Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (0) 0 WOKING (0) 3

Vanarama Conference match
played on Saturday, 11 October 2014, at 3pm

SUMMARY

The first half was goalless but both sides had chances with Marriott hitting the Alty woodwork and Moult's outrageous 45 yard volley doing likewise, just before half-time. Woking had the better of the opening stages before a heavy rain shower soaked the players. After 35 minutes, Lawrie mis-hit a golden chance wide after Reeves had got behind a tumbling defender. Altrincham also won three first-half freekicks just outside the box, with Clarke getting booked for his offence.

Woking started the second half well and Rendell slid home a close range goal after 52 minutes. Two minutes later Griffin was sent off for a tackle on Lewis after he had mis-controlled the ball in midfield. And five minutes after that, Richman had to go off injured. Morgan made it 2-0 after 66 minutes. Nine minutes from time it got even worse as Alty were reduced to nine men when Crowther hobbled off. Payne added a third in injury time after a slick one-two had opened up Alty's back line.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Robert Jones

ATTENDANCE: 1,218
TEAM NEWS

James Lawrie returned to the starting line up after missing the midweek game through illness, so Greg Wilkinson moved to the bench.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1 Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (c), 6. Scott Leather, 5. Gianluca Havern, 3. Adam Griffin, 7. James Lawrie, 8. Simon Richman, 18. Sean Wiliams, 4. Jake Moult, 10. Damian Reeves, 11. Nicky Clee. Subs: 9. Steven Gillespie, 16. Tom Marshall, 14. Kyle Perry, 19. Ryan Crowther, 25. Peter Cavanagh,

WOKING (All yellow): 30. Ross Worner, 14. Theo Lewis, 3. Mike Cestor, 6. James Clarke, 21. Joey Jones, 22. John Goddard, 32. Chris Arthur, 24. Dean Morgan, 7. Josh Payne (capt), 16. Jack Marriott, 9. Scott Rendell, Subs: 2. Adam Newton, 10. Giuseppe Sole, 11. Kevin Betsy, 5. Joe McNerney, 23. Jake Cole,

BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett's records give the complete statistical history of games between the clubs.

REPORT

In bright and dry conditions, Woking kicked off towards the away end, where getting on for 100 travelling fans were gathered. Alty started with Lawrie behind Reeves and Moult at the base of the midfield diamond. The opening few minutes were pretty nondescript with a mixture of goalkicks, throws and an offside. But after 6 minutes a Worner goalkick yielded a corner off Leather. From the right for Woking the corner caught Alty unawares as the late arriving Jones volleyed narrowly wide (7 mins).

Next Coburn saved an underhit shot from Rendell from right of goal before Williams was tripped near half way but the freekick came to nothing. Woking were now setting the pace as, first, Morgan was allowed to get to the by-line before an Arthur cross from the left led to Goddard curling a shot wide (13 mins). For Alty a Lawrie cross went to Worner. At the other end Havern headed clear before Sean Williams shot wide after a promising build up (19 mins).

The first of three freekicks just outside their own box was now conceded by Woking. The first offence saw Richman tripped just outside the penalty box. Referee Jones measured out 10 yards but the Woking players moved forward as soon as he moved away. The ref then had to go back and restart the process yet he failed to show a yellow card which would have solved the problem immediately.

Densmore's freekick hit the wall then Clee volleyed wide (23 mins). Altrincham now got forward again as Williams fed Clee, whose backheel facilitated a Griffin cross, but this was held by Worner (24 mins). Alty’s improvement continued as Lawrie did well to feed Reeves, who won a corner on the right, taken by Clee, as the heavens opened. A second corner followed from the left, by Lawrie, but this was cleared (25 mins).

After Leather had won the ball and, via Williams, it had come to Reeves, the striker was upended on the front edge of the box by Clarke who escaped with a yellow card as there was a covering player (28 mins). Again the freekick went into the wall which was barely eight yards back on a line with the penalty spot (12 yard) whilst the freekick was well inside the "D" of the box (20 yards).

Woking then fired in a fierce 25 yarder to which Coburn just got his hands to help it onto the bar and out for a corner (30 mins). Altrincham continued to enjoy the better of the middle section of the first half and should have taken the lead after 35 minutes. As a retreating defender slipped head over heels, Reeves got towards the by-line, right of goal, but his cut back proved difficult for Lawrie and he mis-hit his shot well wide.

Woking responded as a Goddard shot had to be beaten out by Coburn and almost immediately Marriott's rising shot from right of goal hit the crossbar and went for a goalkick (37 mins). It was still pouring with rain as Leather slipped and conceded a corner. Next as clear a handball as you will ever see by Rendell went unseen by the officials and led to a shot by a team mate which was only just wide (40 mins).

Two minutes later a shot by Moult from 20 yards went just wide. After a Lawrie foul on Cestor, near half way, a quick freekick led to a cross which Coburn was glad to see headed narrowly over his bar. Just as the game was about to go into a minute's added time, following a throw won by Richman, Moult's audacious 45 yard volley hit the frame of the top corner of Worner's goal, as his dive proved unable to touch it (45 mins).

So the first half was goalless but both sides had chances with Marriott hitting the Alty woodwork and Moult's outrageous 45 yard volley doing likewise. Woking had had the better of the opening stages but Altrincham enjoyed the better of the middle section of the half.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 WOKING 0

The rain had stopped before the second half started but the floodlights were on as the game resumed with a fine Densmore run. Then Williams won a corner. After that, with Densmore down hurt, Arthur was allowed to run at Alty and his cross from the left was headed in by Rendell but he was given offside (48 mins). Rain had resumed as Woking won a corner and continued to apply some sustained pressure afterwards. Next, a smart flick put Marriott through but a great block by Coburn stopped a goal (51 mins).

The respite was short as Marriott advanced up the inside right channel and from his low cross, Rendell slid the ball into the net from close range to give Woking the lead (52 mins). ALty had barely recovered from this when Griffin miscontrolled a ball near half way and then stretched into a 50/50 situation with Lewis. Mr Jones showed a red card and Griffin, unbooked in 15 previous games this season, was given his marching orders. Lewis resumed after treatment (54 mins).

Next, Marriott forced a good save from Coburn from left of goal. Now Alty suffered another blow as Richman went down and after lengthy treatment had to be substituted by Crowther (59 mins). Clee had now moved back to cover for Griffin's departure as Coburn saved a Woking shot once more. After Arthur had waded in after Williams's ball had hit a prostrate Woking player, Mr Jones settled for no more than a lecture for both players (63 mins).

Next, Crowther made space but shot wide from 20 yards (65 mins) as Alty battled to get back into the game. But they fell 2-0 down when a Rendell flick put Morgan clear and he beat the exposed Coburn to make it 2-0 (66 mins).

> Alty made a double swap as Perry came on for Clee and Cavanagh for Williams (73 mins). After Payne fired over the bar from 18 yards, Sole replaced Marriott (77 mins). Arthur's "professional" foul from behind on Densmore was not deemed worthy of the card it deserved before Betsy narrowly shot wide from a Rendell feed (79 mins). The rain had now ceased as a Newton shot won a corner off Leather. With Cavanagh operating at the back for Alty, he halted a Betsy advance.

Just when it seemed that things could not get worse, they promptly did, as Crowther went down off the ball. After treatment he hobbled off with what seemed to be a back problem (87 mins). Following the game he was taken to hospital with breathing problems.

So Altrincham were now reduced to nine men as Reeves was fouled late. In the first of three added minutes, Payne made a fine run, exchanged a pass with Sole and strode on to plant a rising shot into the roof of the net (90+1 mins).There was still time for Arthur's 30 yard shot to be beaten out by Coburn (90+3 mins). Defeat plunged Altrincham back into the relegation zone after a run of three impressive performances had lifted them clear of the bottom four over the preceding fortnight.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 WOKING 3
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