Match Report


ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
NORTHWICH VICTORIA (0) 0

Blue Square Premier match
played on Tuesday, 3 February, 2009, at 7.45pm.

SUMMARY:

Altrincham completed their first double of the season with this narrow win over Northwich, who enjoyed plenty of pressure throughout the game. The game was decided by a 28th minute goalkeeping howler by Northwich's Clarke, who dropped a freekick from Doughty, allowing Banim to tap in his first goal for Altrincham on his full debut. It was not a pretty spectacle but Alty's defence, led by McGregor and Young, held firm, despite a couple of close calls. Warren Peyton could have wrapped it up for Alty late in the game when Chris Senior set him up but the midfielder could not get his shot in quickly enough to prevent keeper Clarke from smothering the ball. Jody Banim was one of two loan players making their full debuts for Altrincham, the on-loan Burton Albion striker being joined by Macclesfield Town midfielder Jordan Hadfield who was also making his first start.


SCORERS

  • 28 mins: Jody BANIM (Altrincham 1 Northwich Victoria 0)


    REFEREE: Mr S J Rushton (Staffs)


    ATTENDANCE: 1,209 (238 in away end)


    BACKGROUND

    This Cheshire Derby had been postponed from New Year's Day when a frosty pitch prevented the game from taking place. Today, again, the weather had put the game in doubt following snow and cold temperatures earlier in the week. But groundsman Neil Brown once again produced a pitch to be proud of.


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham were again hit by injuries. Though Chris Senior returned from his brief lay-off, Colin Little was still sidelined with his hamstring problem and both Chris Denham and Anthony Danylyk (dead-leg) were unfit to start. So, Jody Banim got his first start up front whilst Jordan Hadfield was Altrincham's second debutant, in midfield. Shaun Densmore was also missing, suspended.

    Northwich had transformed their personnel under manager Steve King who had brought in a cohort of new players, mostly from southern England where he formerly managed Sussex side Lewes before his controversial sacking over the summer. One familiar face in the Vics' line-up was Lee Elam, who had recently asked to leave Moss Lane to join the Mid-Cheshire side.


    LINE-UPS

    ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 2. Chris LANE, 4. Mark McGREGOR (capt), 5. Greg YOUNG, 22. James SMITH, 8. Jordan HADFIELD, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 24. Jody BANIM, 19. Chris SENIOR, 14. Dale JOHNSON. Subs: 12. Joe O'NEILL, 13. Andy RALPH, 10. Chris DENHAM, 11. Warren PEYTON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK.

    NORTHWICH VICTORIA (Green shirts, white shorts and socks): 35. Ryan CLARKE, 17. Michael ASPIN, 5. Steve ROBINSON, 15. Matthew BAILEY, 19. Jamie STEVENS, 37. Karl MURRAY, 6. Matt CROWELL, 8. Joel BYROM, 36. Lee ELAM, 26. Damian REEVES, 9. Lee STEELE. Subs: 31. Jay CONROY, 22. Dean LODGE, 18. Owen PRICE, 38. Dean McDONALD, 24. Darryn STAMP.


    REPORT

    For some reason the players did not emerge from the changing rooms till kick-off time so the match got under way three minutes late, with Alty playing towards the Golf Road. After an early freekick against Matt Doughty for handball, and some booing when Lee Elam first touched the ball, play was halted for treatment to Vics' Reeves. This was administered by former Alty physio Garry Thompson (6 mins). Although the Vics had started the game the better of the two sides, it was Alty who went the closest in the 10th minute when Banim and Doughty fed Johnson, whose looping hooked shot towards goal was very well tipped away by the back-pedalling Clarke as the ball dropped under his crossbar. The Vics' keeper also had to be alert soon afterwards to pounce on the ball as Johnson closed in.

    A Lee Elam surge up the Vics' left was then halted by a superb tackle by Chris Lane who continues to build on his record as the player with most Conference appearances of all time. Elam was again the butt of derisive chants after he felled Jordan Hadfield (12 mins) and even more so when he later shanked a shot/cross into the crowd (16 mins). But Altrincham were struggling to find their rhythm as Vics continued to see a lot of the ball but without really threatening. After Murray's foul on Hadfield, Clarke punched clear Young's freekick from 35 yards. Elam almost had the last laugh on the Alty supporters when he got clear in the home side's penalty area but his shot went straight at Coburn (21 mins).

    At the other end, Senior's cross was met by Johnson but Northwich scrambled the ball clear. When Johnson was tripped by Stevens, the Vics' recent signing from Crawley became the game's first booking. From the resulting freekick on the right, Doughty's kick looked a straightforward catch for Clarke in the Vics' goal. But the on-loan Salisbury keeper dropped the ball, allowing Banim to tap the ball home from close range for his first goal for Altrincham (28 mins).

    Reeves got clear into the Alty box but was well stopped by Doughty at the cost of a corner. Alty now began to settle a little after their below par start to the game and good work from Johnson, chasing a seemingly lost cause, saw his cross from the left volleyed fiercely at the back post by Senior, but his rasping effort went narrowly wide (35 mins). Soon after this another well struck effort from Senior hit Matt Bailey full on the head but the former Alty loan player managed to stay on his feet. At the away end, a great clearance from McGregor ended the danger from a Steele cross (37 mins).

    After Hadfield had been penalised for making contact with Elam, the resulting freekick evaded Coburn and he was relieved to see a team-mate put it out for a corner. From this Bailey rose well but headed narrowly over the bar (41 mins). Altrincham continued to defend in depth with even Chris Senior getting right back to help out. Altrincham almost conceded an equalizer in the 45th minute when Greg Young was forced to play a short back pass, under pressure, which Coburn could not kick clear before he was challenged but Reeves poked the loose ball wide. Two minutes of added time followed during which a goalbound shot from Crowlell was deflected narrowly wide for a corner on the Vics' left. At the interval Greg Young left the pitch looking to be injured, but despite a knee problem he was to emerge for the second half.


    Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
    NORTHWICH VICTORIA 0

    Altrincham kicked off the second half but soon McGregor was booked, for the first time this season, after a Vics' shot had gone very wide. The resulting freekick from left of goal was caught by Coburn. Four minutes into the half Dale Johnson, who had been more subdued than normal, went off and was replaced by Warren Peyton. The striker is believed to have a groin strain.

    Both sets of supporters were in good voice and, as Graham Heathcote wrote in the matchday programme, the possibility of not having a local derby next season, with its associated banter, is a sobering one. The Vics continued to press and despite their poor league position had far from given up on the campaign. But they looked blunt in front of goal, never more so than when Byrom's shot not only cleared the Golf Road End but actually hit the roof of a house on the far side of Golf Road, followed by Byrom's sliced effort badly wide (54 mins).

    There was a flashpoint when Lee Elam clattered his former team-mate Chris Lane very late. Lane reacted angrily and had to be restrained from setting about the Northwich man who received a yellow card (57 mins). It was Elam's third booking in his three games to date with the Vics. Chants to the ex-Alty man to the effect that his trousering of an allegedly large pay packet at the Vics was the reason their club being in financial trouble were amongst the more printable ones aimed in his direction by the Popular Side (57 mins).

    Alty at last threatened at the away end when Young, despite being held by Bailey, got in a header at goal. Elam's torrid night continued when a huge cheer went up as he fell over when Robbie Lawton won possession off him. But aside from the terrace chants the game was not an entertaining spectacle. However, things improved when Banim had a well struck shot beaten out and as Matt Doughty, again impressing on the left, got onto the loose ball, Aspin made a fine blocking tackle. An Alty corner followed as Banim's cross went out of play off Bailey, who was playing well at the heart of the Vics' defence. Clarke then did well to get to the ball ahead of Senior before Alty had a worrying moment when Crowell's freekick from the left was fumbled by Coburn and a corner resulted. From the right, the corner caused even more panic as Coburn had to juggle across the goalmouth. Stevens and Murray, then combined to win another Vics' corner after which Conroy, another recent signing came on in place of Aspin (70 mins).

    Though it was Byrom who felled Banim soon afterwards, it was Murray, the former Woking midfielder, who picked up a yellow card, presumably for dissent. Alty had barely mustered a second-half shot before Senior, with characteristic persistence, chased a ball to the by-line and got in a low cross but no team-mate was supporting him quickly enough (74 mins). Alty continued to defend well until a Doughty shot won a corner for Altrincham. After this had been cleared Bailey fired a 40-yard shot at goal which was not too far off target (78 mins). After a spat between Steele and Peyton, both players were booked following a consultation between referee and assistant (79 mins). Elam then had a great chance to equalize when he advanced into the right of the box but Coburn beat out his shot superbly. Jordan Hadfield then picked up a yellow as Alty's supporters chanted to their Vics' counterparts, "You'll never play here again", an allusion to their potential relegation (80 mins). Stamp then came on for Vics' Murray, having spent the preceding 10 minutes beig allowed to warm up by running up and down at least two feet inside the touchline, on the pitch, by the seemingly oblivious linesman (81 mins).

    Elam then spurned another good chance when he again advanced into the box from the right but elected to pass rather than shoot and the chance went as the ever reliable Smith cleared the ball. Vics continued to apply pressure as Alty pulled everyone back to defend. But on the break, Alty should have made the game safe. Once again it was the lively Senior who was the threat as he jinked into the box before laying the ball off for Peyton, but before the midfielder could drive the ball into the empty net, Clarke got across brilliantly to smother the ball (87 mins). Now, Joe O'Neill belatedly joined the game, replacing Banim (88 mins). Stuart Coburn then became Alty's fourth cautioned player, for dissent; it was the keeper's fourth yellow card of the season (88 mins). Four minutes of added time were announced as all 11 Alty players defended another Vics' attack. But the Vics could find no way through.

    It was a far from pretty spectacle but the result was all that mattered to the home supporters. Mark McGregor was named Man of the Match whilst Joel Byrom picked up the Vics' award. Alty moved up to twelfth in the table and have now got 40 points from 29 games; just one fewer than they amassed in the whole of last season's 46 matches. But injuries continue to limit the management's options with Young and Johnson tonight joining Little, Denham and Danylyk in the less than fully fit category.


    Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
    NORTHWICH VICTORIA 0