Match Report
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN (0)
played on Tuesday, 30 September 2014, at 7.45pm
SUMMARY
After a fairly even first half, which was higher on effort and end to end excitement than on quality of finishing, Altrincham and Macclesfield reached half time goalless. For the home side, chances for Reeves and Clee had gone off target as Taylor was barely tested in the Silkmen's goal, whilst Coburn had had to make a couple of saves at the other end.
The second half continued in end to end fashion before an astute throw from Densmore produced a superb 90th minute 35-yard Lawrie volley which won the game.
SCORERS:
- 90 mins: James LAWRIE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Macclesfield Town 0)
REFEREE: Mr Steven RUSHTON
ATTENDANCE: 1,817 (665 in away end)
TEAM NEWS
THe suspended duo of Cavanagh and Marshall gave way to Richman and Havern, whilst Moult also came back into the side as Perry dropped to the bench. Familiar faces in the Macc side included Luke Waterfall and Paul Turnbull, both ex-loanees at Moss Lane. Ryan Crowther displaced Steven Gillespie from the bench as he returned from illness.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white stripes, black shorts, red socks) 1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (capt), 5. Gianluca Havern, 6. Scott Leather, 3. Adam Griffin, 7. James Lawrie, 4. Jake Moult, 18. Sean Williams, 8. Simon Richman, 11. Nicky Clee,10. Damian Reeves. Subs: 15. Greg Wilkinson, 12. Mike Williams, 14. Kyle Perry, 17. Dave Parton. 19. Ryan Crowther.
MACCLESFIELD TOWN (Green shirts and socks, white shorts) 1. Rhys Taylor, 2. Andy Halls, 4. Luke Waterfall, 5. George Pilkington, 3. Scott Barrow, 9. Chris Holroyd, 6. Paul Turnbull, 8. Paul Lewis, 11. Adriano Moke, 10. Waide Fairhurst, 14. Arthur Gnahoua. Subs: 20. Ritchie Branagan, 7. Malachi Lavelle-Moore, 15. Will Haining, 12. Dan Cowan, 19. Domaine Rouse.
BACKGROUND:
Mike Garnett's record of the many clashes between Altrincham and Macclesfield is here.
REPORT
Both sets of fans were in good voice as Altrincham kicked off and barely got it outside the centre circle before giving away possession. But it soon became evident that the home side had recovered some of the spirit that had been drained from them by their three successive heavy defeats.
Play settled into a fairly even end to end pattern. After a Griffin cross had gone to keeper Taylor, Leather had to halt Gnahoua, the former Stalybridge winger. Moments later Holroyd fired over the Altrincham bar (5 mins). Next, Moke shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box but then, with Reeves closing in, keeper Taylor dived to save a back pass and so conceded a freekick, barely eight yards from goal. With eight or none Macc players standing on the line, and with the situation seeming to demand a blast at goal in the hope of a deflection, Altrincham took a short freekick, from which Clee ballooned a shot well off target (12 mins).
At the other end a long punt was knocked onto Holroyd, who missed the target and the poor shooting continued from both sides as, first, a Lewis mishit flew well wide from 22 yards before a promising Lawrie break ended with a shot which was well of target (18 mins).
Rain was falling as Havern halted Holroyd after the forward had slipped past Leather. After conceding a foul, Lawrie then fired over at the other end from a Richman feed (23 mins). When Halls, just called up for England C, fouled Clee with a late challenge, he was duly booked (25 mins).
From a Pilkington error, Lawrie won a throw before his up and down first half saw him penalised in the opposition half. A Macc corner was won from Waterfall’s twice taken freekick but this came to nothing. From a good Griffin cross, a Richman knock gave Reeves a chance but, surprisingly, he scooped it over bar (30 mins).
After Lewis had got past Richman, Densmore was penalised on the edge of box and was booked, somewhat harshly, for the second successive game (31 mins). The off target shots continued as Fairhurst put his freekick well over the bar. After a Clee throw, Alty won a corner which came to nothing. After some more mis-passes from both sides, it was Moult's turn for a wild shot from the edge of the box (39 mins).
Macc threatened in the 41st minute when Gnahoua cut in but Coburn saved well, getting the ball at the second attempt. Just before half time a Holroyd cross was put over the bar by Gnahoua as Altrincham completed a first half without conceding a goal for only the third time this season; the other two occasions had both ended in home wins, against Dartford and Bristol Rovers.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0 |
Macc kicked off towards the Golf Road end but three fouls in the first four minutes prevented the game getting into a fluid pattern. The end to end pattern continued but so did the deficient final balls. It got better after 55 minutes when a 20 yarder from Clee forced a diving save from Taylor for a corner on the Alty right.
Just before the hour mark, a Pilkington slice past his own post gave Alty another corner, but this went straight to the keeper. Instantly Macc gained a corner themselves at the other end (60 mins).
Two minutes later Coburn had to concede a corner from a Griffin back pass and the Alty keeper completely missed Fairhurst's firm corner but Pilkington's header was well off target at the back post (63 mins). Macc were now edging the game but Alty responded with a Richman cross before Densmore got into the Macclesfield box.
Soon there was a Macc corner, won by Fairhurst, followed by a second one on the other side of the pitch. Coburn failed to hold this and a third corner was conceded. Lawrie was now having a good spell demonstrating energy as he twice broke up the middle. From the second run, Taylor had to dive at Reeves's feet to get the ball (69 mins). The end to end pattern continued but when Turnbull pushed Clee over, the freekick was wasted.
At the back Havern was having a good match and he now stopped Gnahoua before Densmore did equally well to stop Moke, who was immediately replaced by Haining as rain now fell steadily (72 mins). Three minutes later Haining was in the book for a trip on Lawrie as he got clear. Alty's Northern Irish international was having a really good half. But Densmore's freekick went into the wall before a Sean Williams shot won a corner (76 mins).
Crowther came on for Clee (78 mins) but after Gnahoua had done well, a Fairhurst shot was well stopped by Coburn (80 mins), and the ref went baclk to book Wilkinson for an earlier foul. Densmore's freekick was cleared before a Lawrie foul saw him now booked as well (8 mins). But Lawrie had the last laugh. As Densmore took the second of two throws in succession, Lawrie turned well and volleyed a superb goal from 35 yards out on the right wing which looped into the far corner of the net to put Altrincham ahead (90 mins).
In the three added minutes a Macc fan ran onto the pitch and had to be manhandled by the stewards. Deep into added time Lavelle-Moore replaced Holroyd but Altrincham saw out the closing minutes fairly comfortably to record a much needed win in a well-contested local derby. The win lifted Alty to 21st in advance of their trip to Halifax on Saturday. Following their disappointing showing last Saturday against Welling, this was a vastly improved performance showing a determination and confidence that had been lacking in that match.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0 |