Match Report


CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

Blue Square Premier match
played on Sunday, 26 April 2009, at 4pm


SUMMARY:

Despite having regular defenders Greg Young (injured) and James Smith (ill) both missing today, Altrincham frustrated Cambridge United's hopes of securing automatic promotion with a disciplined performance in front of 7,090 supporters at the Abbey Stadium. Altrincham spent much of the game on the back foot though a good first-half effort from Peyton forced a fine tip over the bar by Potter. The point secured an excellent 15th place for the part-timers whilst Cambridge must now contest the play-offs after failing to capitalise on Burton's defeat at Torquay today.


SCORERS

  • None


    REFEREE: Mr Jock Waugh


    ATTENDANCE: 7,090, 166 in away enclosure


    TEAM NEWS

    Robbie Lawton was back after his two-match suspension and goalkeeper Stuart Coburn returned after injury so Richard Acton moved to the bench. But Alty had lost two of their regular back four before kick off when Greg Young was ruled out through a foot injury and James Smith was taken ill overnight. So, Mark McGregor returned to the back line, where Shaun Densmore reverted to right-back after playing recently in midfield. Chris Lane dropped to the bench, with Ben Wilkinson, whilst Chris Denham returned to the starting line-up for only his second start in the last 36 league matches, because of various injuries.


    BACKGROUND:

    Although the game's outcome would have little major impact on Altrincham's league position, for Cambridge a win today combined with a defeat for Burton at Torquay could have meant automatic promotion to League Two. As well as winning, Cambridge would have to alter the goal difference between them and Burton by five goals if they were to pip the Brewers.


    LINE-UPS

    CAMBRIDGE UNITED (Yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts, yellow socks): 1. Danny Potter, 2. Daniel Gleeson, 3. Anthony Tonkin, 5. Phil Bolland, 6. Wayne Hatswell, 8. Andy Parkinson, 9. Scott Rendell, 15. Paul Carden, 18. Robbie Willmott, 21. Chris Holroyd, 25. Jai Reason. SUBS: 4. Daryl McMahon, 11. Courtney Pitt, 12. Josh Coulson, 27. Lee Phillips, 28. Danny Crow.

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, white shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 21. Shaun DENSMORE, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 18. Michael WELCH, 3. Matt DOUGHTY; 9. Colin LITTLE, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 16. Anthony DANYLYK, 11. Warren PEYTON, 14. Dale JOHNSON; 10. Chris DENHAM. SUBS: 23. Richard ACTON, 17. Ben WILKINSON, 2.Chris LANE, 12. Joe O'NEILL, 5. Greg YOUNG.


    REPORT

    Cambridge kicked off in front of their large and expectant crowd against Altrincham's 4-5-1 formation of which Chris Denham was the spearhead. The home side immediately applied pressure and won the game's first corner just as the first sixty seconds elapsed. The corner came after Densmore had to do well to stop Holroyd's advance into the goalmouth with an important challenge. Altrincham then gave away a couple of unnecessary freekicks to increase the pressure on themselves and, from one of these, by Reason, Rendell headed well over the target. Welsh then conceded a second corner after 6 minutes and a third home corner followed inside the ten minute mark. From this Rendell missed badly, heading over the bar from six feet out at the back post (10 mins).

    Alty remained on the back foot as a cross from the right just cleared the Alty bar. For all their pressure, however, Cambridge were not getting many clear sights of the Alty net. Then Altrincham got forward and a well-struck shot from Peyton forced Potter into a fine save, tipping the ball over the bar for Altrincham's first corner (18 mins). Densmore's corner was caught by Potter, as news arrived that Burton had taken the lead at Torquay, making the "U"s' task that much harder. When Reason won a freekick on the front edge of the box, the ball was laid off to Hatswell, whose shot was deflected, forcing Coburn into a fine instinctive save. Then the Alty keeper did well again, making a double save from Reason, before Denham got himself unnecessarily booked for a foul (24 mins).

    Cambridge continued to press with Carden orchestrating things in midfield but the half-hour marked passed with the home side failing to make a breakthrough. More good covering by Densmore gave Cambridge another corner. Altrincham seemed unable to keep the ball for long so, whenever they cleared it, Cambridge came back at them moments later. However, the visitors had taken the sting out of Cambridge as half time approached and the crowd also seemed to sense that, although Torquay had equalised against Burton, it might not be their day.

    Denham continued to ride a disciplinary tightrope as he again incurred Mr Waugh's displeasure and that of the crowd for a foul. But the interval arrived with the game still goalless.


    Half-Time: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0 ALTRINCHAM 0

    At the break, Cambridge brought on winger Courtney Pitt for Parkinson. From the kick off Denham got to the Cambridge by-line but Mr Waugh judged that the ball had gone out for a goalkick before he crossed the ball. But Cambridge soon went to the other end to win another corner (48 mins). However, Altrincham had started the second half quite well and, through Lawton, Little and Denham, they won a corner themselves but Doughty's flag kick was poor (51 mins).

    Then Johnson headed wide at the back post from a better cross by Doughty before Rendell got in a header at the other end, which Coburn held (54 mins). The crowd were then roused by news of Torquay taking the lead over Burton and almost immediately United forced a fine tip over the bar from Coburn for another corner. Coburn caught this but was then barged into the net and a freekick was rightly awarded (57 mins). When Bolland, not for the first time, hauled down Denham as he got past him, referee Waugh booked the one-time Altrincham defender (59 mins).

    As Alty's good following chanted "We are staying up, we are staying up", the home crowd bayed for a freekick for a handled back pass as the ball ran from Doughty to Coburn. When Holroyd did well on the right, Coburn beat out his shot and then made a superb save to tip Reason's follow up over the bar (62 mins). Denham then went down and as he was treated, Alty substituted him by Joe O'Neill (62 mins).

    As the midway point of the second half passed, Cambridge won two successive corners, the first coming from another great save by Coburn and the second corner was wildly headed off target. At this point Crow replaced Hatswell (69 mins). Alty were making sporadic forays into the Cambridge half but Potter was left with little to do in the Cambridge goal. After a spat between Doughty and Willmott, the Alty man was booked (70 mins). Cambridge continued to press but the crowd was getting more subdued as every minute passed. On a rare Alty breakaway Little elected to find Johnson rather than shoot and the chance was gone (77 mins).

    Two more Cambridge corners arrived in succession as the game went into its final ten minutes. After a fine block by McGregor of a goalbound shot, Reason then fired well wide from the edge of the box. Now Phillips replaced Reason who must have set a speed record for the fastest sprint off a pitch by a substituted player as the home side realised they were running out of time (82 mins). Two minutes later Altrincham brought on Lane for Little on their right flank, Almost immediately Coburn made another brilliant save, when Pitt's cross was headed strongly at goal but Altrincham got the benefit of an offside decision in any case. There was then a slight delay after an object was thrown from the crowd at the Altrincham keeper.

    A Cambridge corner came and went before, at the other end, Gleeson manhandled the prostrate Johnson out of the way but escaped without censure (88 mins). Crow then fired wildly high and wide and the Cambridge fans acknowledged that their team was not going to secure promotion today so started singing "Qué será, será!" Wilkinson now came on for Johnson (89 mins). Crow then made a hash of another volley as the game went into four added minutes. Though the hosts won another corner, the final whistle went with Altrincham having secured their highest place in the non-League pyramid for more than a decade, - fifteenth. The Alty fans celebrated by throwing their shirts into the enclosure where 166 of their visiting fans were located.


    Full-Time: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0 ALTRINCHAM 0