Match Report

REFEREE: Mr Scott Oldham

ATTENDANCE: 698

Both Carl Rodgers (calf) and Danny Hall (hamstring) had missed Alty's last game through injury, but were fit to start tonight. However, Nicky Clee had a "tight thigh" which ruled him out. So Duncan Watmore moved to number eleven. Adam Reid had returned from his loan to Goole to join the bench.

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett kindly provides the historical record between Altrincham and our visitors, Guiseley, before tonight's match.

On a chilly and damp evening, there was a pre-match award on the pitch to Altrincham FC club secretary, Derek Wilshaw. This was an FA award to mark Derek's more than fifty-year involvement with football as a club official and referee in Cheshire. Derek has, for many years, been chairman of the East Cheshire Football League in addition to his duties at Moss Lane.

LINE-UPS:

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

GUISELEY (All yellow): 1. Steven Drench, 2. Andy Holdsworth, 3. Rhys Meynell, 4. Jack Rea, 5. Danny Ellis, 6. Mark Bower, 7. Wayne Brooksby, 8. Danny Boshell, 9. Kevin Holsgrove, 10. Nick Boshell, 11. Gavin Rothery, Subs: 14. Josh Wilson, 12. James Walshaw, 15. Andy Pearson, 16. Jamie Clarke, 18. Jacob Giles

Guiseley kicked off towards the away end though most of their supporters were taking protection from the rain, which had just started, by standing on the Popular Side. Alty started slowly and conceded a freekick just outside the box with only 20 seconds on the clock. This was for a shirt-tug by Moult. Coburn palmed the freekick, heading towards his top-left corner, away for a corner. Alty gradually stabilised their game after this faltering start as the rain now got heavier.

Play became pretty uneventful until the ninth minute when Brooksby fed Holsgrove and it took an excellent block by Coburn to keep the ball out at the cost of a corner. From this, a Guiseley header was cleared but another corner soon followed, following which a Guiseley player volleyed a 20-plus yard effort well wide. Guiseley were looking the better side but Altrincham were coping well at this stage.

Former Alty man Holsgrove then turned and fired a shot into the side netting after 13 minutes before Lawrie had a shot blocked at the other end, but it then took some good defending to keep out two more Guiseley shots in succession as the quarter of an hour mark passed. There was more potential danger when Hall was penalised versus Brooksby but Rothery curled a shot wide following the freekick.

Alty were defending well and, further forward, things had not yet come off for Watmore. But then the Alty number eleven fed Richman who advanced and drove a low shot from 22 yards. This took a strong deflection to the right, which wrong-footed keeper Drench to give Alty a 1-0 lead against the run of play (22 mins).

And, soon afterwards, Richman fed Lawrie who went down in the box, but the penalty appeals went unanswered by Mr. Oldham. The goal had enlivened Altrincham and, soon, Watmore got to the by- line but keeper Drench gathered his cross from the left (25 mins). After this, Watmore executed a great turn and run but was eventually halted (28 mins).

Alty keeper Coburn was called into action before a superb ball up the middle by Rodgers reached Reeves, but the striker was unable to gather it in his stride (30 mins). At the back, first Havern cleared well under pressure, then Coburn gathered a Holdsworth effort, as the rain fell steadily.

Altrincham were now on the back foot as Coburn came out to smother a through ball, Rodgers executed a fine tackle and, finally, Bower burst into the left of the box but was tripped by Havern (38 mins). With Alty hearts in their mouths, Mr. Oldham gave a freekick just outside the penalty area but he booked Havern, who injured himself in the process. Fortunately, Guiseley took a poor freekick and Alty looked to have ridden their luck.

But moments later, a cross from the Guiseley left found an unmarked Nicky Boshell in the centre of the box. He executed an impressive overhead kick which made it 1-1 (40 mins). Things got worse as Havern now limped off and Scott Leather came on as his replacement at centre-back (42 mins).

Though the rain had now almost stopped, Danny Boshell slipped on the wet surface as he attempted a shot. Then, with the half into added time, it needed a fine block by Moult to halt a goalbound shot. And into the third added minute, a Guiseley header was deflected just wide by a timely header from Hall, at the cost of a corner. But half-time arrived with the score level, though the consensus in the main stand was that Alty were fortunate to be all square.

Guiseley came out early before Alty kicked off towards the Hale end, with rain falling again as Guiseley won an early corner. The opening ten minutes of the second half were pretty flat with neither side making much of an impression. But then an impressive attack, led by Watmore, gave Lawrie a chance but he shot very wide from left of goal (55 mins).

Coburn then had to save with his feet from a Nicky Boshell effort, a corner resulting, followed by a Guiseley freekick 30 yards out in a central position, which was held by Coburn from Holdsworth. With the rain heavier now, proceedings remained a bit scrappy, with Rodgers now being booked for a foul, having earlier been lectured by Mr. Oldham (63 mins).

Guiseley now made a double change up front as Walshaw and Wilson replaced Nicky Boshell and Holsgrove (64 mins). The visitors now won a corner off Densmore, followed by one which Reeves, enlisted into defensive duties, had to give away. Soon after this, Bower had the ball in the net but was offside (66 mins).

After Meynell's cross, the Robins had to clear a corner but, with everyone pulled back, the clearance soon ended in more Guiseley possession. Alty were also conceding freekicks as Guiseley pressed but some brief relief came with a good overlap by Densmore.

But the Yorkshire side continued to go forward and, next, a Walshaw shot won a corner. However, as Alty threatened a counter-attack, Hall was tripped by Holdsworth, who was booked. With it still pouring rain, Mitchley came on for Watmore (78 mins). From a well-delivered Alty freekick on the right by Lawrie, Mitchley headed over the bar (79 mins).

Alty had now got themselves a bit of momentum and, next, a Lawrie 30-yarder won his side a corner. This fell for Hall, but the centre-back's shot went straight to the keeper (80 mins). Lawrie was now playing in a central position behind the strikers, Reeves and Mitchley, with Brooke on right. But just as it looked as if Alty were going to finish strongly, they conceded at the other end. A ball up the middle allowed Walshaw to get clear and score (83 mins).

It got worse in the 87th minute when a cross from the right by Brooksby was flicked into the net by Walshaw to make it 3-1 to the visitors. In the three added minutes at the end of the game, there needed to be a fine save by Coburn from a long shot. But the final whistle soon sounded leaving Altrincham beaten for the third successive game. They have now lost four times at Moss Lane but three of these reverses were against the current top three in the division.

Alty have a break from BSBN action for a fortnight as they travel to Burton Albion in the FA Cup, followed by a Cheshire Senior Cup tie at home against Congleton Town and an FA Trophy visit to Worcester City. When league action resumes, the visitors to Moss Lane are more tough opposition in the shape of FC Halifax Town.