Match Report


MOSSLEY (1) 4
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Pre-Season Friendly
played on Tuesday, 30 July 2013, at 7.45pm


SUMMARY

In the first 45 minutes Altrincham took the lead in the 17th minute when Kyle Perry finished well, instinctively hooking a cross received from the left over former Alty keeper Russ Saunders. Mossley levelled in the 33rd minute when a superb through ball left former Trafford player Kayde Coppin free and he finished well.

After the break, with Peter Band's Mossley also making numerous substitutions, the unmarked Hurst scored from a left-wing cross in the 72nd minute. George Heslop's youth players acquitted themselves well and equalised four minutes later when Todd's freekick was steered back across goal from the back post by Cunliffe and substitute Louis Brown was on hand to score.

But two late goals sank Alty. After 85 minutes Lloyd was unable to hold a low ball from his right and Hurst took advantage to net. And, two minutes later, the keeper came out for a ball played into his box but Madeley got there first to wrap the game up (87 mins).


SCORERS:


REFEREE: ?
ATTENDANCE: 214
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham fielded 24 players during this pre-season game at Seel Park and Mossley weren't far behind as they, too, deployed numerous substitutes. Altrincham started the first half with just six of the players who had finished last season as first-team regulars and included trialists Scott Byrom and Matt Lord. New signing Kyle Perry plus Rob Gilroy and Adam Reid made up the eleven. It was all change at the interval as a completely new eleven took over, comprising ten youth team players and trialist keeper Dan Lloyd.

Scott Leather returned after his recent illness and assumed the captaincy for the first time. Perry played up front with Reeves whiletrialists Byrom and Lord played on the right and left respectively.

Identifying the opposition was a problem as the Mossley starting eleven did not correspond to the numbers assigned on the team sheet and their substitutes had no numbers on that listing. However, several ex-Alty faces were identifiable, notably goalkeeper and captain Russ Saunders, midfielders John Bennett and Andy Keogh, and forwards Charlie Weir and Sam Madeley


LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and red socks) - First Half - 1. Adam Reid, 2. Jake Moult, 3. Nicky Clee, 4. Rob Gilroy, 5. Scott Leather (capt), 6. Carl Rodgers, 7. Kyle Perry, 8. Danny Boshell, 9. Scott Byrom, 10. Damian Reeves, 11. Matt Lord. Unused subs: Matt Doughty, Shaun Densmore, James Walshaw, James Lawrie.

ALTRINCHAM - Second Half - 1. Dan Lloyd, 2. Matt Hancock, 3. Tom Clarke, 4. David Brown, 5. Derek Ubah, 6. Pat Crilley, 7. Spencer Cunliffe, 8. Matt Todd, 9. Max Pouncey, 10. Louis Potts, 11. Tom Westall. Used subs: 12. Kane Hughes, 14. Louis Brown.

MOSSLEY (white and black) as on teamsheet, with corrections where known, were 1. Russ Saunders, 2. James Blair, 3. Phil Drummond, 4. Kevin McGrath, 5. Charlie Anderson, 7. John Bennett, 8. Lewis Nightingale, 9. Andy Keogh, 19. Charlie Weir, 10. Callam Gardner, 11. Brian Matthews. Subs: Danny McDonnell, Kyle McGonigle, 18. Kayde Coppin, Ryan Hopper, Tyron Sealey, Mark Haslam, Sam Madeley, Andy Hurst, David Owens.


BACKGROUND:

For the second summer running, Altrincham visited Seel Park for a pre-season game. With Peter Band recently installed as the Mossley manager and a number of ex-Altrincham players in their squad, the links between the clubs have probably never been closer. The game started on a bright evening which became increasingly cloudy but, thankfully, the temperature was more beraable than for the previous pre-season matches.

Alty had lost their four previous games this summer but they had yet to field a starting eleven which was likely to be replicated on the opening day of the season, due to illnesses, holidays, fitness and the need to use pre-season to experiment with players in unfamiliar positions and to have a look at trialists.


REPORT

After Altrincham had kicked off down the slope at Seel Park, it was trialist Matt Lord, playing on the left wing, who got in the first shot of note, an effort which deflected to Saunders (4 mins). Following a Gilroy effort, which cleared the bar by some margin, Saunders miskicked the ball to Reeves but the Mossley keeper recovered to save the Alty striker's resulting shot (6 mins).

After their quiet start, Mossley came to life as the impressive Nightingale got in a threatening cross cum shot from the left (12 mins). But ironically, as Mossley improved, it was Altrincham who took the lead for the first time in their pre-season campaign. Clee played the ball in from the left to Perry who unhesitatingly hooked the ball over Saunders for an impressive opening goal to his Altrincham career (17 mins).

As the floodlights came on, Altrincham were playing some decent passing football without seriously threatening to add to their lead (23 mins). But in the 27th minute it took a good save by Reid to foil Keogh, the former Alty Youth midfielder's shot being well struck and on target. AT the other end, Reeves went close following a shrewd pass from Danny Boshell. Mossley now brought on the former Trafford FC winger, Kayde Coppin to replace Weir and within five minutes the substitute had levelled the score.

A defence splitting through ball left Coppin running in the box and he beat the advancing Reid with a low shot (33 mins). Moments later, Keogh fired over the bar before Leather had to block another effort from Mossley. The Lilywhites continued to press as Reid was again called into action (39 mins).

However, Altrincham threatened when a fine ball forward from Moult, playing in an unaccustomed right-back role, found Reeves whose lob narrowly cleared the bar (40 mins). As half time approached Reid had to push a shot over the bar for a Mossley corner and then just before the interval whistle, Keogh was played into the box but got the ball under his feet and, so, Alty retained parity at the half-time break.


Half-Time: MOSSLEY 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

Altrincham started the second half with ten youth team players and trialist keeper, Dan Lloyd. After an even start, Mossley made the first two of a number of changes to their line-up and by the hour mark they had made five or six substitutions.

With Altrincham getting caught offside four times in the first 12 minutes of the half, the game continued with more pace than in the first half as virtually all the players on both sides were now youngsters. But neither side had looked likely to score at this stage until a foul on Coppin by Todd gave Mossley a freekick almost 30 yards out. From this, Coppin hit the base of Lloyd's post (65 mins).

For Alty Ubah made a fine tackle in the box on Coppin as Mossley threatened again. Good skill from Cunliffe won Alty a freekick but this came to nothing. Afterwards, Pouncey and Potts were replaced by Louis Brown and Hughes (68 mins).

The deadlock was broken after 72 minutes when Mossley advanced on the left and the resulting cross found Hurst unmarked and he duly put Mossley ahead. Alty's young players responded well, equalising just four minutes later. The goal came after a freekick from the right, about 28 yards out, taken by Todd. He located Cunliffe at the back post and the midfielder did well to hook the ball back into the goalmouth where Louis Brown was on hand to score from close range (76 mins).

Another Todd freekick, from a similar position to the one which had produced the equalizer, also found Cunliffe but he was offside on this occasion. At this point Pouncey and Potts came back on (81 mins) as Alty's youth team seemed to be heading for a creditable draw.

But that all changed after 85 minutes when a cross from the left was spilt by goalkeeper Lloyd and Hurst nipped in to make it 3-2 to Mossley. It got worse two minutes later when Mossley’s no.4 played in a ball from the right. Keeper Lloyd came for it but former Alty Youth Sam Madeley got to it first to make it 4-2 (87 mins).

The margin of defeat was harsh on the visitors but Peter Band looks to have a very promising squad for Mossley's coming season in the EvoStik First Division.


Full-Time: MOSSLEY 2 ALTRINCHAM 4