Match Report

REFEREE: ?

ATTENDANCE: c.150

Stuart Coburn made his first appearance of the summer after his knee operation and Tom Kearney made his debut after his move from Wrexham. Midfielder Anthony Danylyk made his first appearance of pre-season after suffering with a tight hamstring.

Trafford included new signing Melford Knight, whose previous clubs included Witton Albion and Nantwich Town. In goal was Alty Youth product Tom Read.

BACKGROUND:

For the sixth successive year, Altrincham travelled to Shawe View for a pre-season game against their near neighbours. Since last year, Trafford's boss former Alty midfielder Ged Kielty had moved on, with former player Garry Vaughan now in the hot seat.

As usual the pitch at Shawe View was in excellent condition as new boss Garry Vaughan oversaw the first home friendly of the summer. Garry had succeeded former Alty midfielder Ged Kielty, who had surprisingly resigned at the end of last season despite the club successfully holding its own in the UniBond First Division and winning the UniBond President's Cup.

LINE-UPS

TRAFFORD (All white): 1. Tom READ, 2. Kyle HARROP, 3. Sean ROSCOE, 4. Ryan MARLEY, 5. Billy McCARTNEY, 6. Haydn EAMES, 7. Simon GALLENDERS, 8. Melford KNIGHT, 15. Jake WILLIAMSON, 10. Scott BARLOW, 11. Scott METCALFE. Subs: Paul ASHTON, D. SMITH, Kevin McGRAGH, McLEAN, Gareth THOMAS, Liam BECKFORD, Ian TAYLOR.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 4. Mark McGREGOR, 5. Greg YOUNG, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 7. Robbie LAWTON, 8. Anthony DANYLYK, 6. Tom KEARNEY, 11. Danny HEFFERNAN, 9. Colin LITTLE, 10. Dale JOHNSON. Subs: 12. Chris SENIOR, 13. Ben MUIRHEAD, 14. Chris DENHAM, 15. Matty CROWELL, 16. Aaron CHALMERS, 17. Robbie WILLIAMS, 23. Russell SAUNDERS (gk).

The pattern of the game was set from the start as Altrincham won two corners in the opening three minutes. But Trafford went close themselves in the seventh minute when Barlow and Metcalfe combined well before the latter's first-time volley looped on to the roof of Coburn's net. Altrincham then won a freekick on the left after Little had been fouled and Alty's striker made sure he exacted revenge with a smart glancing header from Doughty's well-flighted dead-ball which went into the net to give Alty the lead (10 mins). Not much more than a minute later, it was 2-0 when a fine turn from Johnson led to him placing his low shot past Read (11 mins). It almost got worse for Trafford straightaway when Little's excellent headed goal from Smith's cross was ruled out for offside (13 mins).

But Altrincham continued to dominate and it was not long before a smart feint from Johnson led to his second and Altrincham's third goal (23 mins). Next, a fine run from Heffernan ended with the ball coming back off the cross bar to a Trafford defender who seemed to handle the ball but without any consequences for him. An Alty corner followed, from which the ball came to Johnson, who scored an excellent goal, placing his shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box to complete his hat-trick inside a quarter of an hour (25 mins).

A Heffernan 25-yarder was then well saved by Read before another fine shot from Johnson was deflected out for a corner. But soon Trafford threatened as Metcalfe and Barlow combined and the ball struck the upright from the latter's effort (40 mins). But Little almost made it 5-0 at the other end with a superb hooked shot from the right which only just cleared the angle of upright and back post (42 mins). At this point Johnson went off to be replaced by Senior, the hat-trick man later emerging from the dressing rooms with a limp. As half-time approached, Stuart Coburn came out to kick clear but sliced the ball behind him, to his left. Trafford's new signing, Williamson, got the ball but was well right of goal. Nevertheless he executed a well-judged lob towards the back post to bring the score back to 4-1 (44 mins).

At the interval Altrincham made three changes; trialist Robbie Wiliams replaced Greg Young at the back, Matty Crowell came on for Anthony Danylyk in midfield whilst Chris Denham replaced Robbie Lawton. Matt Doughty took over as captain in Lawton's absence. It took just 45 seconds for the tall ex-TNS defender, Williams, to get on the score sheet as he found himself at the back post to tap home Chris Senior's cross from the left of goal.

Friendly or not, Roscoe was booked for a foul on Denham and, from Doughty's freekick, Little got in a fine header which Read did well to tip over for a corner (51 mins). Trafford now made a couple of changes as Gallenders and Metcalfe went off. Senior now went close before Alty changed their keepr, with trialist Russell Saunders replacing Coburn. Muirhead also came on, replacing Little whilst Chalmers took over from Kearney (59 mins). Soon, a foul by Crowell ended the Trafford no.14's participation in the game.

Muirhead then made a smart interception and got into the box but took an extra touch which allowed Read to save (66 mins). Trafford then made four changes at once, one of these being a swap of goalkeeper. The new keeper was soon picking the ball out of the net as a Muirhead corner from the left was met by a thumping header from Williams, to record the defender's second goal of the night (69 mins).

Altrincham were still in control as Heffernan and then Senior were thwarted by Read before a shot from 25 yards by Denham was fumbled by the keeper but he recovered to hold the ball before it span over the line.

Knight was then cautioned for a foul on Crowell. Soon afterwards Alty completed the scoring at 7-1 after Senior had got round the keeper. He fed Chalmers at the back post for a tap-in (83 mins). Then, a fine ball from Chalmers set Senior free but he miscued his chip over Read and a defender cleared the ball off the line (85 mins). Another four Alty corners in the last five minutes underlined Alty's dominance and, after the third of these corners, Senior had the ball in the net but he had fouled Read in the process and the effort was disallowed.

So, Altrincham recorded their third high score of the summer after hitting six at Abbey Hey and five at Colwyn Bay. Normally the matches against Trafford are much closer affairs but whether this was an exceptional display from Altrincham or a disappointing one from Trafford will only become clear once their respective seasons start. Altrincham will, regardless, be heartened by the clinical finishing on display both from Johnson and Little, whilst Williams's two goals were an added bonus. Heffernan again did his cause no harm with a solid performance on the left, whilst Kearney, Danylyk and Coburn all successfully came through their first action of the close season.