Match Report

VAUXHALL MOTORS (1) 1 ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Skrill North match
played on Monday, 26 August 2013, at 3pm

SUMMARY

At half time the score was 1-1 but Altrincham had dominated the first 45 minutes. They took the lead in the 19th minute with a well taken goal by Perry but the big striker went off injured after 32 minutes, being replaced by Walshaw, who had been one of five players who had started the previous game who did not start this one. However, Alty failed to add a second goal and when, just before half-time, Stott turned past Havern he was tripped by Coburn to concede a penalty. Stott converted the spot kick to level the scores in the second minute of added time after the first 45 minutes.

At the break Alty also lost Leather to injury, with Williams replacing him.

Motors seized the initiative after the interval with Alty struggling to get forward till, seven minutes from time, a fine Moult ball allowed Walshaw to shoot. Goalkeeper Jones failed to hold the shot, giving Alty the lead, which they held on to.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr S Lucas (Darwen)
ATTENDANCE: 446
TEAM NEWS

Lee Sinnott's policy of rotation was again employed as five of the players who started against Stockport County, 48 hours earlier, moved onto the bench today. So Williams, Richman, Clee, Boshell and Walshaw were replaced by Doughty, Rodgers, Lawrie, Smikle and Perry.

Motors had two ex-Alty Reserves in their squad, Ashley Stott and Craig Ellison.

LINE-UPS:

VAUXHALL MOTORS (White shirts, blue shorts and socks) 1. Zac Jones, 2. Steve Wainwright, 3. Louis Barnes, 4. Tom Hannigan, 5. Andrew Nicholas, 6. Chris Noone, 7. Karl Noon, 8. Matthew Williams, 9. Ashley Stott, 10. Lloyd Ellams, 11. Matthew Kosylo. Subs 12. Jordan Rugg, 14. Tom Rutter, 15. Owen Davies, 15. Danny Fearnehough, 16. Craig Ellison (gk)

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white stripes, red shorts and socks) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 4. Carl RODGERS, 5. Gianluca HAVERN, 6. Scott LEATHER, 7. Brian SMIKLE, 8. Jake MOULT, 9. Kyle PERRY, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. James LAWRIE. Subs 12. Mike WILLIAMS, 14. Simon RICHMAN, 15. Nicky CLEE, 16.Danny BOSHELL, 17. James WALSHAW

BACKGROUND:

Both sides went into this game unbeaten this season. Mike Garnett provided the historical record of games between our two teams, in which Alty's only away win was in a cup match.

REPORT

On a warm and sunny afternoon at Rivacre Park, Altrincham kicked off towards the changing rooms and inside 30 seconds, Lawrie had a shot saved from Perry's feed.

Altrincham settled into a calm passing game and also won the game's first corner in the 6th minute. After this a great Densmore ball found Moult before a Doughty cross was headed wide and high by Perry at the end of a good move.

The Motors now started to press and Alty's next effort was a tame header by Lawrie after Moult's long ball had been nodded on by Perry, who was playing well (11 mins).

Next, a Moult cross from the right was headed wide at the back post by Reeves. Vauxhall's best effort at this stage was Noon's 40-yarder which ran to Coburn (16 mins). Altrincham made their dominance tell as they took the lead in the 19th minute.

The goal arrived after a Lawrie corner had come out to Moult, whose mishit shot was diverted to Perry who calmly lifted the ball into the top far corner, from left of goal for his third goal of the season.

Alty continued to impress as Perry won a header which allowed Doughty to get in a testing cross. Soon Doughty won a corner but had it ruled out for offside. The Alty pressure continued with a 25 yarder by Lawrie which went to the keeper (23 mins).

When Stott went down under Havern's challenge, appeals for a penalty were rejected by Mr. Lucas. But he did give the Motors a freekick soon afterwards when Lawrie committed a foul near halfway. Roles were reversed when Lawrie now won a freekick 35 yards out. He took it himself and found Perry who headed wide (28 mins).

Altrincham now had to make a change as Walshaw replaced Perry who must have been injured (32 mins). Almost immediately Walshaw did well to turn but was then penalised in the box.

The visitors were then caught offside after Smikle advanced up the middle and found Reeves. Alty remained in charge as Leather halted an attempted Motors attack. But yet again offside halted the Robins when good play from Moult set Walshaw on goal.

After 40 minutes, Smikle won a corner on the right and not long afterwards Densmore's fine cross ball located Doughty but the Motors cleared their lines. Yet another offside ruled out Walshaw’s shot against the post from Moult's feed (42 mins).

But with Altrincham well in control, things went wrong before half time. First of all, the advancing Densmore was tripped but the ref gave no foul, allowing the Motormen to advance and win a corner. Referee Lucas allowed play to continue when Leather had sustained a head injury and was down on the ground, to the annoyance of Altrincham.

When play resumed after Leather's recovery, Stott turned smartly past Havern and was brought down by the advancing Coburn to concede a penalty. Stott himself converted the spot kick to give Vauxhall an unlikely parity at the interval (45+2 mins).

Half-Time: VAUXHALL MOTORS 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

Having got on level terms despite being outplayed, Vauxhall were to have the better of the second half, whilst Altrincham had to adjust once again as they lost Scott Leather at the break, presumably following his blow to the head, and brought on Mike Williams as his replacement.

Following the loss of Perry and Leather to injury, it almost became three when, following a Coburn mispunch, Jake Moult was hit hard by a ball into his face and play stopped to allow him to recover.

The Motors then wasted a half chance as Ellams sidefooted badly over the bar. Moult was then in the wars again as he was caught by opponent taking a shot and needed treatment (51 mins). A needless challenge by Rodgers on Stott allowed The Motors a freekick on the edge of the penalty "D". Alty had not started well in the second half (53 mins).

When Kosylo challenged every late on Densmore, he was very fortunate not to see a yellow card, But the hosts remained on top as Doughty had to block well from a Kosylo shot. Alty were labouring to recapture their impressive first half form (57 mins).

When Smikle allowed Barnes to get in a cross from the left, Williams had to concede a corner, after which Nicholas lashed a shot well over the bar. It then took a fine tip away, to his right, by Coburn from a Noon header at the back post, to keep the scores level.

The referee continued to implement his benevolent approach as Nicholas flattened Reeves and Mr. Lucas's reaction was to award a freekick but share a laugh with the offender (63 mins). When Nicky Clee and Lee Sinnott held a conversation it looked as if the Yorkshireman was about to be introduced to the game.

There was then a strange episode as Mr. Lucas penalised Alty but as Havern played on, the referee tackled the Alty centre-back as he broke forward. The Motors' robust approach saw Lawrie halted before another foul by Nicholas on Moult still did not prompt a yellow card to be drawn.

Each side made a change as Motors' Fearnehough came on for Noone (72 mins), followed by Richman replacing Lawrie for Altrincham (74 mins). And two minutes later Rugg replaced Stott for the home team.

As the last ten minutes began, Altrincham finally began to exert some meaningful forward pressure. After Walshaw had been halted in the box, a Doughty cross won Alty a corner, but this was taken poorly by Moult. But Moult soon made amends with a good ball which located Walshaw. He advanced and fired a low shot at goal which the keeper failed to hold and it ran into the net to give Alty the lead (83 mins).

Vauxhall responded by replacing Karl Noon by Rutter (84 mins) but Altrincham now had reasserted their grip on the game and spent much of the closing stages, including three added minutes, deep in the Motors' half, to secure their win and move to the top of the Skrill North table with a 100% record after four matches.

So, after an impressive first half marred by a late defensive mistake, Altrincham had weathered the pressure from a spirited Vauxhall in the second half to snatch a late victory.

Full-Time: VAUXHALL MOTORS 1 ALTRINCHAM 2
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