Match Report


ALTRINCHAM (0) 2 BRACKLEY TOWN (0) 1

BSBN Play-Off Semi-Final, First Leg Match
played on Tuesday, 30 April 2013, at 7.45pm


SUMMARY

Altrincham take a one-goal lead to Northamptonshire on Saturday as they overcame Brackley thanks to a fine strike by Jake Moult deep into added time. Brackley had started the game the better side, their physically strong players closing down Alty efficiently and dominating in the air. After Town had struck the outside of Coburn's post, Altrincham incredibly hit the woodwork three times inside 10 seconds. Firstly, Densmore's freekick came back off the crossbar, Watmore hit the loose ball against the upright before Lawrie did the same from right of goal.

Alty were more positive and played with a better tempo after the interval but substitute Jefferson Louis's header gave them a 70th minute lead against the run of play. The flight of the ball seemed to leave Coburn wrong footed as it drifted into the net after 70 minutes. But good work from Watmore got the ball into the box from the left by-line and Richman did well to stretch and head the ball home for the equalizer after 78 minutes. Despite another effort hitting the woodwork and Reeves twice going close, a draw looked likely to be the outcome till an excellent shot from outside the box by Jake Moult in the third minute of added time sent all but 50 or so of the 1,618 crowd into raptures.


SCORERS:

  • 70 mins: Jefferson LOUIS (ALTRINCHAM 0 Brackley Town 1)
  • 78 mins: Simon RICHMAN (ALTRINCHAM 1 Brackley Town 1)
  • 90+3 mins: Jake MOULT (ALTRINCHAM 2 Brackley Town 1)


    REFEREE: Mr Andrew Miller

    ATTENDANCE: 1,618


    TEAM NEWS

    After resting Coburn, Reeves and Watmore against Droylsden last Saturday, the trio returned today as did Matt Doughty, with Scott Leather moving to centre-back.


    LINE-UPS:

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

    BRACKLEY TOWN (All Yellow ) 1. Billy Turley (capt), 2. James Clifton, 3. Curtis McDonald, 4. Eddie Odhiambo, 5. Tom Sharpe, 6. Ryan Austin, 7. Owen Story, 8. Brett Solkhon, 9. Glenn Walker, 10. Marvin Robinson, 11. Izak Reid. Subs: 12. Eddie Nisevic, 14. Gary Mulligan, 15. Steve Diggin, 16. Jefferson Louis, GK. Laurie Walker


    BACKGROUND:

    The sides had not met before this season, which started with Brackley thrashing Alty 4-1 in August at Moss Lane. But Alty had responded by securing a 1-0 away win in the return fixture. The Saints had finished third in the league and Alty fourth, which had pitted them against each other in this semi-final play-off first leg match.

    For Alty this match was a chance to take a step towards a third return to the Football Conference's national division. The Robins were ever-present in the Conference (Alliance) from its inception until 1997. Indeed, they won the league for its first two seasons.

    They returned to the Conference in 1999, under Bernard Taylor, but were relegated again in 2000. Five years later, Graham Heathcote's team returned to the national division by winning the one and only Conference North v South play-off final against Eastbourne. Alty were relegated again in 2011.

    Manager Lee Sinnott is also no stranger to play-offs having been successfully involved in them with Farsley Celtic.

    Today's referee, Andrew Miller, had overseen Alty before, notably in our 5-2 reverse at Halifax this season.


    REPORT

    With perhaps forty Brackley fans in the away end, their captain and goalkeeper Billy Turley opted to change ends, presumably to avoid looking into the low sun which would otherwise have faced him. So Alty kicked off towards the Golf Road end, which was well populated and in good voice.

    Brackley started by far the better as Altrincham initially struggled against the larger physique of the visitors who were also impressively closing down Alty each time they gained possession. With Alty hemmed back in their own half, but defending effectively, it wasn't until the eighth minute that they threatened at the other end. In this occasion, a Clee mishit almost fell for Reeves at the end of a counter-attack prompted by Richman.

    Two Town freekicks were soon awarded and from one of these Reid hit the outside of Coburn's right post (13 mins). Though Brackley remained mostly in Alty's half, they did not cause him any trouble for the next few minutes. Indeed, at the other end, Watmore advanced and got in a shot from the right which won a corner (18 mins).

    Although the corner by Clee was overhit, a good Richman shot followed it. Alty were now settling a bit better and Clee soon made a good run. After Odhiambo (formerly Anaclet) crudely blocked Densmore he escaped with no caution and from the freekick Densmore hit the first defender (21 mins).

    For Brackley Reid jinked past Lawrie and Densmore but Havern tackled him well. After Leather had fouled Walker, from a freekick about 22 yards out in a central position, Reid's kick just cleared the bar.

    Next, Coburn was called to make a good save from Odhiambo at the cost of a corner on the left. When Clifton tripped Clee, he was only spoken to but the resulting excellent freekick by Clee was scrambled away.

    After this a Watmore run drew a foul on the edge of the Brackley box, which Clee overhit to Turley. Apart from a freekick or two, either way, there was little in the way of serious goal threat as the game drifted towards half-time. After Solkhon tripped the advancing Richman on the edge of the box, Alty took the kick too quickly for Mr Miller's liking so the fact they had put the ball in the net counted for nothing (39 mins).

    From the re-taken kick, Densmore's excellent effort hit the bar. From the follow up Watmore hit the post just as firmly before Lawrie also struck the post, from the right. Three times inside ten seconds, the woodwork had saved Brackley. The resulting corner came to nothing (40 mins).

    In the 44th minute Coburn and a defender collided leaving Odhiambo with a near open goal. The former Oxford United missed badly, lifting his shot comfortably over the bar. Altrincham had slowly improved after a shaky start but could have been ahead had one of their three strikes against the woodwork gone in.


    Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 BRACKLEY TOWN 0

    Altrincham started the second half better than the first period. They won an early corner when Sharpe allowed the ball to run beyond him, not realizing that Reeves was lurking. Then Clee won a further corner but that was as near as it got to a goal before big Jefferson Louis came on for Marvin Robinson. Next Glenn Walker fired a shot high into Golf Road as Altrincham continued to struggle to get through the Brackley midfield (57 mins).

    From a fine ball by Watmore to Clee, his cross found a stretching Reeves whose header hit the bar, for the fourth time by Alty in this game (58 mins). Having declined to caution a couple of first-half challenges by Town, referee Miller did brandish a card at Richman for a late challenge (59 mins).

    Another half chance came and went as Densmore's 61st minute cross was headed over the bar by Reeves. Mr Miller continued to irritate the home support as Reeves was clearly fouled but nothing was given, to the striker's annoyance (62 mins). Curiously Richman and Lawrie collided with each other twice in a matter of minutes before a good ball by Watmore prompted a Clee cross but Reeves collided with Turley at the back post and needed treatment as the ball evaded them both (65 mins).

    Alty were doing most of the game's forward movement as another good cross came in from Densmore. Reeves got across his marker but poked the ball wide at the near post (69 mins). But against the run of play, a cross was played up to Louis whose moderately powered header left Coburn wrong-footed as it passed to his left and into the net (70 mins).

    Brackley's Story was booked for handball before Jake Moult replaced James Lawrie and Simon Richman moved to right midfield. Soon Moult threatened as his downward header from a left wing cross bounced up and was grabbed by Turley. Alty continued to press and when Watmore skilfully retrieved the ball on the left byline, his cross found a stretching Richman, who did well to head the ball home to make it 1-1 (78 mins).

    In the 79th minute each side made a change as Mulligan came on for Story and Lacey replaced the injured Boshell. Next, Densmore was booked for a foul on Walker (81 mins) and, after a Brackley corner, Ryan Brooke replaced Watmore, who left to an ovation (84 mins).

    With the Men of the Match announced as Richman and, surprisingly, Turley, a defensive miskick gave Alty a corner, after which a shot by Brooke was blocked before Clee skied the ball over the bar (88 mins). Now Nisevic came on for McDonald as four minutes of added time were announced.

    Alty continued to press and when a cross came out to Moult, he hammered it past Turley from the edge of the box to send Moss Lane into ecstasy (90+3 mins). So, Alty take a lead to Brackley this Saturday and having shown great spirit and character tonight, they will go there with confidence.


    Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2 BRACKLEY TOWN 1