Match Report


BOSTON UNITED (1) 1 ALTRINCHAM (0) 1

Blue Square Bet North Match
played on Saturday, 17 March, 2012, at 3pm


SUMMARY

This was a game which Altrincham could have won had they taken any of numerous first-half chances. But, instead, after dominating, they fell behind when Fairclough scored (35 mins). The introduction of Watmore at the interval revitalised Alty and from his defence-splitting ball, McGivern's shot came off Bastock's legs but was not cleared and Lawrie headed home off the cross bar (50 mins).

Referee Tyas was conspicuous for a string of non-decisions, notably failing to take action when Clee was pushed over by Marshall as he tried to take a throw-in and also failing to punish Jason Lee when he elbowed the unfortunate Clee, who had to leave the field with a cut to his face. Alty almost snatched it as Reeves fired home at the end of a great run by Lawrie, but offside was given (90+1)


SCORERS:

  • 35 mins: FAIRCLOUGH (ALTRINCHAM 0 Boston United 1)
  • 50 mins: James LAWRIE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Boston United 1)


    REFEREE: Mr Jason Tyas


    ATTENDANCE: 1,204 (83 in away end)


    TEAM NEWS

    Altrincham had Nicky Clee back after he missed last Saturday's game but Marlon Broomes was out with his hamstring injury. Kieran Walmsley was also unfit for inclusion in the squad.


    BACKGROUND:

    Though Altrincham had beaten the Pilgrims 6-1 at Moss Lane earlier this season, Robins' fans did not need reminding that another 6-1 win this season, over Colwyn Bay, was followed by a defeat in the return fixture against the Welsh club!

    Before kick-off today, Mike Garnett's statistics showed the following historical record between Alty and Boston...

  • At Moss Lane: P32-W15-D11-L6-F64-A31
  • At Boston: P31-W8-D9-L14-F48-A57
  • Overall: P63-W23-D20-L20-F112-A88

    Although Altrincham and Boston have been regular opponents over the decades, on Saturday Altrincham pay their first league visit to Boston for almost 14 years - since the last match of the 1997/98 season when Alty lost 0-1. Boston finished second that season but moved sideways into the Dr Marten's (Southern) League for the next season. Nevertheless, Alty did go to Boston that season, as they were drawn together in the FA Trophy in 1998/99. Altrincham lost 0-2 this time.

    But when Alty went back up to the Conference themselves, for 1999-2000 season, Boston were still in the Southern League, from where they won promotion back to the Conference in 2000, under Steve Evans. By then, Alty had been relegated back to the UniBond (Northern) Premier League, so our paths did not cross again till this season.

    In the interim, Boston won promotion to the Football League at the end of 2001-2002 season, but Steve Evans left after being banned from football for 20 months. Evans returned to the club in 2004 but the Pilgrims were relegated in 2007 but before they could take their place in the Conference national division, they were demoted to Blue Square North, after taking out a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA). Evans resigned and immediately joined Crawley Town.

    As they were still in Administration Boston were demoted again at the end of 2007-08 to the Northern Premier League, Premier Division, from where they have climbed back to the BSB North. A player who made a name for himself for both clubs in the period between our last meetings was defender Paul Ellender.


    LINE-UPS

    BOSTON UNITED (amber and black shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Paul Bastock, 2. Conor Marshall, 3. Gareth Jelleyman, 4. Ben Milnes, 5. Tom Ward, 6. Nathan Stainfield, 7. bIan Ross, 8. Danny Sleath, 9. Spencer Weir-Daley, 10. Marc Newsham, 11. Ben Fairclough. Subs: 12. Ryan Semple, 14. Chris Hall, 15. Kevin Austin, 16. Lee Canoville, 17. Jason Lee

    ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and red socks): 1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (c), 3. Nicky Clee, 4. Simon Richman, 5. Matt Flynn, 6. Chris Lynch, 7. John Miles, 8. Scott Phelan, 9. Leighton McGivern, 10. Damian Reeves, 11. James Lawrie; Subs 12. Mark Lynch, 14. James Holden, 15. Michael Twiss, 16. Duncan Watmore, 18. Adam Reid


    REPORT

    Boston kicked off towards their home supporters but it was Altrincham who first threatened as Richman had a cross cleared and then they won an early corner, which arrived from a Clee cross (4 mins).

    Next, another Clee cross from the left was held by Bastock and the visitiors' dominance continued as an Alty throw was followed by another corner, this time won by Lawrie. Boston were caught offside a couple of times in the opening six minutes before two more Clee throws maintained the upper hand for the visitors. But when McGivern was fouled, Clee struck the freekick miles over the bar (11 mins).

    After a Boston shot had hit Matt Flynn, John Miles saw his shot saved but his effort led to another Alty corner. Boston's veteran keeper, Bastock now berated his defence as he delayed play at a Boston goalkick. After this, Reeves took a knock to the head from Ward, which the referee did not see, but eventually play stopped to allow the striker some treatment.

    The string of Altrincham corners continued as Lawrie won another after 22 minutes. Alty continued to press as first a Lawrie cross and then an attempted feed of Lawrie by Reeves came to nothing. Alty also soon had a fine chance, following an Alty freekick, when Miles got in a cross from the left, which Richman headed at goal but, unfortunately, straight at goalkeeper Bastock (28 mins).

    Another Alty freekick soon arrived, for a foul on Miles, near half way. Miles soon won another corner from which Matt Flynn's header again went into Bastock's arms. But, with Altrincham well on top, they paid the price for failing to convert their chances when, totally against the run of play, Fairclough headed home a cross from the left by Sleath, after a Densmore clearance had deflected to the Boston player (36th min).

    After the goal, Boston now had the initiative, aided by a slip from Miles, but pressure was relieved by a foul on Matt Flynn. Finally, Boston won their first corner of the game in the 39th minute. However, as halftime approached Altrincham won themselves another corner and the pattern of the first half continued as McGivern headed at goal but, yet again, an Alty chance had been directed straight at keeper Bastock (44 mins).

    A good run forward by Densmore should have allowed McGivern another chance but the striker lost possession (45+2 mins). And so Altrincham found themselves trailing after a first half in which they had spurned four decent chances - and yet again they had failed to keep a clean sheet.


    Half-Time: BOSTON UNITED 1 ALTRINCHAM 0

    At the interval, Altrincham brought on youth team striker Duncan Watmore to replace John Miles on the Alty right flank. The youngster's first contribution was a promising advance but his resulting cross was too strong. In what was to become a depressing pattern, Mr Tyas failed to see Richman clattered after the ball had gone and the ref played on, prompting Lee Sinnott to make his views known to the fourth official. Richman resumed after treatment (48th min).

    Altrincham now got level when a defence-splitting pass forward from Watmore set McGivern running in on goal from the left. His shot hit Bastock's legs but was not properly cleared. From at least 12 yards out, Lawrie had a difficult task but did well to head the ball into the net off the underside of the bar to make it 1-1 (50 mins).

    Another good Watmore run soon followed before a Damian Reeves shot, from McGivern's feed, beat Bastock but came back off the keeper's right upright. Next, as Richman chased a ball towards the by-line, Bastock unceremoniously barged the Alty man to the ground, a tactic which met the referee's approval.

    A Boston corner got the hosts back into the game but Jelleyman headed the ball narrowly wide at the back post (55 mins). There was then an extraordinary incident when Clee tried to take a quick throw-in only to be sent flying by a two-handed push on his chest by Marshall who, unbelievably, escaped without even a yellow card. A red card would have been produced by some referees.

    Shortly afterwards Clee won yet another corner and, this time, it almost produced a goal as Reeves's header had to be smartly tipped over the bar by Bastock at the cost of another corner. This came out to Richman, whose well struck effort was stopped by the busy Boston keeper.

    His counterpart, Coburn, was called into action as he saved, low down, from Weir-Daley at the end of a counter attack (60 mins). As in the first half, Altrincham were again on top and, next, came a fine run from Clee, which ended with a shot across the face of goal.

    After yet another Altrincham corner, won by Reeves, the ball came to Flynn whose cross gave Boston a goalkick. Now Boston brought on Semple, who had been out injured, for Fairclough (68th min).

    Alty then had a scare from a Boston corner, when the ball had to be hacked away off the goal-line. Mr Tyas then missed a clearly deliberate hand ball before another corner to Boston resulted.

    There was a further worry for Alty when a Semple cross led to Sleath's goalbound effort being diverted onto the bar by a smart Coburn save.

    Boston now brought on joint player-manager Jason Lee for Weir-Daley in the 77th minute. After Lynch had needed treatment to his head in another incident not spotted by the referee, it took a fine Lawrie intervention to stop a Boston threat. Semple was causing problems for the visitors as Altrincham remained on the back foot at this stage (88 mins).

    Following a Lee foul, McGivern went off and Twiss came on (88 mins). Moments later, Lee and Clee got their arms locked and the big Boston striker elbowed the Alty defender to get free, leaving him with a facial injury which terminated his game. So, Mark Lynch came on (90+1 mins). Mr Tyas saw nothing wrong with the incident.

    With four added minutes being played, Altrincham seemed to have grabbed all the points when a tremendous run up the middle by Lawrie ended with a feed to Reeves, who blasted a shot into the net. But as Alty's supporters celebrated, the linesman's flag was raised for offside (90+2 mins).

    Michael Twiss got himself booked in the closing stages; he has now seen yellow in four of his last seven appearances, which considering four of those were only as a used sub, is quite bizarre, as prior to that he had not been booked in any of his previous 20 league appearances.

    There was still time for Reeves almost to get onto a through ball from another Lawrie run but Bastock got the ball first (90+4 mins).

    So, the points were shared; had Altrincham won they would have been in the play-off places due to slip ups elsewhere but they remain in a good position to take advantage of any further lapses by those above them. This was a good performance from Altrincham after the disappointment of last Saturday but once again an inability to convert a higher percentage of their goal chances was the reason why they did not win today.


    Full-Time: BOSTON UNITED 1 ALTRINCHAM 1