Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (3) 5 VAUXHALL MOTORS (0) 1

Skrill North match
played on Monday, 21 April 2014, at 3pm

SUMMARY

After a fairly quiet start to the game, Alty scored twice in a five-minute spell. First, Walshaw's airshot from a Clee throw was cleared to Moult. His rasping shot was blocked but fell for Walshaw to hook home (22 mins). Then a Lawrie corner was headed home by Havern to make it 2-0, after 27 minutes.

The last act of the first half was a great run up the right by Densmore and, from his feed, Reeves volleyed home impressively to make it 3-0.

Walshaw chipped the keeper superbly from Griffin's excellent feed to make it 4-0 after 51 minutes. Altrincham dominated play after that and Lawrie scored a fine fifth after 73 minutes.

Tames's speculative shot eluded sub keeper Russ Saunders to make it 5-1 (83 mins).

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr P Dermott
ATTENDANCE: 831
TEAM NEWS

Both teams were unchanged.

LINE-UPS:

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.

VAUXHALL MOTORS

(Green and yellow)		 1. Zac Jones, 2. Steve Wainwright, 3. Louis Barnes, 4. Tom Hannigan, 5. Andrew Nicholas, 6. Karl Clair, 7. Danny Fearnehough, 8. Mattie Burke, 9. Steven Tames, 10. Lloyd Ellams, 11. Adam Hughes. Subs: 12. Paulo Mendes, 14. Danny Cross, 15. Mark Bainbridge, 16. Anthony Wright, 17. Jon Ritchie.

BACKGROUND:

Barring two defeats in this and next Saturday's game at Histon, by a collectively heavy margin, Altrincham were assured of a place in the promotion play offs before kick-off.

Sadly, this would be the Motormen's last visit to Altrincham for a league match for some time following their decision to drop to the West Cheshire League next season. Mike Garnett's records reveal the record in all matches between Alty and Vauxhall Motors.

REPORT

Many of the Altrincham players' children accompanied their fathers onto the pitch for the pre-match handshakes before the Motors kicked off towards the away end on a sunny but blustery afternoon at the J. Davidson Stadium.

Following an early Lawrie freekick Reeves was caught offside as the game started quietly (3 mins). Reeves was again caught offside after six minutes but keeper Jones had saved his shot, anyway.

A good Clee run was soon followed by an Alty freekick in the right-centre from which the ball found Havern, at the back post, but he could only hook a shot into the side netting (8 mins). Altrincham were having the better of things as a Densmore run was halted and Walshaw was blocked from a Rodgers feed. For the Motors, Fearnehough shot well wide (10 mins).

The visitors were fairly lively at this stage as Tames fired across the face of goal before Ellams sidestepped Havern and forced a good save from Coburn, for a corner.

After 17 minutes, Walshaw miskicked as Clee set up a volley for him with a measured pass forward. Lawrie now gained a corner before Walshaw won a freekick just in the Motors' half.

Altrincham took the lead in the 22nd minute when a Clee long throw led to a Walshaw airkick but the ball came out to Moult who hit a fine shot from 20+ yards which rebounded to Walshaw, who hooked it home from close range.

From a Lawrie corner, Havern headed home at the back post to make it 2-0 (27 mins). Next, Clee won a corner and as Alty dominated, Moult was blocked by a defender. Carl Rodgers then had to go off injured, so Simon Richman came on (36 mins).

Altrincham continued to dominate but just before half time Vauxhall's Tames almost got onto the end of a cross from the left In added time a low Griffin cross was almost turned in at the near post by Reeves. But then a great Densmore run up the right led to Reeves volleying home impressively to make it 3-0. Moments later the interval arrived. In

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3 VAUXHALL MOTORS 0

For the second half, Mendes replaced Hughes. A Vauxhall corner came and went and a Clair cross went for a goalkick after good work from Wainwright. With a comfortable lead for the home side, the atmosphere was a bit more akin to a friendly than a competitive match.

But things improved with a great delivery from Griffin, which Walshaw controlled and then lobbed the keeper in one movement, to record a fine goal, making it 4-0 (51 mins). Vauxhall had not given up and first, Coburn had to field a long shot before Wainwright fired over from 25 yards (54 mins).

A Clee freekick now went just too high for Leather before Lawrie shot narrowly wide (58 mins). Reeves was now caught offside as he chipped the keeper from a Walshaw feed. Another Alty corner arrived (62 mins) before Vauxhall introduced Cross for Ellams (63 mins).

In the 68th minute, Marshall came on for Clee and Alty moved to a back three as Griffin and Densmore pushed forward. After 70 minutes, Altrincham made an unforced change as goalkeeper Coburn gave way to Russell Saunders.

Not long after a Richman shot had won a corner, out of nothing, James Lawrie hit a fine left foot shot into the net from 20 yards to make it 5-0 (73 mins). The lively Vauxhall defender Wainwright now fired just over the bar as Vauxhall still showed some spirit.

Altrincham continued to dominate as a Densmore diving header cleared the bar after a Griffin cross had been nodded on by a defender. Next, Lawrie turned well but fired over from the edge of the box (80 mins).

A speculative shot from 40 yards out on the left by Tames squirmed through Saunders's hands to make it 5-1 (83 mins). A minute from the end of normal time, Lawrie was set clear but failed to lob Jones. Three added minutes saw Vauxhall win two corners but the game was soon terminated at 5-1.

The win confirmed Alty's play-off qualification though their opponents will not be known till after the final round of matches next Saturday.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 5 VAUXHALL MOTORS 1
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