Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (0) 1 WORCESTER CITY (0) 2

Skrill North Match
played on Tuesday, 21 January 2014, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

In a game played in difficult conditions; heavy rain, wind and a heavy pitch, the first half was an error-ridden, goalless affair, illuminated only by Deeney's fierce shot which came back off the underside of the bar.

Alty's lacklustre form of the first period continued after the break and City deservedly took a 56th minute lead when Brown headed home unchallenged from Nti's cross from the right. Nti added a second after 78 minutes, with a fine shot, then Lawrie hit home a 30-yard freekick to make it 2-1 two minutes later. But the visitors were good value for their win.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Philip Dermott
ATTENDANCE: 527
TEAM NEWS

Nicky Clee was finally serving his much delayed suspension, whilst new signing Joe Mwasile was included for his debut. James Walshaw was out of the squad following his injury at Gainsborough in Alty's last game, a fortnight ago. Tonight, Scott Leather moved to the bench as Matt Doughty returned and Adam Griffin moved to left midfield. Youth keeper Josh Samberg made his first appearance on the bench in a league match.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM

(Red and white striped shirts, red shorts and socks) 		1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (capt), 3. Matt Doughty, 4. Carl Rodgers 5. Gianluca Havern, 6. Tom Marshall, 7. Joe Mwasile, 8. Simon Richman, 9. Kyle Perry, 10. Damian Reeves, 11. Adam Griffin. Subs 12. Scott Leather, 14. Jake Moult, 15. Greg Wilkinson, 16. James Lawrie, 18. Josh Samberg

WORCESTER CITY

(Blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts, white socks)		 1. Jose Veiga, 2. George Williams, 3. Tyler Weir, 4. Jamie Grimes, 5. Graham Hutchison, 6. Aaron Brown, 7. Daniel Nti, 8. Ellis Deeney, 9. Ethan Moore, 10. Ebby Nelson-Addy, 11. Aaron Williams. Subs: 12. Steven Leslie, 14. Richard Taundry, 15. Richard Munday, 16. Kristian Ramsey-Dickson, 17. Danny Williams.

BACKGROUND:

After three successive postponements (at home v AFC Telford United and Stockport Sports and away at Oxford City), this was Altrincham's first game since the departures of Danny Higginbotham, Junior Smikle and Adam Reid and the arrival of Joe Mwasile.

Mike Garnett gives us the details of previous encounters between Altrincham and Worcester City

Worcester arrived at Moss Lane as the league's lowest scorers whilst Altrincham's goals per game ratio was the highest in the division. Alty had won the reverse fixture 3-0. But despite these favourable statistics, Worcester arrived after two good wins had sparked their move away from the bottom of the table.

REPORT

After a dry day, evening rain had intensified around 7pm and this made an already rain sodden pitch even heavier. An M6 crash had delayed both Worcester and some of Alty's Midland-based players.

The rain had briefly stopped before City kicked off towards Golf Road. The game had a quiet start, with no pattern other than that passes from both sides were not finding their men. A gusty wind blew against Altrincham adding to the players' difficulties. Eleven minutes into the game, Alty boss Lee Sinnott told his players to be "quicker" but not even a half chance had arrived until the 13th minute when Reeves, from right of goal, set Mwasile free but the debutant dragged his shot badly wide from right of goal.

Right: Alty debutant, Joe Mwasile.

After Perry had nodded on a Densmore ball to Reeves, the Yorkshireman had the ball in the net with a smart lob over keeper Veiga, but he was ruled offside (15 mins). Griffin and Mwasile soon swapped wings and after a Griffin corner had come to nothing, at the other end a rocket from Brown flashed just wide of Alty's goal from 30 yards (19 mins). Mwasile seemed to be having difficulty keeping his feet on the sticky surface and the next half chance saw Havern bravely block a Moore shot (22 mins).

Steady rain was falling as Coburn had to make a fine save from Nti, from the right. For Alty, a Perry shot was blocked as Lee Sinnott now exhorted his charges to "wake up". An Alty corner came and went before City almost grabbed the lead. Deeney's fine left-footed shot from 25 yards came back off the underside of the bar near Coburn's right upright and a City corner followed (28 mins).

City were in the ascendancy for the next few minutes as Alty laboured against the wind and difficult playing surface. As half time neared the rain was lashing down and Mwasile had to go off to have attention for a nose bleed. Referee Dermott allowed no added time; for which the spectators were grateful after a poor first half in difficult conditions.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 WORCESTER CITY 0

The rain intensified at half-time and Griffin's cross was turned out by Weir for an early Altrincham corner (47 mins). Alty were fortunate when Nti headed very wide from a free header after a cross from Williams on the City right (50 mins).

Next Reeves beat Hutchinson and crossed; eventually the ball came to Densmore who shot wide. Alty had another warning as Nti went close as Alty defended poorly and conceded a corner. The visitors' pressure got its reward when a right-wing cross by Nti was headed in by Brown who was unmarked in the centre of the goalmouth (56 mins).

With City the better team still, Aaron Williams fired just over the bar. Alty's best effort of the second half to date came when Griffin shot wide after a decent move in the 64th minute. Griffin then won a corner but City menaced again as a Moore lob landed on the roof of Alty's net. Alty were now deploying a 3-5-2 as they won a corner on left; Griffin, Havern and Marshall were the back line.

After 71 minutes Alty made a change when Moult replaced Mwasile; a minute later Leather replaced Doughty. A Perry cross was sliced out for a corner as the awful playing conditions continued to prevail. Now Lawrie came on for Perry (76 mins).

Till now, goalkeeper Veiga had yet to be troubled. Now City made a change as Ramsay-Dickson replaced Moore (77 mins). At last the visitors' keeper did have something to do as he smothered the ball from Perry after a Densmore cross. City went straight to the other end up the left and the ball was laid inside for Nti who scored a fine goal from 20+ yards to make it 2-0.

As so often happens, a team which has not looked like scoring for an entire game, goes two-down and then immediately finds the net. So it was as Lawrie hit a low freekick past Veiga and into the net off the post from about 30 yards in a central position (80 mins).

City made changes now; Taundry for Aaron Williams (83 mins) and Munday for Hutchinson (84 mins). Belatedly, Alty were getting forward a bit better but the dangerous Nti shot just wide on a counter-attack. As the game went into five added minutes Veiga came out 40 yards to chest clear. Two minutes into the added time the keeper had to make his only serious save and in the third minute Alty took advantage of the rain stopping as Reeves turned well but shot at Veiga (90+3 mins).

After a final Alty freekick, 40 yards out, Havern poked the ball wide.There was still time for Densmore to go down in the box but no spot kick resulted and a jubilant City left with a deserved three points. Whilst the conditions tonight were very difficult and Alty were without Clee and Walshaw, they could not complain at the outcome as their disjointed performance rarely threatened to unlock Worcester's defence.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 WORCESTER CITY 2
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