ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

ALTRINCHAM (2) 3 COLWYN BAY (0) 1

Skrill North match
played on Saturday, 22 February 2014, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham got off to a great start, with James Walshaw scoring twice in the first ten minutes. The first came when he turned, on receiving Densmore's throw-in for the right, and put a low left-footed shot past Sanna. His second goal was an excellent finish as he stroked the ball inside the upright from the edge of the box from Reeves's nod on. After a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Clee, who thankfully was able to resume after being fouled, the game lost a bit of its flow but Alty led 2-0 at the break.

With Bay attacking, Alty broke away and Walshaw smartly completed his hat trick in the 56th minute. Altrincham took their foot off the pedal and midway through the half Bay saw Royle's penalty saved by Coburn after Leather was judged to have tripped Marc Williams. However Sean Williams did beat the keeper from 25 yards to make it 3-1 in the 81st minute.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr A Scregg
ATTENDANCE: 790
TEAM NEWS

Alty were without the ill Greg Wilkinson and the long-term injured Mike Williams but, otherwise, were at full strength. Mike's brother, Marc was in the visitors' starting eleven.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM

(Red and white striped shirts, red shorts and socks) 		1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (capt), 3. Adam Griffin 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. Matt Doughty, 14. Tom Marshall, 15. Carl Rodgers, 16. Kyle Perry, 17. Joe Mwasile.

COLWYN BAY

(Claret and blue shirts, white shorts and socks)		 1. Christopher Sanna, 2. Danny Taylor, 3. Michael Lea, 4. Anthony Stevens, 5. Tom Smyth, 6. Jonathan Royle, 7. Gareth Evans, 8. Sean Williams, 9. Rob Hopley, 10. Marc Williams, 11. James Ellison. Subs: 12. Josh Clarke, 14. Louis Moss, 15. Jamie Crowther, 16. Jamie Tolley, 17. Cameron Darkwah.

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett's records reveal the record in all matches between Alty and Colwyn Bay.

REPORT

After a generally sunny day, a cloudy mid-afternoon meant that the floodlights were switched on before Altrincham kicked off towards Golf Road. Inside the first minute, they won a corner on their left. Though this was cleared Altrincham made a fairly bright start to the game. The game's first shot arrived in the fourth minute when an underhit Walshaw effort ran to keeper Sanna.

Just after Reeves had been halted by Smyth, Densmore's throw in reached Walshaw, who turned and fired in a left-footed shot from just outside the box and scored the game's opening goal (5 mins). Immediately, Bay won a corner off Griffin and the next few minutes saw end to end action. Bay's only effort on goal at this stage was a poor effort from Sean Williams which bisected the angle of goal and corner flag (9 mins).

Altrincham now doubled their lead as Lawrie fed Walshaw from the right. When Reeves nodded on a ball from the back, Walshaw stroked home a superbly placed shot, just inside the keeper's right post to make it 2-0 in the tenth minute. The home side continued to have the better of things before Bay won a 17th-minute corner on their left. But Leather headed clear before a Coburn punch dealt with a follow up.

Bay continued to go forward and Densmore had to concede a corner from Sean Williams's cross (18 mins). After attacks by Richman and Clee had been blocked, Reeves got to the byline but saw his cross blocked (22 mins).

There was then a protracted stoppage after Royle slid in, late, on Clee who needed extensive attention from physio Alan Ainsley. Royle was booked before Clee recovered from a knock to his right ankle. He resumed the game in the 27th minute.

The stoppage seemed to disrupt the flow of the match but, after 33 minutes, Marc Williams's fierce snap shot from 25 yards or more needed a smart save from Coburn, who beat the ball away. Following a long throw from Smyth, on the right, Marc Williams won a corner on the Bay right.

A fine run by Densmore ended in an overhit cross (39 mins) before, at the other end, Royle did the same with his cross (41 mins). Bay were seeing plenty of the ball but the Alty defence was proving solid as half-time arrived with Alty's two-goal lead intact.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2 COLWYN BAY 0

After a quiet opening to the half, Bay made a half-hearted penalty appeal, which Mr. Scregg refused (50 mins). But it was the visitors who were taking the game to Altrincham and they now won a corner off Griffin. When Clee caught Smyth late, he received a lecture but Bay were soon pressing again up their right side (53 mins). Lawrie now conceded a freekick just outside the Alty box. Following this Coburn had to make a great save before the ball was scrambled away. Alty were decidedly on the back foot as a freekick now led to Coburn having to make another important stop.

From this save, the ball was quickly played up to Walshaw in the inside-left channel and he scored smartly as he chipped the ball towards the net where a defender helped it into the roof of the net (56 mins).

After 58 minutes the burly Tolley replaced Smyth. As the hour mark passed Clee's 35-yard piledriver flashed across the face of goal (62 mins). Next, Walshaw put Reeves clear; he chipped the keeper, but a defender cleared the ball off the line (64 mins).

After a second foul by Tolley had earned him a lecture, Bay brought on Darkwah for Ellison (65 mins). An Alty corner followed soon afterwards, followed by a Clee cross, which Leather headed over the bar. Alty now introduced Doughty for Griffin. Immediately, Williams got past Doughty and Leather's challenge was judged to have given Bay a penalty. However, Royle's spot kick was saved and held by Coburn, diving to his right (68 mins).

More changes came as Rodgers came on for Moult (71 mins) and Bay's Crowther for Hopley, a minute later. Bay wasted a corner won by Darkwah (77 mins) but Bay's pressure paid off when Sean Williams curled a fine goal past Coburn from outside the box (81 mins).

Joe Mwasile was ready to come on but the substitution was now deferred. Alty continued to sit deep and allowed Bay to attack them. As the game went into added time, Alty won a corner but a well struck effort from Densmore deep into the three added minutes was the nearest to a goal in the dying moments.

Walshaw's excellent hat trick earned him the Man of the Match award and it was his slick finishing which was the difference between the sides. Bay had plenty of possession but lacked the guile up front to make it a closer contest.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3 COLWYN BAY 1
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