Match Report
ALTRINCHAM (1) WOKING (0) 0
played on Saturday, 21 February, 2009, at 3pm.
SUMMARY:
Altrincham took another important step towards securing their status in the Blue Square Premier with this hard-fought win over Woking at Moss Lane. The visitors' physical approach made the first-half a less than flowing spectacle as free kick after free kick was awarded.
Yet, despite Altrincham looking the better side, it was Woking who had the two best early chances, with Frenchman Wilfried Domoraud their main threat. But, Alty goalkeeper Richard Acton, who had not played a league game for almost a year, was in outstanding form to keep out the efforts from the Cardinals. Matt Doughty was also much involved with plenty of freekick practice
Acton was one of four changes from the side which had lost at Torquay in the previous game. Striker Colin Little returned after injury, and fellow strikers Dale Johnson and Chris Senior also returned to the side. Indeed, it was Dale Johnson who was instrumental in setting up the only goal of the game after 27 minutes. His intelligent flick-on led to a weak clearance by Woking loanee Joe Anderson. From the resulting loose ball, Johnson fed Senior who put his shot into the top corner of the net from 15 yards.
The second half was a different story as Woking, chastised by their manger at the interval, enjoyed most of the attacking play. But, with McGregor and Young outstanding at the heart of defence and Acton again making a couple of good saves, Altrincham made it to the finish with the three points intact. They are now thirteenth in the table, on the same number of points as the 10th-placed team. Another nine or ten points from their 15 remaining games are likely to see them safe at this level.
SCORERS
REFEREE: Mr D Handley
ATTENDANCE: 943
BACKGROUND
Altrincham had won on the opening day of the season at Kingfield in the reverse fixture to this one.
TEAM NEWS
With Stuart Coburn suspended, Richard Acton played in goal for Altrincham; his first league match for almost a year. After the disappointing showing at Torquay, Alty reverted to a more attacking formation as Johnson, Little and Senior replaced loan striker Banim.
Woking had brought in two loan players in the 48 hours before this match; Kelvin Bossman and Joe Anderson.
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): ALTRINCHAM : 23. Richard ACTON; 22. James SMITH, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 3. Matt DOUGHTY; 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK; 14. Dale JOHNSON, 19. Chris SENIOR, 9. Colin LITTLE. Subs: 12. Joe O'NEILL, 11. Warren PEYTON, 2. Chris LANE, 24. Jody BANIM, 18. Michael WELCH.
WOKING (Yellow shirts and shorts, black socks): 30. Simon EASTWOOD, 2. Paul LORRAINE, 11. Matt PATTISON, 14. Patrice KONAN, 16. Paolo VERNAZZA, 19. Joel LEDGISTER, 20. Charlie MOONE, 21. Wilfried DOMORAUD, 23. Oliver BOZANIC, 25. Joe ANDERSON, 31. Michael KAMARA. Subs: 10. Liam MARUM, 7. Daniel SINTIM, 12. Ross WORNER, 26. Kelvin BOSSMAN, 41. Joe McNERNEY
REPORT
Conditions were very breezy, with the wind against Woking in the first half. Dale Johnson won a corner in just 19 seconds and from Matt Doughty's kick, from the right, the ball bounced in the goalmouth but just evaded Chris Senior's leap at the back post. Woking were adopting a physical approach towards the game to which referee Handley was showing a lenient approach. But when Bozanic elbowed Johnson, even he had to award a freekick (5 mins). The fouls continue to mount up and by the end Woking had racked up 25. But despite Altrincham starting well, Woking went closer to scoring when Domoraud was put clear by Pattison and Acton had to make a fine reaction save (11 mins). After Danylyk was fouled by Vernazza, the former Arsenal man was booked (16 mins).
Little now won an Alty corner, but Densmore's kick was poor. However, a Kamara misheader soon yielded another flag kick which Doughty took, but Eastwood tipped this away (20 mins). Next, a fine lay-off from Little set up Doughty who pulled his shot wide from the edge of the box (21 mins). But again, despite being second best, Woking had another good chance after 25 minutes when Moone headed badly over from six yards from Domoraud's feed. After a foul on Johnson, Densmore fired in a freekick form 30 yards but it went just wide.
Altrincham took the lead in the 27th minute when Johnson smartly back-flicked a long, aerial ball from a position on the right, about 35 yards from goal. A defender hacked a clearance back to Johnson who laid the ball inside to Senior. He fired an excellent shot into the the keeper's top left hand corner. A bizarre rehearsed celebration between Senior and Young then folowed.
Eastwood and Senior then collided into the hoardings to the side of goal but both recovered to play on. Altrincham almost added to their score when a freekick for handball, taken by Doughty, came off Smith's legs at the back post and went narrowly wide (38 mins). As half-time approached, Lorraine was booked for a foul (42 mins) as the freekicks continued. Bozanic threatened for Woking just before half time but let the ball run away from him inside the six yard box. The interval arrived with Altrincham retaining their narrow lead and having had the better of the game.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 WOKING 0 |
The sun of the first half gave way to cloudy conditions for the second half, so the floodlights came on. Acton had to make a fine parry early on, from Bozanic, at the cost of a corner. From the corner, Domoraud fired narrowly wide as Alty were slow out of the blocks after the break (48 mins). Referee Handley continued to annoy Altrincham as, now, he missed an of the ball push on Danylyk. But he did see Konan take out Doughty after the defender had pushed the ball passed him (53 mins). A deflected Senior shot earned Alty a corner but nothing came of it. Then Bossman, one of Woking's new signings, came on for Ledgister (56 mins).
Domoraud won a corner off Doughty from which Acton saved Alty by brilliantly clawing the ball off the line. Considering he had not played for 11 months, Acton was playing superbly. Woking now enjoyed a good spell during which Densmore was booked for a foul on Domoraud (61 mins). Next, the French striker failed to test Acton with an overhead shot which went wide. At this point Peyton replaced Densmore (63 mins). Altrincham had not reached the level of their first half performance after the interval and the game now drifted towards its final quarter.
Alty introduced O'Neill for Johnson after 74 minutes and soon afterwards, former Cambridge United striker Marum replaced Vernazza. The changes continued as Welch came on for his Alty debut, replacing Little up front, despite the on-loan Northwich man being a central defender by trade (79 mins). Senior's excellent 25-yarder went narrowly wide soon after this as Welch was twice fouled soon after his introduction to the game. With four minutes left, McNerney took over from Moone, the new player bearing a shirt number hastily made out of insulation tape!
The game went into a surprisingly long five added minutes, in the first of which Altrincham won a corner. But the minutes passed without too many alarms for Altrincham and they recorded their seventh 1-0 league win of the season.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 WOKING 0 |