Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (2) 8 STOCKPORT SPORTS (0) 0

Cheshire Senior Cup 1st Round match
played on Wednesday, 29 January 2014, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Seven different players scored (and two others hit the woodwork) for Altrincham as they overcame a spirited performance from Stockport Sports in the Cheshire Senior Cup.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr William Smallwood
ATTENDANCE: 106
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham deployed a starting eleven comprising eleven first-team squad members, albeit only six of tonight's starters had also started the club's last 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. Adam Griffin, 5. Scott Leather, 6. Jake Moult, 7. James Lawrie, 8. Greg Wilkinson, 9. Kyle Perry, 10. James Walshaw, 11. Nicky Clee. Subs 12. Rob Gilroy, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Max Pouncey, 16. Damian Reeves, 18. Josh Samberg,

STOCKPORT SPORTS

(White shirts and dark blue shorts and socks)		 1. Richie Torkington, 2. Tom Bane, 3. Liam Millen, 4. Joshua Granite, 5. Paul Wadsworth, 6. Steve Moores, 7. Jordan Young, 8. Alex Crowe (capt), 9. Ben Halfacre, 10. Joshua Tinker, 11. Lee Jackson. Subs: 12. Jamie Street, 13. Jack Wareing, 14. Ryan Steele 15. Callum Jackson, 17. Aaron Riley

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett gives us the details of previous encounters between Altrincham and Woodley Sports, the previous identity of Stockport Sports

The games were as follows -

13.11.2001 A (CSC2) 8-1

13.9.2005 A (CSC1) 4-2

This game had been moved back 24 hours due to heavy rain and had been previously postponed earlier in the month for the same reason. Indeed, it took a 5pm pitch inspection to ensure that the match went ahead tonight. As well as the inevitably soft pitch, the players had to contend with a strong, cold wind, blowing down the pitch towards the Golf Road end.

REPORT

Stockport won the toss and elected to play with the wind behind them, meaning that the teams changed ends and that Altrincham kicked off in front of a crowd of 106, the lowest at Moss Lane for a competitive game in the current Millennium.

Alty started with Adam Griffin and Scott Leather at centre back. The first action of note was a wild shot by Kyle Perry, from a Jake Moult feed, which went very high and wide of the target (3 mins). After Millen had fouled Greg Wilkinson, near half way, the ball was worked back to Wilkinson, who shot wide. The midfielder did better a minute or so later, when he forced Torkington to beat his shot away (6 mins).

Altrincham continued to press, but without any clear opening, before Walshaw was guilty of a late lunge on Bane, who needed treatment both on and off the pitch. Walshaw could have no complaint at being booked. Whilst down to ten men, the Saxons had an escape when, after threatening crosses from Shaun Densmore and Moult, Perry hit the visitors' bar (13 mins). Bane now returned to the game but James Walshaw was soon penalised again and a minor fracas threatened to erupt (16 mins).

Howver, Walshaw turned from villain to Altrincham hero as he opened the scoring. The goal arose when Clee's cross from the left was missed by a defender, allowing Perry to feed Walshaw, who scored confidently, with a left-footed shot from close range (18 mins). The Saxons' crocked defender, Tom Bane, a former Altrincham Youth player, was unable to continue and he was replaced by Riley (19 mins)

Next, a Lawrie left-footer shot went just wide before Walshaw got in two more shots; the first was blocked at source and the second went narrowly wide, after the forward had turned smartly to create the opening (23 mins).

Altrincham struck the woodwork for a second time when Leather's header hit the post and Perry hooked the rebound over the bar. Altrincham also had to make an early change as Rob Gilroy replaced Matt Doughty. Gilroy, who has recently been on loan to Prescot Cables, was soon making his mark as he fed Clee who dummied a defender impressively before scoring with a low shot into the left corner of the net from the centre of the box (27 mins).

After Jackson had been booked for a foul on Clee, a low Wilkinson shot went just wide as Altrincham continued on top. However, the visitors had their moments, one of which was when Halfacre broke forward and almost got into Alty's box (32 mins). At the other end, after a mis-clearance to Wilkinson, the Alty's midfielder's shot was deflected over from close range for a corner.

With Moult at centre back after Doughty had left the game, Griffin had moved to left back. Another Altrincham corner came and went before the Sports won a freekick, 35 yards out in a central position. Jackson hit this well and forced a rare save from Coburn (39 mins). Four minutes later Halfacre forced another Coburn save, this time from a Moores feed, as the visitors finished the half well.

Though Altrincham were good value for their lead, the visitors had contributed to an entertaining first half.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2 STOCKPORT SPORTS 0

Altrincham made two changes at the interval as Damian Reeves and Simon Richman replaced Walshaw and Perry. Altrincham now hit the woodwork for a third time as Wilkinson advanced impressively and his lob came back off the crossbar. However, an alert Damian Reeves stooped to head home the rebound (47 mins). Just two minutes later, a Clee cross came in from the left to Lawrie. Though he was unable to control the ball, it ran to Gilroy, who scored his first first-team goal for Altrincham (49 mins).

Almost immediately Gilroy threatened again but, this time ,goalkeeper Torkington just beat him to the ball. As Alty now dominated, a Wilkinson shot was saved and a freekick and corner soon followed for the hosts. After the Saxons had brought on Street for Moores (54 mins), Lawrie and Clee won successive freekicks. Next Gardner replaced Jackson for the Sports (55 mins).

The visitors did not shut up shop and play for the next few minutes was end to end but any hope of a comeback was stifled after 65 minutes when Jake Moult was put through up the middle and he went on to score impressively (65 mins). Following a corner, Griffin tried to get in on the goalscoring act but his shot hit the side netting. Another home corner arrived from a surging run by Gilroy (73 mins).

As Altrincham remained on the front foot, a clever Moult chip forward set Reeves in on the keeper but the striker lifted his attempted lob over the bar as well as Torkington (77 mins). With ten minutes remaining, from a Lawrie feed, Wilkinson blasted home a superb low shot from outside the box, right of goal, to make it 6-0. Within a minute, James Lawrie was put through and scored to make it 7-0 and to put the seventh different name on the Altrincham scoresheet.

Shortly afterwards, an eighth goal arrived as Lawrie was again put through, this time by a superb threaded pass up the middle from Leather, and the Northern Ireland international netted his second and Alty's final goal (85 mins). Not only had seven different players scored but two others (Leather and Perry) had hit the woodwork.

However, the Saxons did not give up, as Millen forced Coburn into some late action (88 mins). After this Clee tried an ambitious 45-yard shot, which cleared the bar and Lawrie did likewise from 30 yards in the final minute. Just before that, however, Simon Richman had left the game holding his back, so Alty saw out the match with ten men.

Though Altrincham were clearly the better side, the visitors played their part in a flowing game. Altrincham now travel to Stalybridge Celtic for the Second Round match in mid-February.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 8 STOCKPORT SPORTS 0
Link to ARCHIVE INDEX