Match Report

REFEREE: Mr John Brooks

ATTENDANCE: 765

Nicky Clee was again out, injured, as was Marlon Broomes. Alty restored Kieran Walmsley to the starting eleven at the expense of John Miles. Shaun Densmore reverted to centre-midfield and Simon Richman moved to the right.

BACKGROUND:

This was Altrincham's first away meeting with Nuneaton Town; the clash at Moss Lane was won 2-0 by Altrincham, (with a brace from Damian Reeves). However, this was not Altrincham's first visit to Liberty Way as they had met Nuneaton Town's forerunner club, Nuneaton Borough, there in a Setanta Shield match in December, 2007. Borough had won that 2-1, with two late goals.

Mike Garnett's record show the following statistics relating to previous games between Alty and Nuneaton Borough.

Since our last visit to this ground the main stand had been relocated further along the touchline. The stadium is still shared with the Rugby Club, who are required to close their social club's curtains half an hour before kick off to prevent unauthorised spectating. The game was played on a mild but overcast afternoon.

LINE-UPS:

NUNEATON TOWN (Blue and white strped shirts, blue shorts, blue and white hooped socks): 1. Neil Collett, 2. Neil Cartwright, 3. Eddie Nisevic, 4. Gary Mills, 5 Gareth Dean (capt), 6. Mark Albrighton, 7. James Armson, 8. Adam Walker, 9. Danny Glover, 10. Andy Brown, 11. Simon Forsdick. Subs: 12. Guy Hadland, 17. Alex Gudger (gk), 14. Lee Moore, 15. Danny Mitchley, 16. Graham Ward

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and blue shirts, white shorts, yellow socks): 1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Kieran Walmsley, 5. Matt Flynn, 6 Chris Lynch, 3. Andy Smart; 7. Simon Richman, 4. Scott Phelan, 8. Shaun Densmore (capt), 11. James Lawrie; 9. Leighton McGivern, 10. Damian Reeves. Subs: 12. Mark Lynch, 14. John Miles, 15. Michael Twiss, 16 Duncan Watmore, 18 Adam Reid.

The game kicked off before 3pm and the early minutes were pretty uneventful. The pitch was very bobbly which did not help proceedings to flow. The first action of note came when Richman headed the ball out for a Town corner on their left (3 mins). Following the corner, the ball came out to Forsdick who lashed his shot at goal from the right. But Coburn did well to beat the shot out and the action ended with a goalkick to Alty.

Armson was impressing for Nuneaton and, soon, he chipped an effort just over the bar from 20 yards. It then took a fine block from Flynn to halt another Nuneaton threat. The Boro were making the running as, next, Brown had his shot blocked.

Lynch then wasted a freekick, awarded for hands, before Alty were judged offside even before the offending player had touched the ball. Next, Flynn conceded a corner from Walker's cross from the right. Following this, Nuneaton's Cartwright saw his shot saved as the hosts continued to look the more dangerous side.

There was still fewer than ten minutes on the clock when Brown flicked the ball to Glover, who forced another decent save from Coburn. Alty did get in a shot as McGivern lashed a shot wide (12 mins).

After Coburn had caught the ball but been barged into the net, McGivern had fired over at the other end from a Densmore feed in the 16th minute. Alty's hopes were raised when Reeves won a corner from a Phelan feed. Next, after Smart had stopped an Armson advance, Lawrie was pushed over, off the pitch, by Cartwright, who was booked (22 mins).

Alty's build up play was faltering; most moves fizzling out after as few as three passes. And when Richman lost possession in one such move, the resulting Boro attack ended in a blocked shot followed by an effort which was dragged wide. As Altrincham continued to stutter, it took desperate defending to keep Nuneaton out after a Coburn kick had gone to Armson.

But this only delayed the opening goal by a matter of seconds as Armson got past three defenders on the Altrincham left and, from inside the box, his low cross was miskicked into the net, off Coburn, at the back post, by Glover (35 mins).

For their part, Alty were not providing much service to their forwards. The referee then delivered a lecture to Mills, and his captain, for a foul on Lawrie. The best Alty could muster by way of a threat to Collett's goal was a Smart freekick which led to an offside as McGivern went down, unconvincingly claiming a penalty (40th minute).

As the game went into a single added minute, there was a bad miss by Brown from an Armson feed; the striker lifted his shot over the bar from eight yards, when unmarked. There was still time for Glover to threaten before the half time whistle sounded.

Nuneaton kicked off the second half and, soon, Glover shot at Coburn from yet another Armson feed. As in the first half, Alty continued to get caught offside before a promising move ended as the ball ran off Smart into touch (49 mins).

From an Alty freekick Flynn's header prompted appeals for handball in the box, which went unanswered. The Alty bench made protests to the linesman but to no effect, though a corner did result. From Lawrie's corner, an impressive McGivern volley went wide.

A promising surge upfield by Densmore ended with his misjudged pass, which went to the home keeper. The task became even harder for Altrincham when they conceded a second goal after 57 minutes. A long throw from the right came to Forsdick, on the front edge of the box in a central position. He was allowed to turn and drive a low diagonal shot across Coburn into the corner of the net.

Altrincham now made a double swap as forwards Twiss and Watmore came on for McGivern and Walmsley (62 mins). Watmore slotted in on the right as Richman moved inside. Soon Richman was in action, clearing off the line, before a Twiss foul gave a freekick to Town, 40 yards out.

But then a more positive contribution saw him feed fellow sub, Watmore, who jinked past his marker before finding Phelan. As the midfielder advanced inside the box he collided with the oncoming keeper and the ball broke to Reeves who scored his fortieth goal of the league season (64 mins).

Goalkeeper Collett was hurt in the goal's build up and required lengthy treatment to his leg but, with no keeper on the bench, he continued for the rest of the game. After the restart, Reeves was given offside from a Twiss feed.

Having conceded to a long throw in two successive games, Glover threatened to do the same again as his impressive bicycle kick from Cartwright's impressive throw forced a magnificent save from Coburn (72 mins)

Lawrie now got himself booked for a trip on Walker (75 mins). Nuneaton now began to assert themselves again and it took an almighty scramble to clear their next attack. Coburn was soon in action again, with a save from Armson, whilst Alty were not testing the crocked Nuneaton keeper at all.

Altrincham made their third change as Smart came off and Miles went on (81 mins). When Lawrie was tripped, the offender Forsdick was booked (84 mins). But immediately Twiss was penalised again and got a lecture, as it was his third offence since joining the game.

After 85 minutes the already booked Forsdick not only fouled Watmore but also threw the ball away; referee Brooks took no action against him. Richman was unlucky to see his cross rebound off him for a goalkick (87 mins) before Watmore again impressed, beating his man, but his left-foot shot lacked any real power and ran to Collett.

When, once again Alty were given offside, manager Lee Sinnott could not believe it and had words with the linesman, to no avail. Next, a goalbound Nuneaton volley by Walker hit Flynn before Phelan forced a great save at the other end as Collett tipped his 20 yarder over the bar for a late corner.

Despite Forsdick again kicking the ball away after a decision had gone against him, he remained on the field throughout the six additional minutes of play, which ended with Altrincham losing to a Nuneaton side which deserved the three points.