Match Report
TORQUAY UNITED (1) 3
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
played on Saturday, 14 February, 2009, at 3pm.
SUMMARY:
Right: Tim Sills (second player from left in a yellow shirt) scores the opener from a corner from the left; the ball is in the right hand side of the net.
Altrincham's 4-1-4-1 formation, with Jody Banim deployed as a lone striker, was no match in the first half for a resurgent Torquay side, smarting from two recent defeats. But it took a goal owing more to poor defending by Altrincham than skill from Torquay for the Gulls to take the lead in the 19th minute. It came from Sills's weak downward header from a corner on the left. Alty improved after the interval when Senior and Johnson signalled Alty's attacking intent, replacing midfielders Peyton and Danylyk. But hopes of a revival were undone by the referee who awarded a penalty when Coburn went down at the feet of Benyon and Sills converted from the spot (53 mins). To make it worse, Coburn was booked for the challenge, his fifth yellow of the season. Hadfield then replaced Banim before Torquay made it 3-0 in the 75th minute. Again the referee gave Torquay the benefit of the doubt when he allowed Benyon to kick the ball out of Coburn's hands as he gathered a low ball and the Gulls' man of the match rolled the ball into the empty net. Altrincham gained some consolation with the best goal of the game, a fine left-foot volley from Doughty six minutes from the end.
SCORERS
REFEREE: Mr M McLaughlin
ATTENDANCE: 1,760
BACKGROUND
This was Altrincham's first daytime visit to Plainmoor; the corresponding Saturday fixture last season having been called off because of heavy rain with the visiting supporters somewhere near Bristol at the time. The game was replayed in midweek with Alty gaining a creditable 1-1 draw, through Warren Peyton's penalty. The return fixture at Moss Lane also ended 1-1.
Torquay surprisingly lost their game at home earlier this week to Weymouth, whereas Alty had had no game for ten days after the controversial late postponement of the game scheduled with Eastbourne Borough.
TEAM NEWS
Altrincham had only four fit players on the bench, with Little and Denham ruled out by injury, thought the latter was named as a sub.
LINE-UPS
TORQUAY UNITED (All yellow): 20. Scott BEVAN, 3. Kevin NICHOLSON, 5. Chris ROBERTSON, 4, Steve WOODS, 7. Lee MANSELL, 8. Tim SILLS, 9. Elliot BENYON, 10. Roscoe DSANE, 11. Nicky WROE, 14. Chris HARGREAVES, 15. Wayne CARLISLE, Subs 12. Tyrone THOMPSON, 16. Lee HODGES, 18. Mustapha CARAYOL, 19. Danny STEVENS, 21. Iyseden CHRISTIE.
ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN; 2. Chris LANE, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 22. James SMITH, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 11. Warren PEYTON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 24. Jody BANIM. Subs: 8. Jordan HADFIELD, 14. Dale JOHNSON, 19. Chris SENIOR, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 10. Chris DENHAM.
REPORT
Torquay started the brighter against a defensive 4-1-4-1 Altrincham formation and the Gulls won an early corner, which Coburn came for, but failed to gather. Young Benyon was proving a lively leader of the home attack and he soon went close from a Wroe feed (6 mins). Continuing Torquay pressure kept Altrincham hemmed in, with Banim having to come deep to see anything of the ball. But eventually Alty managed to win a corner as Banim chased a ball to the right of goal following a Smith throw-in (12 mins). Doughty wasted this with an underhit effort from the right.
But Torquay reinforced their dominance as Dsane headed Nicholson's cross from the left narrowly wide (16 mins). When Torquay won a corner on their left there seemed no particular danger but Sills, in the centre of the goalmouth, was allowed a free header from Carlisle's kick, which he directed downwards and without much power, but it bounced into the corner of the net to Coburn's left to make it 1-0 (19 mins).
When Dsane got free, three minutes later, Altrincham were fortunate that he got the ball under his feet. Altrincham were unable to keep the ball for any length of time as they were forced back by a rampant Torquay. Referee McLaughlin was not helping Alty much either as he harshly penalised Danylyk for a challenge in midfield (30 mins). From a Dsane cross from the left, Sills headed badly wide but he was given offside in any case (32 mins).
The game continued as one way traffic as Nicholson fired badly over the bar for the Gulls. Lawton was working hard in midfield but Alty's clearances invariably went to Torquay players as the visitors badly lacked an outlet for their forward balls. Coburn had to save well from Dsane as half time approached (41 mins). Alty had a further scare when Coburn dropped a catch as he collided with his team mate Young. Following a lecture for Peyton for a foul on Sills, half-time arrived with Altrincham only a goal behind despite being outplayed for 45 minutes and scarcely threatening the Torquay goal.
| Half-Time: TORQUAY UNITED 1 ALTRINCHAM 0 |
Altrincham made a double change at the interval as strikers Johnson and Senior came on for midfielders Peyton and Danylyk. This produced an immediate improvement and Alty won an early corner. Now playing with three up front, play was more even but they were grateful to see Sills poke poorly over the bar from a clear opening (51 mins). But just as Altrincham seemed to be making a game of it, they were undone by the referee awarding a penalty when Benyon was set free inside the box. The Alty keeper rushed out and seemed to get to the ball as Benyon went down but Mr McLaughlin pointed to the spot and made things worse for the Alty keeper by brandishing a yellow card which was Coburn's fifth of the season. Alty have no other keeper except for Richard Acton who has not played more than a handful of games in the past two years.
Sills drove home the penalty to make it 2-0 (53 mins). Two minutes later Jordan Hadfield replaced Banim, prompting Greg Young to be sent forward to join Senior and Johnson. After the referee had replaced the matchball for the second time in the game, Torquay continued to set the pace. Coburn's unhappy afternon continued as he again collided with a team mate when he came to catch a ball, colliding this time with Smith. At the other end, Bevan saw some action as he grabbed the ball ahead of Senior. Then it took a fine tackle from Hadfield to stop another Torquay thrust, at the cost of a corner (70 mins). Following this a free header by Robertson hit Coburn who reacted quickly to push the ball away before the Alty keeper took an aerial ball but collided with Lawton in the process (72 mins).
Torquay continued to play some impressive football but Johnson then threatened at the other end. But hope of a recovery was ended as Coburn came to collect a through ball and, seemingly, with both hands on the ball he was jostled by Benyon, allowing the ball to run free. Benyon turned the loose ball into the net and the referee allowed the goal to stand and give Torquay a 3-0 lead (75 mins). Soon afterwards Benyon turned superbly and forced an excellent save from Coburn at the near post. Alty then scrambled a Torquay corner away before Coburn again saved well from the lively Benyon (81 mins).
But Alty did not give up and when Lane took a freekick from halfway, the ball came to Doughty who volleyed an excellent left-footed goal from the edge of the box to make it 3-1 (84 mins). Both sides could have scored in the closing stages. Firstly, Christie fell over his feet inside the Alty six-yard box before an overhead shot from Johnson was saved by Bevan and, finally, Senior shot wide after fashioning an opening for himself.
Torquay were deserved winners and produced some excellent football which threatened at times to overrun Altrincham. After half time, Alty's more attacking formation had promised to get them back into the game but with both of Torquay's second-half goals depending on the referee's decisions, they were fighting against the odds.
| Full-Time: TORQUAY UNITED 3 ALTRINCHAM 1 |