Match Report

STOCKPORT COUNTY 0 ALTRINCHAM 0

Skrill North match
played on Friday, 18 April 2014, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham had the better of this goalless game, which nevertheless had plenty of goalmouth incident. Coburn made two important first-half saves whilst Alty went close to scoring on several occasions. Perhaps the best chance came late on when Reeves side-footed wide from a Clee cross, but Densmore also shaved a post and his diving header went narrowly wide. The game was atched by the league's biggest gate of the season.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr R Johnson
ATTENDANCE: 3,770 (621 in away end)
TEAM NEWS

Alty were unchanged except on the bench where Richman returned, for King, and Marshall replaced Doughty.

LINE-UPS:

STOCKPORT COUNTY

(Blue and white)		 1. Ian Ormson, 2. Kyle Jacobs, 3. Scott Duxberry, 4. Tunji Moses, 5. Mark Lees, 6. Stephen O'Halloran, 7. Chris Churchman, 8. Jamie Milligan, 9. Kristian Dennis, 10. Phil Jevons, 11. Adriano Moke, Subs 12. Bobby Lofthouse, 14. Iain Howard, 15. Kieran Charnock, 16. Sanchez Payne, 17. Nicky Platt

ALTRINCHAM

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

BACKGROUND:

Mike Garnett's records reveal the record in all matches between Alty and Stockport County

REPORT

On a sunny evening, more than 600 Alty fans were housed in the open end of Edgeley Park for this first-ever meeting of the club's first teams in a league match.

Altrincham kicked off, defending the away end, but immediately lost possession. County took advantage by forcing a corner, as Densmore headed the ball to safety (1 min). After the corner had been cleared by Havern, Jevons's cross from the right drifted out for a goalkick. County continued on the front foot as a Dennis effort went to Coburn after Milligan had got in a cross from the left.

Altrincham now got their act together as a Clee cross was cleared before Moult was halted by Ormson's dive at his feet. But a foul on Reeves, 35 yards out centrally from goal, gave Lawrie a freekick, which rose well over bar. At the other end, a good run by Jevons set up Dennis, but he fired over, underlining why County had failed to score in their past five matches (6 mins).

After an Alty corner on their right had been won by Reeves, Clee's kick went directly out of play. However, a foul for a push on Walshaw, helped Alty maintain a bit of pressure. Lawrie’s freekick went in the net but was disallowed and Walshaw was apparently booked for handball (9 mins).

The speedy Moke run now prompted a County attack, as the Altrincham fans continued to maintain an impressive level of vocal support. After a Lawrie cross had been blocked, a foul on Moult gave Alty a freekick on the right. Clee's testing kick was punched away by Ormson but Walshaw's follow-up ran comfortably to the County keeper (12 mins).

It was proving an eventful match as, now, Dennis was played into the Alty box but a good save by Coburn's feet saved the day. So, as the 15 minute mark passed, it had been a fairly even and entertaining game. Both defences had had some shaky moments.

Not for the last time, Ormson failed to hold a shot as Reeves fired at goal but a defender cleared up any danger. When Jevons's challenge went right through Moult, amazingly he was not booked. There was an ironic cheer as the floodlights came on after Alty's supporters had been chanting for more light.

After Lawrie had been dispossessed, there was great cover by Leather as Alty now enjoyed the better of things. After the freekick, Walshaw was halted but gained a corner on the right. After 27 minutes from Reeves's excellent nod on, Lawrie was just closed down as he was in the act of shooting and so the keeper saved comfortably.

Moke was proving a danger and he now got round Densmore but Griffin cleared the resulting cross in Alty's goalmouth. On the half hour a Moke cross was blocked by Leather and, on the counter, a Clee pass sent Reeves just a little too wide to get a shot on target. When Rodgers arrived very late in a challenge on Moke, like Jevons earlier, he surprisingly escaped unbooked (32 mins).

County's wayward finishing resurfaced with a wild shot by Dennis following the freekick. Mr. Johnson's book was produced, however, when Densmore brought down Moke (34 mins). From the freekick Jevons headed wide but was offside anyway. The end to end action continued as, next, Clee cut to the left and shot, with Ormson only gathering at the second attempt (36 mins).

Following a poor challenge on Reeves near half way, Moses was booked (38 mins). Two minutes later, Moke fed Jevons who was clean through but, again, Coburn saved with his legs before Moke blasted a shot over the bar. As half time approached, County had been the better side for the previous few minutes.

As the game went into added time, from a Clee cross Walshaw could not direct his header. Alty had had a good ten minute spell but otherwise play had been fairly even with Coburn having to make two important saves. For County, Moke had been the predominant threat, running at Alty with pace.

Half-Time: STOCKPORT COUNTY 0 ALTRINCHAM 0

At the break County introduced Platt for the booked Moses. Early on, Walshaw ambitiously shot from well left of goal but sliced his effort. Alty's leading scorer was then caught just offside as Clee put him free. Although Moke flattened Havern as he shepherded the ball out, no foul was given.

A more blatant omission by the referee came when O'Halloran barged over Walshaw from behind in the box and he waved play on (53 mins). Perhaps incensed by this, Walshaw then committed a needless foul by the touchline and was fortunate to escape a second yellow (54 mins).

After an uneventful few minutes, Duxbury conceded a corner after Griffin's testing cross for Walshaw; then Walshaw himself won a corner, which Leather headed over the bar (61 mins). Alty now applied some pressure as Moult got to the byline but the keeper got his cross. After this, a fine move, started by Lawrie's interception, led to his cross from the right which was headed just wide by a diving Densmore (65 mins).

Jevons missed the target at the other end (65 mins) before a good Alty move ended with keeper Ormson collecting the ball. Moke's finishing did not match his approach play as he was played in from the left but blasted his shot miles over the bar. For Alty, a Lawrie shot was once again fumbled by an uncertain Ormson. Next, a Clee cross was only just cleared before Ormson tipped a ball off Walshaw's head for a corner from which the keeper collected Leather's header (70 mins).

Alty were now having a better spell before a County corner arrived in the 76th minute. A minute later, Perry came on for Walshaw, after which a Reeves shot went to the keeper after a County error (78 mins). Ten minutes from time a Clee run won a corner, soon followed by another corner from a Densmore cross.

Alty’s pressure continued as Densmore advanced into the box and his cross-shot shaved the far post (82 mins).

There was now something on fire behind the away end and clouds of smoke billowed up the pitch as play continued. From more Alty pressure, there was almost a Duxbury own goal but Ormson got the ball.

After 85 minutes a poor freekick by Churchman found row Z and he and Milligan were then subbed in favour of Payne and Howard (86 mins). A County cross from the right was headed narrowly over by Dennis before Havern cleared from Moke. When Jacobs fouled Clee, the County man was booked.

Alty had a great chance to win in the first of four added minutes. An impressive Clee run got him to the byline, left of goal. His cut back found Reeves in front of goal, but he opened his foot too much and put the ball wide (90+1 mins). The game soon ended, goalless, but there had been plenty of entertaining action at both ends to entertain the league's biggest gate of the season.

Full-Time: STOCKPORT COUNTY 0 ALTRINCHAM 0
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