, Little put his spot kick to the keeper's right and Herbert saved it. However, the keeper failed to hold the ball and Little reacted quickly to steer the loose ball past Herbert to make it 3-0 (56 mins).

    Soon after the goal O'Neill and Chalmers picked up knocks but both soldiered on. Then, from a Chalmers throw, Herbert dropped the ball in the air, though he was actually fouled in the process, undetected by the referee. There was more misfortune for Herbert soon afterwards when he collided with a defender and again dropped the ball, before recovering it (60 mins). Altrincham continued to press the harassed Cambridge defence but a foul by Page now left Little receiving treatment to his leg near the halfway line(62 mins). The freekicks continued to be conceded by Cambridge and next it was Bushell's turn to be flattened, forty yards from the opposition goal. Though Chalmers was offside from Peyton's freekick, the respite was short for Cambridge. Band cleared the ball up to Chalmers, who advanced 40 yards, holding off two attempts to knock him off the ball as he steamed up the left before laying the ball inside to O'Neill. O'Neill did well to convert the chance and record his seventh goal of the season (67 mins). This was the first time Alty had scored four goals since their win at Dagenham last April.

    Next, good work from Owen led to O'Neill firing in a firm shot from 25 yards which the keeper saved well (69 mins). Cambridge had their first shot in a long while after 70 minutes when Coburn fielded Stephen Smith's 20-yard effort. Soon afterwards Chris Senior came on up front for Alty in place of Joe O'Neill (73 mins) and a minute later Peters replaced Chillingworth for Cambridge. Senior wasted no time in recording his first goal for the Altrincham first team since his loan move from Halifax Town. Played in by Little, Senior cleverly rounded Herbert and, from right of goal, steered the ball into the empty net to make it 5-0 (76 mins). This was Alty's first five-goal haul since beating Aldershot Town 5-1 in January 2006.

    With the Golf Road supporters in ecstasy, the away fans continued to support their team too, despite its desperate plight. Now Gary Talbot came on for Gary Scott with Stephen Rose shifting to right-back (79 mins). Talbot was immediately involved in a mix up with Band but Rose cleared up the danger. As the game went into the final ten minutes, Alty sat back a little. The visitors made another change after 83 minutes when Josh Simpson replaced Stephen Smith and, a minute later, Rod Thornley came on for Alty's Colin Little, who had had a good game. Though Brady got in a routine shot at Coburn the game was drifting to its conclusion (88 mins). Four minutes of added time were played, to no great effect, before the final whistle sounded. Though Colin Little was awarded the Man of the Match there were many candidates for the award tonight, including Lewis Chalmers, Warren Peyton, Stephen Rose, Robbie Lawton and Peter Band, in what ranked as one of Alty's best performances of the season. It was pity that so few turned out to watch it.

    The win lifted Alty to 21st place but the effort now needs to be sustained for another dozen games to secure the club's place in the Conference National for next season.


    Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 5
    CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0