Match Report
BATH CITY (0) 2 ALTRINCHAM (1) 2
played on Saturday, 6 November 2010, at 3pm
SUMMARY:
Altrincham surrendered a two-goal lead but ultimately hung on for a point, thanks to several excellent saves from Stuart Coburn. Nicky Clee put Alty ahead after 39 minutes with a well taken goal after he picked the ball up 35 yards out and advanced into the box. Baynes fed Twiss who out Alty 2-0 up after 47 minutes.
Densmore had a glorious chance to make it 3-0 moments later but steered his shot wide. After that it was all Bath City as Alty struggled to keep possession. Phillips made it 2-1 after 63 minutes and the inevitable equalizer arrived from the same player in the 74th minute. It was largely one-way traffic after that with Coburn's injury-time save the pick of his excellent stops. Alty remain bottom but at least they were off it for 35 minutes this afternoon!
SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr T Robinson
ATTENDANCE: 794
TEAM NEWS
Pre-match Chris Denham, Robbie Williams and James Smith were all injury doubts for Altrincham and only Williams was fit to be involved today. Captain Robbie Lawton returned in midfield, replacing Sam Hewson.
Bath manager Adie Britton brought in Colchester City keeper Carl Pentney on loan for his debut today. Two other changes saw Joe Burnell also make a first start and Lee Phillips came back into the attack.
BACKGROUND:
With only two league games taking place today because of the FA Cup, a win for Alty would have lifted them off the bottom of the table.
This was Alty's first clash with Bath since the 1996-97 season when both sides finished the season relegated from the Conference.
LINE-UPS
BATH CITY (Black & white stripes) BATH CITY 29. Carl Pentney, 14. Daniel Webb, 3. Jim Rollo, 20. Sido Jombarti, 25. Joe Edwards, 28. Alex Russell, 16. Marc Canham, 8. Adam Connolly, 23. Kaid Mohamed, 19. Joe Burnell, 10. Lee Phillips. Subs: 7. Scott Murray, 5. Gethin Jones, 17. Giancarlo Borhy, 6. Adie Harris, 9. Darren Edwards,
ALTRINCHAM (All white): 1. Stuart COBURN, 5. Robbie WILLIAMS, 4. Marc JOSEPH, 6. Shaun DENSMORE, 7. Robbie LAWTON (capt), 25. Matt SOMNER, 27. Andrew MILNE, 15. Ryan BROWN, 11. Nicky CLEE, 17. Wes BAYNES, 9. Michael TWISS, Subs: 21. James COATES, 8. Damian REEVES, 20. Sam HEWSON, 22. Michael WELCH. 16. Anthony DANYLYK.
REPORT
After changing ends, Alty found themselves kicking off up the marked slope at Twerton Park. The pitch seemed to be slippery as several players and even the referee lost their footing in the early stages. Before the game's first corner, won by Bath in the 7th minute, there was little to note and, even after that, the tempo did not rise. Altrincham won two corners, the first as Twiss was seen off and the second from a punch by debutant keeper Pentney, on loan from Colchester.
Bath now settled into playing the better passing game of the two sides and they almost took the lead when a rasping 30-yard shot from Burnell came back off the crossbar to Phillips, who netted comfortably but the striker was given offside (18 mins).
Next, a Twiss shot was deflected out for a corner, and a second corner immediately followed for the visitors (20 mins). Following this, Clee shot wide after the keeper had punched Lawton's cross to him (22 mins). Bath then went close at the other end and soon afterwards won a corner.
After a Baynes freekick had gone to the Bath keeper,the home side enjoyed a decent spell though, when Clee was held in the box, Bath were fortunate not to suffer the consequences (33 mins). But the home side tested Coburn again when the keeper had to make an excellent stop from Mohamed (35 mins).
Portuguese defender Jombarti then got himself booked for a petulant response to an award of a throw to Altrincham (38 mins) and a minute later he was even more unhappy as Altrincham took the lead. Clee picked up the ball about 35 yards out and advanced up the inside left channel into the box before firing home from left of centre (39 mins).
A minute later Clee again did well and fed Twiss, whose affort went narrowly wide. Clee then had a shot blocked as Alty looked to build on their lead (43 mins). As the 45 minutes ended, Bath gained a corner which Burnell headed narrowly over the bar. Alty reached half time a goal to the good though, overall, Bath had shaded a half which had been characterised by endeavour rather than outstanding football.
| Half-Time: BATH CITY 0 ALTRINCHAM 1 |
Bath kicked off, up the slope but within two minutes they found themselves 0-2 down. The home defence had looked shaky at times and so it proved when they allowed Baynes possession and he advanced up the centre before feeding Twiss who netted smartly (47 mins).
In retrospect, the game's turning point arrived fewer than two minutes later when Clee gained possession and, from the left fed the unmarked Densmore. The England C international tried to pick a spot inside the far post but sidefooted his shot wide.
It looked as if it would still be Alty's afternoon when Mohamed got free and Coburn made a magnificent block from point blank range (52 mins). But Bath were now coming at Alty and won a frreekick just outside the box, against Williams, followed by a corner. Coburn then held a well struck 20-yarder from City. But on the counter Bath's defence still looked a little shaky.
Bath, however, continued to press and now brought on Murray for Burnell (59 mins). A minute later Coburn made another excellent save when a fierce shot was beaten out by the keeper. It was one-way traffic now as Alty defended deeper and deeper and failed to keep the ball upfield for any length of time. The inevitable Bath goal arrived in the 63rd minute when a smart pass from Murray, inside Joseph, found Phillips and the veteran striker finished well, guiding the ball just inside the far post (63 mins).
After Bath had again gone close, Somner was booked for a clattering challenge (67 mins). Another two Bath corners came and went before Mohamed shot narrowly wide. Referee Robinson then spoke to Coburn for time wasting before midfielder Danylyk replaced striker Twiss, leaving Baynes as Alty's attacking threat (71 mins). Danylyk's arrival was to help to stem the tide to some extent but, at this stage, Altrincham were still having to bring all ten outfield players back to keep out Bath. However, the pressure finally told as Connolly's shot into a crowded goalmouth was deflected into the path of Phillips. He put the ball in the net and, despite protests from Alty for offside, the goal stood, making it 2-2 (74 mins).
Altrincham remained under the cosh as Williams cleared off the line following an excellent Coburn parry from Mohamed's effort from the left of goal (77 mins). Alty gained some rare respite with a corner, from a Densmore effort, and then Reeves replaced Clee for the Robins (80 mins).
Bath nearly scored again when a ball from the left somehow screwed off Joseph and across the goalmouth. The pressure on Alty continued as four added minutes started. As these drew to a close, Coburn produced his best save yet, a magnificent full length tip round the post to his left from a fierce long range shot by Connolly (90+3 mins).
In the end Altrincham were thankful for a point but not for the first time this season they had let a two-goal lead slip. With the top three in the league comprising Alty's next three opponents, it remains tough at the bottom for the Robins. Neverthless, it is now just one defeat in eight games for the resurgent Robins.
| Full-Time: BATH CITY 2 ALTRINCHAM 2 |