Match Report


STEVANAGE BOROUGH (0) 0 ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Nationwide Conference National match
played on Saturday, 24 March, 2007 at 3pm.


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    SUMMARY:

    Above: Chris Senior (centre, partly hidden by Stevenage keeper Julian, scores Alty's goal.

    Altrincham completed an unexpected double in bleak weather conditions at Stevenage and, in doing so, recorded their third successive away victory after previously going 11 months without a win on the road. Alty's winner was scored from six yards by Chris Senior, after Joe O'Neill had had two shots charged down (24 mins). Despite plenty of pressure by the home side, Alty defended well in the second half, aided by poor Stevenage finishing.


    SCORERS

  • 24 mins: Chris SENIOR (Stevenage Borough 0 Altrincham 1)

    REFEREE: Mr S Tomlinson


    ATTENDANCE: 1,913


    TEAM NEWS

    Alty were unchanged from last Tuesday. Val Owen and Gary Scott were still out, injured, whilst Rod Thornley was away on England duty. Stevenage were without the suspended Santos Gaia. Mark Hughes, Barry Fuller and Jon Nurse were all missing from the starting line-up despite staring the last game for Boro. Taking their places were Damian Batt, Paul Hakin and Steve Guppy. Former England U-16 captain, Stuart Lewis, signed yesterday, was on the bench.


    BACKGROUND:

    Alty had never won at Broadhall Way but had recorded their first league win over Stevenage at Moss Lane, back in August. But the Robins were in good form, having won 4 of their previous 5 matches. For their part, Boro were eighth and chasing a play-off place.


    LINE-UPS

    STEVENAGE BOROUGH: (White shirts with red stripes, red shorts and socks). 1. Alan JULIAN; 5. Damian BATT, 25. Ronnie HENRY, 4. Luke OLIVER, 3. John NUTTER; 21. Steve GUPPY, 26. Mark BEARD, 24. Daryl McMAHON, 11. Mitchell COLE; 20. Steve MORISON, 8. Paul HAKIM. Subs: 16. Danny POTTER (gk), 9. Jon NURSE, 19. Stuart LEWIS, 22. Craig DOBSON, 27. Hasim DEEN.

    ALTRINCHAM: Pale/dark blue shirts, pale blue shorts and socks). 1. Stuart COBURN, 20. Stephen ROSE, 4. Peter BAND, 17. Karl MUNROE, 11. Warren PEYTON; 12. Joe O'NEILL, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 6. Steve BUSHELL, 14. Lewis CHALMERS; 9. Colin LITTLE, 19. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 13. Richard ACTON (gk), 2. Steve ASPINALL, 5. Gary TALBOT, 18. Pat McFADDEN, 22. Andy SCOTT.

    Altrincham substitutes:

  • 73 mins: McFADDEN for SENIOR
  • 81 mins: Andy SCOTT for LITTLE
  • 90 mins: TALBOT for BUSHELL


    REPORT

    After changing ends, Stevenage kicked off into a bitterly cold breeze and swirling drizzle. Altrincham put together a good passing move in the first minute but Borough won the game's first corner when Coburn had to go smartly to the left of goal to kick clear. The Alty keeper then caught the corner (4 mins). Rose then made an excellent tackle to block a Borough shot, before the dangerous Mitchell Cole fired low, but narrowly wide. Alty's next attack was when Little's header ran to Julian, from O'Neill's cross (11 mins). Following this, Hakim fired wide after good approach play (14 mins).

    After scoring, Chris Senior somersaulted over the hoarding and awaited the arrival of his team-mates.

    The visitors' fans were giving strong support as Rose got in another excellent tackle to halt Nutter, one of several ex-Grays' players on Boro's books. But, moments later, Cole got behind Rose and his cross from the left found Beard who side-footed his shot miles over the bar, a miss which prompted the home keeper, Julian, to throw a fit of exasperation (18 mins). More good work from Cole saw Alty scramble the ball away from their line. But now a Chalmers shot from 20 yards forced Julian to tip the ball over the bar for an Alty corner. The diverted shot broke pieces off an unoccupied seat, the third seat to suffer that fate after two wayward shots in the warm-up had done so! Bushell's corner found Chalmers but his effort went well over the bar. But Alty soon did better with O'Neill getting in a shot from the edge of the box, which rebounded back to him. His second effort also came off a defender but fell for Senior in the centre of the goalmouth and he drove the ball past the exposed keeper to put Alty one up (24 mins). The delighted Senior celebrated in front of the Alty fans, with a back-somersault over an advertising hoarding! Meanwhile, Julian was booked as Boro players surrounded Ms. Lodge, the assistant referee, forlornly appealing to her for an offside decision.

    But Alty soon had to be alert, and were grateful to Munroe for poking the ball out for a corner after good work by Guppy (28 mins). Julian was engaging in good-natured banter with the Alty fans behind his goal but the Stevenage keeper soon had to defend a corner, following good work from O'Neill (29 mins). Stevenage were going through an indifferent spell, making errors but Little was narrowly wide with a shot from O'Neill's feed (36 mins).

    Stevenage pressed forward but the best they could gain was a corner, which came to nothing before Chalmers, O'Neill and Lawton combined to win a corner for the Robins, at which Alty were penalised (43 mins). From a half which witnessed no stoppages, the referee somehow found two added minutes. These minutes were almost costly and would have been but for two excellent stops from Morison by Coburn (45+2 mins).


    Half-Time: STEVENAGE BOROUGH 0 ALTRINCHAM 1

    For the second half, Alty moved Rose to right-back, with Munroe moving to centre-back. Soon, Alty were grateful to see Hakim's cross from the right by-line headed back across goal, rather than at the keeper (47 mins). Next, Rose's header came to Morison who headed onto the roof of Coburn's net (49 mins). Stevenage continued to build patiently, switching the ball from flank to flank but their shooting continued to be poor, as Hakim shot wide (51 mins). Coburn continued to get plenty of goal-kicking practice as Stevenage faltered in the final third of the pitch. The Alty continued to look solid, even though Coburn had to punch clear a home corner, following which Oliver poked an effort narrowly over the bar (56 mins). Boro continued to press but when Cole got past Munroe, to the byline, he wastefully shot across goal for yet another goalkick to Alty (57 mins).

    Alty remained on the backfoot as the rain continued to fall. A push on Senior gained Alty some respite with a freekick from 25 yards on their left, following which Chalmers was lectured for jumping at his opponent (62 mins). With the Alty fans still singing strongly, Band made an excellent clearance. But Alty now counter-attacked with a well-constructed move, finished by a disappointing shot wide by Little (66 mins).

    Soon after an excellent tackle by Munroe, the same player conceded a freekick just outside the box, and was booked, too (69 mins). Next, Lawton was caught late, as he executed a clearance but the freekick came to nothing. After 73 minutes Senior gave way to McFadden, though the advanced technology of the buttons on the electronic display board defeated the fourth official, as seems to happen frequently these days. Stevenage made a change themselves after 75 minutes when Dobson replaced Guppy on the right. Two more Alty goalkicks arrived before Lewis, just signed from Barnet, and Nurse, replaced McMahon and Hakim (76 mins). Alty continued to close-down Stevenage impressively and reduced Morison to a wild shot, wide. Then Nurse's effort came off Band for a corner (80 mins). Coburn made an excellent block on the line, following the corner and another corner followed. After this, Andy Scott came on to form a 5-man midfield as Chalmers moved inside. Little was the player substituted (81 mins).

    Stevenage continued to press forward but Altrincham prevented them from creating clear chances. Oliver's shot wide after 88 minutes was the nearest that they came. As added time started Gary Talbot came on for Bushell, who limped off after an earlier knock. The Alty fans had no idea how much time was to be added as the fourth official did not display his board and the tannoy was inaudible. In the event, 4 minutes were played but Alty held firm to record their fifth win in six outings and move closer to Conference survival. Once again, Alty had shown that commitment, organization and hardwork can allow lowly-funded, part-time teams to overcome much better resourced full-time outfits. After the final whistle the Alty players celebrated with their supporters as Stevenage went off in the knowledge that their visitors had completed a league double over them, their only ever victories over the Hertfordshire side.

    Alty celebrate at the end of the match.


    Full-Time: STEVENAGE BOROUGH 0 ALTRINCHAM 1