Match Report


ALTRINCHAM (1) 2 EASTWOOD TOWN (0) 0

Blue Square Bet North Match
played on Saturday, 5 November, 2011, at 3pm


SUMMARY

Altrincham secured a deserved win against an Eastwood team that kept going to the end but which rarely troubled keeper Stuart Coburn. Alty secured an early lead when Clee's good work in the left-hand channel led to Reeves scoring a well-taken goal, his ninth in the last six league games - in all of which he has scored. But with Altrincham determined to pass their way to success, their lead was not increased before the interval as moves broke down in the final third. However, Reeves did hit the underside of the bar following more good work from Clee in the 40th minute.

On the hour mark, Mark Lees also struck the Eastwood bar before the game was settled in the 71st minute. Eastwood were penalized for handball and Williams turned Densmore's resulting low freekick into the net. With Redshaw introduced for the final 17 minutes, Alty went close again but Eastwood also threatened in the closing stages, at one point winning three successive corners.


SCORERS:

  • 3 mins: Damian REEVES (ALTRINCHAM 1 Eastwood Town 0)
  • 71 mins: Rob WILLIAMS (ALTRINCHAM 2 Eastwood Town 0)


    REFEREE: Mr K Mattocks


    ATTENDANCE: 761


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham brought in Chris Lynch at right-back with Mark Lees, moving to the left, replacing Ryan Brown who moved to the bench. Injured captain Robbie Lawton was back in the squad and joined Brown on the bench. As well as Matt Fearon, another youth teamer, Duncan Watmore, joined in the Altrincham warm-up.


    BACKGROUND:

    This was the first time these clubs had met in any competition. Eastwood arrived in 20th place but under newly appointed manager, John Ramshaw, they had won their last match, away at Vauxhall Motors. Altrincham were looking for an improvement after their 5-1 beating at Stalybridge last time out in the league.


    LINE-UPS

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks). 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Chris LYNCH, 5. Rob WILLIAMS, 6. Adam FLYNN, 3. Mark LEES, 7. James LAWRIE, 4. Anthony DANYLYK (capt), 8. Shaun DENSMORE, 11. Nicky CLEE, 9. Michael TWISS 10. Damian REEVES Subs: 12. Robbie LAWTON, 14. Ryan BROWN, 15. Simon RICHMAN, 16. Jack REDSHAW, 18. Adam REID (gk)

    EASTWOOD TOWN (Orange): 1. James Severn, 2. Connor Brown, 3. Paul Riley (capt), 4. Aaron Mitchell, 5. Sam Benjamin, 6. Gavin Caines, 7. Steve Istead, 8. Alex Troke, 9. Jason Bradley, 10. Josh Burge, 11. Jake Sheridan. Subs: 12. Jervaise Christie, 14. Jarrod Westcarr, 15. Daniel Elliott, 16. Lavell White, 17. Jack Want


    REPORT

    Adam Flynn may like to be the last player to come out onto the pitch but, on this occasion, he was so late that the handshaking formalities betwen the teams had been completed before he appeared. Eastwood then got ready to kick off towards the small group of away supporters at Moss Lane.

    After Eastwood had started slightly the brighter of the two teams, it was Altrincham who seized an early lead. Clee picked up the ball 40 yards out and advanced up the inside-left channel before his cross found its way to Reeves. On the edge of the box, Reeves took the ball well before beating Severn with his shot (3 mins).

    Though Altrincham passed the ball about calmly, they did not immediately threaten to add to their tally. Indeed, the biggest cheer in the next few minutes came when Alty's assistant manager, Neil Tolson, made a hash of trying to kick a replacement ball into play and ended up booting it into the wrong half of the pitch!

    Damian Reeves then went down with a facial knock, having taken an accidental blow to his nose but, after a brief check from the referee, he resumed without treatment (10 mins). But, a couple of minutes later, Mr Mattocks invited Alty's leading scorer to leave the pitch for attention to his bloodied nose.

    Eastwood are a big side, with at least three players appearing to be 6ft 3ins or more in height, but they were not a side to over-use their physical presence and played a style of football which suggested they would climb away from the bottom end of the table.

    However, Altrincham continued to pass the ball around well ,themselves without seriously looking like scoring again. Indeed Eastwood almost levelled when Lawrie was penalised just outside the corner of his own box. The resulting freekick skimmed off an Eastwood player, narrowly wide of Coburn's left post (19 mins).

    When Twiss went down just inside the box, soon afterwards, it was the assistant referee's nod of his head which told the referee not to award a spot kick but Altrincham were about to go close again. This time, Danylyk fed Lawrie, whose first-time cross was too quick for any of his team-mates to reach. Next, a fine cross from Twiss was cleared by Eastwood as Alty continued to set the pace.

    Alty next spurned a glorious chance when Densmore's cross from the right was met, first, by Lawrie's air shot, and then by Clee's miskick, as it came across the box from the right (25 mins). The home side's frustration continued when a fine shot from Twiss was held by keeper Severn (32 mins). The game went a bit flat until Reeves almost doubled his side's lead. Next, more good work by Clee, this time on the right, gave Reeves a half-chance but his smartly taken shot came back off the underside of the cross bar (40 mins).

    The catalogue of near misses continued when Lawrie's shot across the box threatened the Eastwood goal. But the interval arrived with Altrincham having had the better of the game but not having converted it into more than a one-goal margin.


    Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 EASTWOOD TOWN 0

    Though it was still sunny, the floodlights were switched on for the second half. Eastwood started with a half chance which Burge sliced well off target (48 mins). Altrincham improved and won two corners, from the first of which Lees's excellent volley was deflected wide (51 mins).

    Densmore was booked, though his mistimed tackle did not make contact with his opponent (53 mins). An Eastwood corner soon followed but Altrincham then settled into some more sustained passing movements, though these lacked sufficient pace to unlock the Badgers' defence. However, an intelligent flick from Densmore to Lawrie, almost opened up Eastwood only for Alty to be ruled offside.

    Clee then drifted in from the left and his right-foot shot was sliced just over his own bar by an Eastwood defender, for a corner. A second corner followed before Lawrie, who had had a fairly quiet game, was now replaced on the right by Richman (59 mins).

    A good Alty move then ended with an excellent shot from Lees, which grazed the Eastwood bar (60 mins). But an Eastwood change, with Bradley replaced by Christie, prompted a strong spell from the visitors, who won three successive corners (69 mins).

    But the Badgers' good spell was promptly ended by Altrincham's second goal. This came when Benjamin was harshly booked for hand ball to the left of the box; he seemed to have little chance to avoid the ball being driven against his arm. The resulting freekick, taken by Densmore, went low towards the near post where Rob Williams turned it into the net (71 mins).

    Altrincham now brought on Redshaw for Twiss, who left the field to appreciative applause. After five more comfortable minutes for Altrincham, Ryan Brown replaced Clee on Alty's left flank (82 mins). There was a scare when Coburn punched clear but appeared to get injured in the process but, after treatment, he carried on.

    In the closing minutes Eastwood showed some spirit and pressed forward but, at the other end, Redshaw was proving lively. As the game approached three additional minutes, Densmore fired narrowly wide (90 mins). The game soon reached its conclusion with Altrincham comfortable winners but having been pushed for much of the game by a side which looked better than its league position suggested.


    Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2 EASTWOOD TOWN 0