Match Report


NORTHWICH VICTORIA (1) 1
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Pre-season friendly match
played on Tuesday, 21 July 2009, at 7.45pm


SUMMARY:

Right: Robbie Williams heads for goal. Photo courtesy of Nigel Williams.

After starting brightly and taking a seventh-minute lead with a goal from Chris Senior's strike from outside the box, Altrincham lost their way in this poorly attended friendly at the Victoria Stadium. Once former Alty trialist Aaron Burns had blasted home a freekick from 25 yards to level the score in the 28th minute, the 295 fans saw Northwich have much the better of a second half in which Alty barely troubled Vics' keeper Clancey. The game was marred by the late sending off of Alty trialist Paul McManus for a lunge at Luke Horrocks.


SCORERS

  • 7 mins: Chris SENIOR (Northwich Victoria 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
  • 28 mins: Aaron BURNS (Northwich Victoria 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)


    REFEREE: Mr M Bristow


    ATTENDANCE: 295


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham again rang the changes. Robbie Lawton returned after missing the Colwyn Bay game with a groin injury and Mark McGregor, Chris Denham and Dale Johnson all returned to the starting line-up. Alty also included their recent signing from Vics, Matty Crowell. Goalkeeper Russell Saunders and midfielder Aaron Chalmers were the only trialists in the starting eleven though McManus, Williams and Muirhead were other trialists who were named on the bench. Anthony Danylyk was again unfit to start, with tight hamstrings. New signing Tom Kearney was involved in the warm-up but his international clearance is awaited before he can play.

    Vics' team included recent signing from Salisbury, Ian Herring. Several players with Alty connections were in the Vics' squad including goalkeeper James Coates (ex-trialist), defenders Nat Kerr (ex-trialist) and Matt Bailey (former loan player), striker Aaron Burns (ex-trialist), winger Luke Horrocks (ex-trialist) and subs Kane Handley (ex-Youth team) and Lee Elam (former player).


    BACKGROUND:

    Vics were facing next season in Blue Square North with a 10-points deduction, following financial problems, so this would be their only local derby with Altrincham this season unless the sides were drawn together in a cup competition. In these circumstances, a very disappointing gate of 295 attended the match.


    LINE-UPS

    NORTHWICH VICTORIA (Green shirts, white shorts and socks): 1. James COATES, 2. Mike ASPIN, 3. Nat KERR, 4. Matt BAILEY, 6. Simon GRAND (capt), 7. Wayne RILEY, 10. Aaron BURNS, 11. Luke HORROCKS, 15. Mike CONNOR, 16. Ian HERRING, 24. Mark DANKS. subs: 1. Kyle CLANCEY, 14. John NEWBY, 17. Kane HANLEY, 19. Lee ELAM, 21. Phil PARKINSON, 22. Ross FARRAN, 27. Harry WINTER, 28. Mark CADWALLADER, 29. Danny MEADOWCROFT.

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Russell SAUNDERS, 2. James SMITH, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 3. Matt DOUGHTY; 7. Chris DENHAM, 6. Matty CROWELL, 8. Robbie LAWTON, 11. Aaron CHALMERS; 9. Dale JOHNSON, 10. Chris SENIOR. Subs: 12. Colin LITTLE, 14. Paul McMANUS, 15. Danny HEFFERNAN, 16. Robbie WILLIAMS, 17. Ben MUIRHEAD.


    REPORT

    Despite the need for an early block by Greg Young to stop a Danks shot, it was Altrincham who started the better of the two sides, with Denham, Johnson and Senior looking lively going forward. Indeed, the Robins took an early lead when a fine, low shot from outside the box by Chris Senior found the bottom corner of Coates's net, to his right (7 mins). Burns then shot wide at the other end before a clever feed from Johnson set Denham at goal. But the wide man's attempt to back heel the ball into the path of a team-mate came unstuck as no one was there to receive the ball. Vics then made a very early swap, bringing on striker Jon Newby for defender Nat Kerr after only 14 minutes.

    Vics were now improving and Connor fired in a shot which just cleared the Alty bar. Chalmers was then tripped by Herring, who was booked, friendly or no friendly, by Mr Bristow (20 mins). The freekick was laid off to Crowell who shot wide. Vics went close in the 24th minute when a freekick was fed to Burns who lashed a shot at goal with great power, which Saunders did well to beat away for a corner (24 mins).

    Another Vics' corner soon followed and Alty drew everyone back to defend it. They only half-cleared the ball so Vics came forward again and won a freekick 22 yards out, just right of centre, when Doughty fouled Herring. This time, Burns hit a screamer past Saunders into the top of the net to level the scores (28 mins).

    A fine turn by Johnson yielded a freekick for Alty but, in a pattern to be repeated throughout the game, Altrincham made nothing of the deadball situation as, this time, Crowell's kick went into a space occupied by none of his team-mates. Alty's corners in this game were likewise very disappointingly executed.

    Aaron Chalmers was given the opportunity to emulate his ex-Altrincham brother, Lewis, with some long throws but he still has a few yards to go to match the Aldershot midfielder's capabilities in this department. Vics were now pressing and Smith had to make a timely intervention to concede another corner to the hosts. But half-time arrived with the scores level - though the matchday announcer had obviously missed Alty's opener as he announced that the teams were separated by Burns's effort!


    Half-Time: NORTHWICH VICTORIA 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

    At half-time Vics changed their keeper, Clancey replacing Coates, and also brought on Hanley for Danks, the former Worcester man who had followed manager Andy Preece from that club to Northwich. For their part, Alty brought on trialist Robbie Williams in central defence in place of right-back Smith.

    Almost immediately Williams was penalised for a mistimed challenge on the back of Newby (46 mins), ten yards inside the Vics half. But Alty soon won a corner, which was badly wasted. Indeed the second half was stuttering along with frequent stoppages for offside and minor fouls. From one freekick, after a foul by Aspin on Denham, a Vics defender headed narrowly past his own goal to give Alty a corner. After this Senior did well to get round the keeper but he was almost on the left by-line so had to play the ball back and could not find a team-mate (53 mins). Aspin then surged up the Vics' right and fired narrowly wide.

    Next, Connor wasted a chance for Vics, heading wide whilst unmarked from a Horrocks cross from the left (56 mins). Doughty and Young then both went for the same aerial ball, colided and left Newby free. But the much travelled striker fired wide when he should have done better from right of goal (58 mins). At the other end Johnson did very well, firstly chasing down an attempted clearance on the left wing before getting the better of Bailey but his side footed shot at Clancey went straight to the keeper.

    Alty now changed their front three as Little, McManus and Muirhead came on for Johnson, Denham and Senior (59 mins). After another Vics' corner had been seen off, Heffernan replaced Crowell for Alty, the tall youngster this time occupying right-midfield after playing at right-back and on the left-wing in previous games (62 mins). Heffernan went on to have a very steady game.

    Vics now brought on Parkinson for Herring (64 mins). McManus soon impressed with a smart interception but it was Vics who now had the upper hand, winning two more corners as Clancey was left having a quiet time in the Vics' goal. The next 15 minutes saw Altrincham mostly absorbing the Vics' pressure without too many serious alarms but they were creating little danger at the other end of the pitch. Vics made a triple change six minutes from time as Farran, Meadowcroft and former Trafford midfielder, Winter, came on in place of Grand, Burns and Connor.

    Alty got in a shot soon afterwards when McManus received Little's feed but the effort went wide (85 mins). But McManus was to blot his copybook son afterwards when he needlessly lunged at the advancing Horrocks some 80 yards from the Alty goal and referee Bristow immedately brandished a red card. Iit was a sad end to an otherwise impressive week for the former Chester and Bangor striker after he had scored four goals in his two previous appearances for Altrincham (87 mins). Vics pressed for a winner and won a corner but the biggest threat came inside the two minutes of added time when Saunders had to make a superb save, diving to his right to beat away Farran's goalbound shot (90+1 mins).

    The final whistle arrived with Altrincham having preserved their unbeaten pre-season run but having been given a stiff test by a lively Northwich side.


    Full-Time: NORTHWICH VICTORIA 1 ALTRINCHAM 1