Match Report


FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (1) 2 ALTRINCHAM (0) 1

FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
played on Sunday, 27 November, 2011, at 3pm
at Gigg Lane, Bury FC


SUMMARY

For the third time in eight weeks, Altrincham went out of a cup competition at the first hurdle. For this FA Trophy match, with £4,000 in prize money at stake, Altrincham gave Jack Redshaw a third start but were without Chris Lynch. After a decent start to the game, the Robins lost the initiative but were within seconds of getting to the interval without conceding. However, former Alty player Carlos Roca was a constant thorn in Altrincham's side and it was he who broke the deadlock with an excellent shot into the top of the net from outside the box, though Alty were aggrieved that offside was not given in the build-up.

Altrincham improved after the interval and equalised when Jack Redshaw headed home from Nicky Clee's 52nd minute corner. With Altrincham enjoying their best spell, Redshaw was replaced by Twiss (68 mins). Lawrie and, very late on, Watmore were also brought on, the youth team striker making his first-team debut. But despite some late pressure, Alty could not get level and left the field to booing from a section of the large travelling support.


SCORERS:

  • 45 mins: Mike NORTON (FC United of Manchester 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
  • 52 mins: Jack REDSHAW (FC United of Manchester 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
  • 78 mins: Mike NORTON (FC United of Manchester 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)


    REFEREE: Mr Jason Whiteley


    ATTENDANCE: 1,945


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham had lost captain Robbie Lawton when he moved during the week to Marine after being unable to win back a regular starting place at Moss Lane. Alty were also without defender Chris Lynch, who was injured last time out. So, with Michael Twiss moving to the bench, Nicky Clee and Rob Williams were restored to the starting line-up. Youth team striker Duncan Watmore was included in a first-team squad for the first time, on the bench.

    FCUM included a couple of Alty ex-players in Astley Mulholland and Carlos Roca.


    BACKGROUND:

    Altrincham and FC United had never met competitively before though they had met in a couple of Moss Lane friendlies, which Altrincham had won.


    LINE-UPS

    FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (Red shirts, white shorts)

    The tannoy, which at Gigg Lane is not the best in the world, only gave the line-ups once - and that was just as the teams were coming out and not a word could be heard above the crowd noise. The FCUM side, identified after the match, appears to have been...

    FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (Red shirts, white shorts) 1. James Spencer, 2. Kyle Jacobs, 3. Lee Neville, 4. Jake Cottrell, 5. Adam Jones, 6. Greg Stones, 7. Carlos Roca, 8. Nick Platt, 9. Mike Norton, 10. Dean Stott, 11. Astley Mulholland. Subs: 12. James Holden, 14. Daniel Grimshaw, 15. Ben Deegan, 16. Michael Carr, 17. Matthew Wolfenden

    ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and blue shirts, white shorts and yellow) Confirmed as 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Mark LEES, 5. Rob WILLIAMS, 6. Adam FLYNN, 3. Ryan BROWN, 7. Simon RICHMAN, 4. Anthony DANYLYK, 8. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 11. Nicky CLEE, 9. Jack REDSHAW, 10. Damian REEVES, Subs: 12. Joe COOMBS, 14. Michael TWISS, 15. James LAWRIE, 16. Duncan WATMORE, 18. Adam REID (gk)


    REPORT

    As the teams were only announced just once, as they came onto the pitch, and the crowd noise drowned out the tannoy, most Alty supporters were unable to identify their opponents, apart from their former players Carlos Roca and Astley Mulholland. Following Robbie Lawton's departure from the club, it was not his usual stand-in as captain this season, Anthony Danylyk, who wore the arm-band today, but rather his midfield partner Shaun Densmore.

    On a dull afternoon at Gigg Lane, Alty kicked off defending the away end, where a large following was giving them strong vocal support. And the Robins enjoyed much the better of the opening few minutes, though without seriously threatening to score. It soon became clear that FCUM were using Carlos Roca, on their left wing, as their main attacking outlet. But Alty won the game's first corner, when Reeves was closed down after 8 minutes.

    After a badly overhit cross from Clee, United played the ball over Ryan Brown to Norton but he shot wildly over the bar from right of goal (19 mins). When, soon afterwards, Norton rose and clearly handled the ball, referee Whiteley awarded the FCUM man the freekick, presumably for a push. The freekick, from just outside the box, prompted the building of a substantial Alty defensive wall but the freekick came to nothing.

    Alty were now increasingly on the back foot but they did manage to win another corner after 26 minutes from which Flynn's effort comfortably cleared the bar (26 mins). Soon after this, Norton threatened for FCUM but the game remained goalless. Alty then won a freekick themselves on the edge of the FCUM box which, from right of goal, Clee put comfortably over the bar (32 mins).

    Play was pretty even for the next few minutes, during which a well struck shot from Densmore went narrowly wide of the post from 25 yards; it was Alty's best effort to date (36 mins). Roca continued to be lively on the left for FC United and, from his cross, Norton won a header but it went straight to Coburn's arms (41 mins). With the sides cancelling out each other, the first-half looked to be ending goalless. But two minutes into added time, as two of the floodlight pylons belatedly came on, FCUM survived Alty's appeals for offside. The ball was worked to Roca, outside the box in the inside left channel. His well struck shot flew into the top of Coburn's net to give his side the lead which they just about deserved at this stage (45+2 mins).

    After a bright start to the game, Altrincham had given a generally pedestrian performance against an FCUM side which looked faster and hungrier than they did.


    Half-Time: FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 1 ALTRINCHAM 0

    Within a minute of the re-start, Norton went down off the ball and the referee stopped the game for treatment at a point where Reeves was contesting possession by the United by-line. Mr. Whiteley then restarted play with an uncontested bounce-up, from which the ball was played back by FCUM, under the ref's instructions, 100 yards to Coburn; a loss of territory which did not please Altrincham very much.

    Four minutes into the half, the now recovered Norton was booked for a foul. Soon, once more, Alty's defending was poor as Roca was allowed to get in a shot but his effort was wild (51 mins). Play switched now to the other end where Redshaw won a corner on the Alty right. Taken by Clee, Redshaw was left unmarked in the centre of the goalmouth and nodded the ball downwards into the net to equalize (52 mins). Redshaw had looked Alty's liveliest forward and further good play from him and Richman soon led to a shot from Lees which the keeper saved, low to his right (55 mins).

    The game was now a "proper cup-tie", with play switching from end to end but Altrincham were lucky when, yet again, they stood off and allowed FC's number two to advance and crack a fine shot from the right against the inside of Coburn's right stick. The ball rebounded to safety (65 mins).

    Alty responded by winning three corners in a five minute spell as they enjoyed their best period of the match. Surprisingly, after the second corner had been won, Redshaw was withdrawn and replaced by Twiss (68 mins). After the third corner, Reeves, who was kept quiet most of the afternoon, did get in a shot, but the keeper saved it fairly comfortably at the foot of his right post (72 mins).

    Altrincham made another change as Clee was replaced by Lawrie (74 mins). But Altrincham now paid the price for, yet again, allowing Roca to advance. As he cut in from the left he played a fine diagonal ball forward to Mulholland, right of goal. His cross was headed home by Norton to restore FC's lead (78 mins).

    FCUM now made three changes, spinning each of them out for as long as possible (82 mins). A strong Alty shout for a penalty when the hosts' no.5 pulled down Twiss in the box went unheeded but Altrincham were labouring until they won the first of what were to be four late corners. From the second of these a combination of Twiss and a defender led to the ball kissing the crossbar.

    Altrincham now made their final change, teenager Duncan Watmore replacing Rob Williams (90 mins). Two more corners soon followed, the second won by the young substitute. From this Flynn won a header but could only direct it downwards across the box. After some five minutes of added time, the whistle final sealed Altrincham's fate.

    Having bowed out of the FA Cup, the Cheshire Senior Cup and now the FA Trophy at the first hurdle, and after losing five of their last six games in all competitions, a section of the disappointed travelling support made their feelings known to their own team at the final whistle.


    Full-Time: FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 2 ALTRINCHAM 1