Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Rick Bartlett

ATTENDANCE: 448

Altrincham were without Duncan Watmore, who was on holiday, and opted to start with Nicky Clee on the bench, along with the two strikers signed this summer, Ryan Brooke and Danny Mitchley. Defender Scott Leather, goalkeeper Adam Reid and defender/midfielder Sam Grimshaw completed the six on the bench. Despite the number eleven on his back, Paddy Lacey started the game in an advanced central midfield position.

Wrexham had plenty of experience on their bench in the shape of Creighton, Morrell, Wright and Ormerod.

BACKGROUND:

For the Robins' penultimate pre-season friendly it was good to see former Altrincham captain Robbie Lawton, now at Marine, in the main stand. For Wrexham, the season was set to begin in seven days' time, whilst Altrincham had a fortnight before they were due to start their 2012-13 campaign.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 5. Gianluca HAVERN, 6. Danny HALL, 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 7. Simon RICHMAN, 4. Carl RODGERS, 8. Scott PHELAN, 11. Patrick LACEY, 9. James LAWRIE, 10. Damian REEVES. Subs: 12. Scott LEATHER, 14. Nicky CLEE, 15. Ryan BROOKE, 16. Danny MITCHLEY, 17. Sam GRIMSHAW, 18. Adam REID (gk).

WREXHAM (Green shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Joslain MAYEBI, 2. Steve TOMMASSEN, 3. Neil ASHTON, 6. Martin RILEY, 8. Jay HARRIS, 11. Simon HACKNEY, 14. Joe CLARKE, 15. Rob OGLEBY, 16. John HUNT, 19. Nick RUSHTON, 23. Chris WESTWOOD. Subs: 5. Mark CREIGHTON, 9. Danny WRIGHT, 10. Brett ORMEROD, 12. Dean KEATES, 13. Andy COUGHLIN (gk), 17. Andy MORRELL, 18. Declan WALKER, 21. Jay COLBECK, *. Anthony STEPHENS.

Wrexham kicked off, in front of a modest crowd, on what proved to be an unexpectedly sunny afternoon. Wrexham almost had a calamitous start as the retreating Westwood headed an intended back-pass beyond the advancing Mayebi but, as Lawrie pounced to capitalise on the error, the keeper just managed to dive back and smother the ball (90 secs).

After Altrincham had survived a penalty appeal, the Welshmen won a corner which came to nothing. As Shaun Densmore wrote in the matchday programme, Patrick Lacey "enjoys a tackle" and Jay Harris would certainly agree as he found himself on the wrong end of a late lunge from the new Altrincham midfielder, who otherwise impressed especially in the opening stages of this game (7 mins).

But Alty showed a more positive side soon afterwards with a good passing move, which ended with a threatening cross from Matt Doughty. Next, a Doughty pass found Lawrie, whose ambitious first-time half volley went well off-target. Scott Phelan then drew admiring applause as he evaded three challenges to dribble through midfield before Densmore's cross from Richman's feed was cleared by the Wrexham defence.

Stuart Coburn then smartly dealt with a through ball but was caught late by a body check from trialist Simon Hackney. Wrexham's best early effort was a rising shot by Rushton, from Westwood's feed.

Alty boss Lee Sinnott was shouting himself hoarse on the touchline at this stage before the lively Lawrie saw a speculative shot saved. A fine through-ball then found Reeves but, as he gathered the ball, he was eased to the ground by a defender, but referee Bartlett showed no interest in a penalty shout. But, soon afterwards, he had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. The penalty award arose when a Densmore cross was controlled well by Reeves, whose lay off saw Richman get to the ball just ahead of a challenge and he was upended just inside the front edge of the box.

Damian Reeves converted his second penalty in the three games he has played in since his return to Moss Lane, beating Mayebi comfortably from the spot (26 mins). When Mayebi made a poor clearance soon afterwards, it led to a shot by Rodgers which rose over the bar.

When Scott Phelan commited a late challenge 25 yards from his own goal, Wrexham took advanatage of the freekick to equalize. The kick, from a fairly central position a good 25 yards out, was well struck into Coburn's right hand corner, the Alty keeper managing to get a hand to the ball but being unable to keep it out (30 mins).

For the second time in the game, Mayebi found an intended back pass, this time from Riley, going past him, but again his goal remained intact. Next, a feed from Lawrie gave Reeves a chance but he sliced it uncharacteristically very wide; Alty's 44-goal man of last season, is still getting back to his best after a traumatic summer.

Some more good passing from Altrincham led to a rising shot by Lawrie, which got a deflection to earn a corner, but it was wasted (39 mins). After this, a Doughty bodycheck conceded a freekick and manager Lee Sinnott will not have been happy that at least three first half freekicks were given away within shooting range.

After a Wrexham corner had been seen off a fine dribble from Lawrie promised more than it delivered but the half ended on a positive note with a neat turn from Richman as he received a pass from Lawrie, but his shot went across the face of goal (45 mins).

At the break, Altrincham replaced Doughty by Clee at left-back, a position the Yorkshireman has filled for most of pre-season. Mayebi's uncertain afternoon continued with a poor kick. Just after this, he was relieved to help Richman's shot over the bar from Reeves's pass. Again, Alty's corner did not pose much threat of a goal.

A mis-timed challenge from Richman brought an angry response from Ashton and led to a lecture for both men from the referee (49 mins). Though Wrexham won two corners, the next few minutes brought little in the way of goal threat at either end. Just before the hour mark, Scott Leather replaced Danny Hall at centre back (58 mins).

Reeves almost took advantage of more uncertainty from Mayebi before an Alty corner, soon afterwards, ended with Lawrie's underpowered shot. A twelve-pass Altrincham move then produced applause but not an end product before Wrexham made a triple change. Mayebi, Tomassen and Ashton all went off as goalkeeper Coughlin, experienced defender Creighton and the un-numbered Stephens came on (63 mins).

Alty had a scare when a Havern clearance rebounded fortuitously to Ogleby but Coburn was out smartly to block his shot with his legs (64 mins). Altrincham now brought on strikers Brooke and Mitchley in place of midfielders Lacey and Richman (66 mins).

Phelan, who played well today, now turned smartly but his shot was dragged across the face of goal (68 mins). After another Altrincham corner had come to nothing, Wrexham made a quintuple substitution as ex-Histon forward Danny Wright, Dean Keates, former Blackpool striker Brett Ormerod, player-manager Andy Morrell and Jay Colbeck came on for Clarke, Ogleby, Rushton, Hackney and Hunt (71 mins).

Two Wrexham corners soon followed but, at this stage, neither keeper was seeing much action. Next, Mitchley managed to get in a shot as he was being held and soon afterwards the same player opted to shoot for the near post and gained a corner off the keeper.

With the game now a bit flat, Alty brought on Sam Grimshaw for Damian Reeves, the former youth team captain slotting into left midfield (81 mins). Walker replaced Riley for Wrexham at the same time. Though play went from end to end in the closing minutes, there was no serious threat of a further goal before the whistle concluded an afternoon which will probably have brought Lee Sinnott more satisfaction than his counterpart, Andy Morrell. Altrincham had more than held their own against a side from a higher tier in the footballing pyramid.

The watching Harrogate scout hopefully will not have learned too much today about his club's first guests at Wetherby Road in the coming season, given the experimental nature of the Altrincham side.