Match Report

BOSTON UNITED (2) 3 ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Skrill North match
played on Saturday, 26 October 2013, at 3pm

SUMMARY

After an even start, Boston took the lead when Marshall's shot was deflected over Coburn, after a corner (8 mins). Boston then had the better of the game till Altrincham improved in the period before half time. Densmore struck a superb goal from a freekick to level scores after 42 minutes. But, in the fifth added minute before the interval, Boston scored again when the impressive Miller was allowed to get to the by-line and Weir Daley converted his cross.

In th second half, following a corner, Garner's shot was cleared near the line but the officials gave a goal to make the score 3-1 after 76 minutes. Eight minutes from time Walshaw headed home to make it 3-2 but Altrincham were not able to unlock the home defence again.

Referee Dexter was roundly booed off the pitch by travelling supporters after a series of questionable decisions.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Martin Dexter
ATTENDANCE: 1,081
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were unchanged but Rob Gilroy returned on the bench for the departed Danny Boshell. After the fuss in midweek with his manager, Ashley Timms nevertheless started, in goal, for Boston.

LINE-UPS:

BOSTON UNITED (Amber and black ) 1. Ashley Timms, 2. Conor Marshall, 3. Rene Steer, 4. Stefan Galinski, 5. Scott Garner, 6. Carl Piergianni, 7. Ian Ross, 8. Jake Hall, 9. Ricky Miller, 10. Marc Newsham, 11. Spencer Weir-Daley. Subs. 12. Netan Sansara, 14. Ben Milnes, 15. Indy Aujla, 16. Charley Saunders, 17. Sam Vince

ALTRINCHAM (Aquamarine and grey) 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, (capt), 3. Matt DOUGHTY, 4. Jake MOULT, 5. Gianluca HAVERN, 6. Scott LEATHER, 7. James LAWRIE, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. James WALSHAW, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Nicky CLEE. Subs: 12. Carl RODGERS, 14. Junior SMIKLE, 15. Greg WILKINSON, 16. Kyle PERRY, 17. Rob GILROY

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett summarises the previous meetings between these two clubs:

REPORT

Before kick off Boston elected to change ends, allowing Alty to kick off in dry but breezy conditions. The pattern of refereeing was soon estabished as a Doughty cross led to Moult being felled but nothing being given in the way of a freekick (1 min). Shortly afterwards, however, Mr Dexter did stop play to lecture Moult for some reason.

Miller, who was to have an impressive match for Boston, saw a shot deflected out for corner, after which another followed (7 min). Following this second kick, Marshall got in a shot from 12 yards which deflected over Coburn into the net to give Boston a 1-0 lead (8 mins).

After 11 minutes Leather recovered from an error to halt Miller but at the cost of another corner, from which Moult cleared a header off the line. Not long afterwards, Coburn placed the ball for a freekick only for Miller to chip it away over the keeper's head but no word from referee Dexter ensued for this blatant misdemeanour (13 mins).

After Leather had slipped, Weir Daley fed Miller for a shot which Coburn saved well as Town set the pace (15 mins). Alty's keeper was in action again as a Ross shot was tipped out by Coburn for a corner (19 mins).

For Altrincham there was little threat with Walshaw's 30 yarder, well off target, their best effort to date (23 mins). At the other end, a testing Marshall cross was headed clear by Densmore as Boston dominated proceedings.

After a needless foul by Doughty yielded Boston a freekick, centrally 21 yards out, Ross made a mess of a rehearsed routine. But soon the dangerous Miller won another corner, off Havern. From this, a clash of heads left Leather injured but he recovered after lengthy treatment (31 mins).

Belatedly, Altrincham's performance improved as Moult won his side's first corner, on the right (32 mins). Alty now enjoyed some forward momentum but again were not helped by the referee's willingness to allow apparent fouls to go unpunished.

The hosts continued to show more potency going forward and, when Moult lost possession, Miller got in a shot which Coburn saved smartly (37 mins). Next, Steer won a corner, after a Moult error, before Garner was lectured for stopping Alty from taking a freekick.

Immediately afterwards, Walshaw was felled by Garner; a freekick but no card was the outcome. After 42 minutes Alty won a freekick just outside the box, left of centre. From this Densmore scored with a superb freekick after Doughty had stepped over the ball (42 mins).

With four added minutes under way Alty were enjoying a dominant spell during which Timms held a Lawrie freekick. Another very dubious decision from the officials gave Boston a throw in, from which Miller got to the by-line left of goal and his low cross was converted by Weir-Daley in the fifth added minute. Finally, the first half ended after fifty minutes and thirty seconds.

Half-Time: BOSTON UNITED 2 ALTRINCHAM 1

At the interval Alty replaced Clee, who had been ill in midweek, and Leather, who had suffered a head injury, with Wilkinson and Rodgers, the latter slotting in at centre-back. There was an early scare as Weir Daley was allowed to advance and hit the base of the post with his shot (48 mins).

When Hall picked up Doughty and dumped him on the ground, remarkably it was not deemed worthy of a caution (50 mins). With Boston winning most of the aerial balls and Altrincham lacking the guile to get behind the back line, the visitors were unable to get any shots at Timms. When they did finally stretch the back line, from Wilkinson's feed to Richman, the latter's cross went to the Boston keeper (55 mins).

Play was now end to end as, first, Weir Daley turned well but shot over after a good attack, before Densmore forced a good save which produced a corner. From this, a Moult shot was blocked. Now Marshall went off as Boston brought Sansara on (60 min).

Following a Boston freekick, it took a good save from Miller's effort by Coburn to keep Boston out. Altrincham should have equalised in the 62nd minute when fine play by Reeves saw him rob Piergianni on the Alty left touchline and cross to Walshaw. But Walshaw poked the ball the wrong sde of the near post.

After 65 minutes, Ross came off and Milnes was brought on for Boston. An uneventful spell ended as Weir-Daley shot across the face of goal before play was halted to allow Perry to replace Moult (73 mins).

Following a Boston corner on their right, a Boston shot was blocked and cleared but the assistant referee signalled that Garner's effort had actually crossed the line for a goal (76 mins). Alty had enjoyed plenty of the ball but were not testing Timms too much.

Nine minutes from time Aujla replaced Newsham for the Pilgrims. But a minute later, Lawrie's cross from the inside right position found Walshaw, who headed home at the back post to make it 2-3. Last week Boston had allowed a 3-0 lead to slip to 3-3 and similar fears must have been surfacing again.

As Alty continued to press, Boston remined a danger on the break. After Richman had been felled, a freekick led to an Alty corner, after which Timms went down to get treatment which soon had him on his feet again. Five added minutes produced an Altrincham corner and a freekick but Boston held on to ensure that Altrincham slipped to their second defeat of the season.

Boston were deserved winners but the referee left the pitch to a chorus of boos from the away supporters.

Full-Time: BOSTON UNITED 3 ALTRINCHAM 2
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