Match Report


GUISELEY (0) 3 ALTRINCHAM (2) 2

Blue Square Bet North Match
played on Monday, 9 April, 2012, at 3pm


SUMMARY

After leading 2-0 at the break, thanks to a magnificent volley by Clee (13 mins) and a smartly taken goal by Reeves on the stroke of half-time, Alty conceded twice in two minutes soon after the start of the second half. Ainge and Walshaw were the Yorkshire side's scorers. Altrincham, who were without McGivern (ill) and Richman (injured, but named on the bench), looked to be finishing strongly until substitute and former Alty player, Chris Senior, got the winning goal deep into added time, with Altrincham appealing for offside. It was a goal which robbed Altrincham of a well deserved point against a side which did not particularly look like promotional material on the day.


SCORERS:

  • 13 mins: Nicky CLEE (Guiseley 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
  • 45 mins: Damian REEVES (Guiseley 0 ALTRINCHAM 2)
  • 50 mins: Simon AINGE (Guiseley 1 ALTRINCHAM 2)
  • 52 mins: James WALSHAW (Guiseley 2 ALTRINCHAM 2)
  • 90(+3)mins: Chris SENIOR (Guiseley 3 ALTRINCHAM 2)


    REFEREE: Mr Alf Greenwood


    ATTENDANCE: 776


    TEAM NEWS

    Nicky Clee moved to left midfield as Andy Smart returned at left-back, whilst up front, Michael Twiss continued and the unwell McGivern was absent. It was good to see Marlon Broomes warming up though he was still not fit enough to be involved today.

    Two ex-Robins were on the Guiseley bench in the shape of Chris Senior and Lee Ellington.


    BACKGROUND:

    Altrincham had drawn the reverse fixture very early this season, 2-2 at Moss Lane.

    In advance of this game, Mike Garnett's records showed the following statistics for previous games between Altrincham and Guiseley. Altrincham had yet to win at Nethermoor!

  • At Moss Lane: P3-W2-D1-L0-F5-A2
  • At Guiseley: P4-W0-D1-L3-F3-A10
  • Overall: P7-W2-D2-L3-F8-A12

    Guiseley remains a very compact ground despite two new, but small, stands having been built since our last visit. The clubhouse side has two small covered terraces and there is room for a few rows of standing spectators behind each goal.

    In damp but dry conditions, the teams came out. Very strangely the line-up for handshakes had the players facing the only part of the ground with no spectators whatsoever; in front of the dug outs.


    LINE-UPS:

    GUISELEY (White and blue) 1. Steven Drench, 2. Jamie Clarke, 3.Dave Merris, 4. Ciaran Toner, 6. Danny Ellis, 5. Simon Ainge, 7. Simon Baldry, 8. Danny Boshell, 9. Danny Forrest, 10. James Walshaw, 11. Andy Holdsworth, Subs: 12. Matthew Wilson, 14. Lee Ellington, 15. Chris Senior, 16. Michael Burns, 18. Jacob Giles.

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


    REPORT

    Guiseley kicked off but the opening minutes were uneventful. Alty's first threat was from a deep Clee cross, which Lawrie miskicked at the back post. Umbrellas now started to go up and light rain was to persist throughout the match.

    After Phelan dwelt on the ball and lost it, Guiseley's Walshaw broke free and his rising shot, from the left, just cleared the bar (3 mins). Next, a low Clee shot deflected out for a corner on the right but it came to nothing. Arriving at Guiseley after two successive defeats, Alty nevertheless had started the game quite well on a ground where they have never won.

    But Guiseley began to improve as Toner fired over at the end of a move he had started in his own half. His rising shot cleared the Alty bar. With it now raining steadily, Clee had his shot saved as he cut in from left (10 mins).

    A fine tackle on Baldry by Smart now halted a Guiseley move before a shot from the edge of the box by Lawrie forced Drench to tip the ball round the base of his right post for an Alty corner on their left (12 mins). From the corner, the ball came out to Clee who executed a brilliant left-footed volley which flew into the net from outside the box, giving Altrincham the lead (13 mins). It was a goal to grace a game at any level.

    Not long afterwards a Lawrie cross-shot was held by Drench. The home side was making mistakes and the Lions were not looking like title contenders. Next, Twiss, left footed, shot over the bar from 20 yards (18 mins). At the other end, Lynch saw off, first Walshaw, and then Forrest. But the former Halifax man, Forrest, soon had to give way to substitute Lee Ellington (22 mins).

    Coburn now made a fine catch from a cross from the right before Guiseley threatened again when a ball over the top of Walmsley spelt danger but Guiseley were ruled offside, thankfully. Following a Phelan foul on Baldry, a quick freekick set Ellington free on right but he overhit his cross behind the goal (24 mins).

    After an unconvincing award of a corner to Guiseley by Mr. Greenwood, Coburn caught the ball at the second attempt. Next, Walmsley's great cover tackle in the box halted Walshaw on a breakaway. Toner escaped a booking for two fouls in quick succession as neither side threatened for the next few minutes (33 mins).

    After a Holdsworth freekick, Smart cleared a home corner. Then Guiseley had the ball in the net as Walmsley slipped, but Walshaw was given offside. Guiseley were pressing now and after 40 minutes a Lynch header gave Guiseley a corner on their right, the first of a sequence of three flag-kicks for The Lions. But Alty went closer at the other end when a Lawrie shot narrowly missed the foot of the Guiseley post.

    As half-time neared, a good Reeves run was halted but a corner was won in the right corner. Walmsley's long throw found Reeves near the by-line to the right of goal and without a challenge, he turned to rifle a rising shot into the top of the net from a sharp angle. Alty's 2-0 lead stunned the home crowd, but The Lions have become known for second-half turnarounds and with Alty not having kept a clean sheet for 25 games in league and cups, the outcome was not a foregone conclusion. Indeed, Guiseley had come back from 2-0 down at Moss Lane to draw 2-2 earlier in the season. But the Robins had been more than a match for the promotion hopefuls in the first half.

    Indeed, in first-half injury time, Walshaw was allowed time to shoot and should have done better from left of the goal to hit a rising shot over the bar.


    Half-Time: GUISELEY 0 ALTRINCHAM 2

    Guiseley emerged early for the second half, with rain still falling, before Alty kicked off the second half and won three early throw-ins. But five minutes into the half, Baldry won a corner on the Guiseley right. In a crowded goalmouth, defender Ainge hit the ball into the roof of the net to halve Alty's lead (50 mins). Chris Lynch, who had taken a first-half knock, was now withdrawn and replaced at centre-back by Mark Lynch (51 mins). Before the team could readjust they had conceded again. This time it was Walshaw who scored as his effort from the left seemed to deflect off Matt Flynn and loop into the far corner of the net (52 mins).

    Guiseley now sensed a victory and Coburn soon had to save Baldry's header before a Walmsley error led to Boshell shooting wide. Nicky Clee was now hobbling after making a challenge and another Guiseley corner soon arrived, off Walmsley, which Coburn punched clear (59 mins). Alty were unfortunate when Reeves got the better of Ainge on the front right corner of the box but the big defender deliberately fouled him to concede a freekick and what should certainly have been a booking - but was not seen as such by Mr. Greenwood.

    An excellently taken freekick by Clee led to a Flynn effort going off target but diverted into the net by the late arrival of Lawrie who put the ball into the net. But a controversial offside was given and no goal was awarded (60 mins). Keeper Drench stayed down injured but after treatment to his leg, he continued though, at first, a defender took his kicks.

    Alty had recovered some poise after being hit by two goals in as many minutes and looked quite lively on the counter attack as, first Lawrie, then Densmore, were halted as they advanced into the opposition box. Clee was then caught in the ribs and was clearly in some discomfort afterwards and a couple of minutes later he was replaced by Watmore (70 mins).

    Almost immediately the 18 year-old, playing on the left, was put through against the keeper but was given offside. At the other end, Smart had to concede a corner from which Coburn produced a magnificent reaction save, turning Walshaw's well hit overhead shot away from goal.

    Young Watmore then played a fine one-two with Twiss and was blocked by a last ditch tackle as he was about to shoot from 12 yards. Lawrie then wasted a 35 yard freekick awarded for a foul by Ainge on Twiss, before James Holden came on for Twiss (78 mins), leaving Reeves alone up front, with Lawrie and Watmore on the flanks. A Flynn foul saw him booked (80 mins) and moments later Ellis got cautioned for stupidly kicking the ball away, not once but twice.

    Next, Wilson and Senior came on in a last throw of the dice for Guiseley. Baldry and substitute Ellington were the men taken off (81 mins). Having not booked anyone, the referee made it three cautions in as many minutes as he showed a card for Walmsley for a foul (83 mins).

    Coburn now beat out a shot after two Alty defenders had collided. There was then another controversial offside decision as a well-timed run from deep saw Watmore get free on goal only to be flagged for offside, which he certainly was not. The flag was presumably against Reeves who was offside but not involved in play (87 mins). A Densmore left footer went just wide of the goal in the 89th minute before a Phelan feed put in Lawrie but he was seen off by the defence.

    With the game deep into the four added minutes, following a Guiseley throw, Alty hesitated expecting an offside but play continued leaving Senior free and he beat his former team mate Coburn to send the home crowd home happy. Once again The Lions had won a match with a second-half turnaround of their fortunes.

    So, Alty have this week held a lead against the top two in the division but, ultimately, been defeated, and suffered their third defeat in a row - the only time that has happened this season. But they certainly deserved something today; Altrincham had played well except for the two minutes when they conceded two goals.


    Full-Time: GUISELEY 3 ALTRINCHAM 2