Match Report
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0 NORTHWICH VICTORIA (0) 2
played on Tuesday, 5 April, 2011, at 7.45pm
at Nantwich Town FC
SUMMARY
Alty made eleven changes from the side which started last Saturday with four youth teamers starting the game in the back line. Two other unfamiliar faces were midfielder Mohamed Sonko and winger Famoud Sonko, from Curzon Ashton. Coly had played one previous CSC game but Sonko was making his debut.
Altrincham matched the Vics in a fairly uneventful first half. There was a welcome return to action for Shaun Densmore who made a second-half appearance after his injury absence. Two more youth players, Ashley Woods and Theo Kidd came on as well in the second period as Alty ended the game with just four of their first-team squad on the pitch.
Two well-taken goals by Northwich's Fitzpatrick in the 66th and 85th minute settled the match.
SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr R Jones
ATTENDANCE: 352
TEAM NEWS
Alty went into this match with numerous players sidelined by injury, ineligibility or suspension, giving an opportunity to a number of Youth team players to join the squad for this Cheshire Senior Cup Final. So, four youth teamers started at the back, namely James Smart, Matt Fearon, Joe Coombs and Jake Barnabas. Mohamed Coly and Famoud Sonko from Curzon Ashton, who signed Alty forms some months ago, also started. For Sonko it was his Alty debut, whilst Coly had appeared in an earlier CSC round. Other Youth players, Sam Langford (left-winger), Theo Kidd and Ashley Woods (strikers) were on the bench.
First-team squad members Craig Dootson, Wes Baynes, Michael Twiss, Mark Beesley and Ryan Brown - who captained the side - all started, whilst Stuart Coburn was on the bench with Shaun Densmore, who had been sidelined recently by injury.
Vics included former Alty striker, Jamie Phoenix.
BACKGROUND:
Vics went into the match as holders of the Cheshire Senior Cup, with Altrincham having been the previous season's winners.
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 30. Craig DOOTSON, 2. Matthew FEARON, 4. Joe COOMBS, 5. James SMART, 3. Jake BARNABAS, 7. Wes BAYNES, 8. Ryan BROWN (capt.), 6. Mohamed COLY, 11. Famoud SONKO, 9. Michael TWISS, 19. Mark BEESLEY, Subs: 1. Stuart COBURN (gk), 12. Ashley WOODS, 14. Shaun DENSMORE, 15. Theo KIDD, 16. Sam LANGFORD,
NORTHWICH VICTORIA (Green & white hoops, white shorts) 1. James Spencer, 2. John Disney, 3. David Fitzpatrick, 4. Dominic Collins, 5. Pedro Monteiro (capt.), 6. Brian Summerskill, 7. Wayne Riley, 8. Andrew Fowler, 9. Jamie Phoenix, 10. Oliver Ryan, 11. Mark Peers. Subs: 12 Raphael Evans, 14. Andy Preece, 15. Andy Morrison, 16. Aaron Morrison (gk)
REPORT
For some reason which was not clear the teams came out late and the game kicked off six minutes late. In a fairly uneventful opening, the nearest to a goal threat was when Vics fired into the side netting in the eighth minute. Just before that Alty had got into a tangle as Dootson came out for the ball but did not get it and Coombs did well to steer the ball out for a corner.
In fact, the four Alty youth teamers were acquitting themselves well, whilst Coly, in midfield, was also making an impression. The Vics had to make an early change when Evans replaced Peers (19 mins). Vics won a couple more corners and were also caught offside on more than one occasion as they had the more of the attacking play but without looking particularly dangerous.
From one of several Alty freekicks Baynes found the head of Coly who headed narrowly over the bar (23 mins). Substitute Evans became the game's first booking but the game was not proving to be a classic. The Alty fans on the terrace tried to liven things up with constant chants but there seemed little response from their opponents. Curiously, though the two sets of fans on the terrace were well behaved, virtually all of the stewards were deployed in a group in the middle of the main stand.
Play was enlivened when a mallard and his mate landed on the pitch and managed to stay there for several minutes, 30 yards or so from the Vics' goal - the fowl may have been quackers but there were no Alty shots at this stage so they had no need to duck to evade the ball before they flew off.
At the other end, there was a good save by Dootson (39 mins). Two added minutes were then displayed more than two minutes before the end of the first 45 which caused some confusion to spectators. In the added time, Riley got in a firm shot but it was well off target. Alty had posed little threat at the Vics' end before the interval whistle sounded.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 NORTHWICH VICTORIA 0 |
Altrincham won two early corners after the interval but these produced no danger to the Vics' goal. There was a half chance for Twiss after 53 minutes but he miscued completely. The wind, which had got stronger, was behind Alty but they struggled to make use of it - balls being overhit out of play on more than one occasion.
After a Vics' corner had been cleared, Northwich continued to press before Alty made a double change. Shaun Densmore returned from injury in midfield, replacing Sonko, and Ashley Woods replaced Twiss up front.
Shortly after Vics had gone close they did open the scoring. A deep cross from the right came to Fitzpatrick who made space well on the edge of the box before firing a low shot past Dootson (66 mins).
After 71 minutes Kidd replaced Baynes on the Alty right flank but the Robins continued to struggle to create any chances going forward. Kidd did get in a shot (77 mins) and then, from a Brown corner from the right, Smart rose well at the back post but his header went wide (79 mins).
Fitzpatrick made it 2-0 with another well-taken low shot in the 85th minute after a ball from the right had gone across the Alty box to the scorer. Andy Preece, the Vics' manager, then brought himself on (87 mins) before the game wound to its conclusion. Vics were deserved winners but Altrincham's young side, which included six debutants, had done well.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 NORTHWICH VICTORIA 2 |