Match Report


WREXHAM (2) 2 ALTRINCHAM (0) 3

Vanarama Conference match
played on Saturday, 22 November 2014, at 3pm


SUMMARY

In an eventful match, Alty came from 2-0 down at the interval to win 3-2.

Having started quite well, Altrincham nevertheless fell behind in the 14th minute when a clearance allowed Elliott Durrell to get past Shaun Densmore to score. Things worsened when Scott Leather, well inside the Wrexham half, was sent off for a lunge at Carrington. When Louis Moult added a second for Wrexham, just before half time, it looked to be all over for the visitors.

However, moments later, Louis Moult got himself sent off to reduce Wrexham to ten men as well. Nine minutes into the second half, Wrexham lost a second player when the already booked Andy Bishop was dismissed for his second bookable offence. With Alty now having a man advantage, they tried to play a patient game but their moves initially lacked the necessary tempo to break down the Wrexham defence.

Adam Griffin was the key to Alty's success as he repeatedly got up the left wing to deliver telling crosses. From one, Reeves volleyed home in the 74th minute. Five minutes later Reeves scored again when a team-mate's shot seemed to deflect off him, And James Lawie secured the win when he scored following Luca Havern's nod-down of another Griffin cross.

Wrexham mounted some late pressure but Altrincham defended well to retain all three points. It was the first time they had won a game after conceding the first goal in a match this season.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Ryan Johnson
ATTENDANCE: 3,002, 169 from Altrincham
TEAM NEWS

Nicky Clee was again unfit to play with his toe injury. For Wrexham, Hudson was suspended and the Dragons had signed a new loan keeper, Jonathan Flatt as regular goalkeeper Andy Coughlin had injured his hand. New loan signing Scott Tancock also started today, at left-back.

Wrexham had not won in seven league games before today.


LINE-UPS:

WREXHAM (Red and black hoops) 27. Jonathan Flatt, 18. Ross White, 3. Neil Ashton, 4. Manny Smith, 16. Wesley York, 28. Scott Tancock, 6. Joe Clarke, 2. Mark Carrington, 7. Elliott Durrell, 10. Andy Bishop, 9. Louis Moult. Subs: 15. Rob Evans, 26. Johnny Hunt, 24. Connor Jennings, 19. Nick Rushton, 8. Jay Harris

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow shirts and socks and blue shorts) 1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (c), 5. Gianluca Havern, 6. Scott Leather, 3. Adam Griffin, 4. Jake Moult, 25. Peter Cavanagh, 8. Simon Richman, 7. James Lawrie, 9. Steven Gillespie, 14. Kyle Perry. Subs: 10. Damian Reeves, 17 Dave Parton, 16. Tom Marshall, 19. Ryan Crowther, 18. Sean Williams


BACKGROUND

Wrexham had gone seven games without a league win before today's game. Altrincham had an up and down month, with an early FA Cup exit at NBlyth but a good perfrmance last time out to secure a point against second-placed Grimsby Town in the league.


REPORT

The game started with both sides trying to pass the ball but neither imposing themselves on the other. Altrincham began to have the better of things and after a Lawrie cross had been cleared, a good move ended as Jake Moult's ball ran out for a goalkick.

Wrexham’s first threat came after seven minutes when a long clearance allowed Louis Moult, Jake's brother, to shoot across goal from 25 yards. A good Griffin cross won Alty a corner on the left but a shortish corner-routine came to nothing. A foul on Richman produced a freekick before a Moult cross found Perry but his header ran to the debutant keeper, Flatt (13 mins).

Against the run of play York put Durrell through and the ex-Hednesford man held off a Densmore challenge and stroked the ball past Coburn's left hand to score the game's opening goal after 14 minutes.

When Richman did well and broke forward, he delayed his shot and passed instead but the move petered out. The Wrexham keeper punched clear a Griffin cross before Lawrie cut in from the right and shot, low, at goal. The keeper fumbled the shot and Densmore tried to get the rebound but his effort went for a goalkick.

Altrincham were seeing their fair share of the ball but their build ups lacked a great deal of tempo. But the visitors should have scored after 26 minutes when Perry, on the right, played in Richman and he crossed, low, to his left to the unmarked Gillespie. From six yards Gillespie shinned the ball over the bar, underlining his unwanted current record as the Conference player who has the highest shots to goals scored ratio which, at the start of this game, stood at 31:1.

At the other end, Densmore conceded a corner and, after Leather had been penalised, the Wrexham freekick caused some indecision as Coburn and Havern left the ball for each other (29 mins). Following a Densmore mis-pass, a York 30 yarder was well saved by Coburn (32 mins).

The game was now error-strewn from both teams before Wrexham broke forward and Havern had to see off Bishop. Ten yards inside the Wrexham half Leather lunged in on Carrington after losing the ball and was sent off (36 mins). Immediately, defender Marshall came on for striker Gillespie (38 mins).

After this, Durrell won a corner on the right before Bishop was booked for a foul in the Alty box (40 mins). Just after three added minutes had been displayed, a melee in Alty's box saw Bishop hit the bar and Louis Moult net the rebound (45+1 mins).

But then as the break approached, Louis Moult took out Richman off the ball and was shown a straight red card, to reduce the sides to ten men apiece (45+3 mins). There was time for the freekick, near halfway, to Alty, from which Flatt parried a Havern shot. Now Ashton was booked.

After the whistle for the interval, the home manager rushed onto the pitch and barged into one of the officials as they gathered to march off to a chorus of "You don't know what you're doing" from both sets of supporters, all aggrieved at the respective dismissals. This was a bit harsh on Mr. Johnson for, whilst the sendings-off might have been debatable they were both quite plausible decisions.

So, the bad miss by Gillespie had left Alty two goals adrift at the break but with both sides now reduced to ten men there was some hope. During the interval, Altrincham fans learnt that they had lost another defender, this time on a more permanent basis than Scott Leather as it was announced over the Wrexham tannoy that Altrincham's Mike Williams, a former Wrexham player, had decided to retire due to a series of injuries.


Half-Time: WREXHAM 2 ALTRINCHAM 0

For the second half, Damian Reeves replaced Kyle Perry and Mr. Johnson received a hostile reception as he emerged from the tunnel. Alty kicked off and took a while to get into their stride. For their part Wrexham were not over impressive either. Alty's build ups continued to lack much zip but Adam Griffin on the left was looking their main attacking threat.

The game erupted again after 54 minutes when Bishop scythed down Moult and, having been booked already, he was quite rightly sent off. Bishop could not complain but he did so anyway, before he reluctantly trudged off leaving the match as 9 Wrexham men against 10 from Altrincham.

Initially Altrincham did not press home their advantage, as mispasses let them down. Keeper Flatt was warned about timewasting as Wrexham signalled their intent. The game seemed to be drifting away from Alty as they now wasted a corner before Flatt was again told to hurry up. Alty continued to misfire as Cavanagh sidefooted a 25-yard shot well over the bar.

The Dragons now introduced Connor Jennings for Durrell whilst Alty brought on Crowther for Moult (66 mins). Alty's patient build ups were not causing Wrexham any alarms whilst mis-passing also let them down repeatedly. For Wrexham York got forward but was seen off before Griffin underlined that he was Altrincham's main attacking threat as he got forward twice in quick succession up the left wing. His first cross won a corner and from his second, the stretching Reeves volleyed home a goal for the visitors (74 mins).

York, who moments earlier had raced up the middle of the pitch, now seemed to be stricken by a debilitating illness as he stepped as slowly as he could off the pitch to be replaced by Evans (75 mins). The goal prompted Altrincham to mount some sustained pressure and this paid off after 79 minutes when an Altrincham shot seemed to strike Reeves and loop into the net to level the score at 2-2.

More Alty pressing then brought a third goal as Griffin again got up the left and his cross was nodded down at the back post by Havern, from where Laurie seemed to nod it into the net (83 mins). Falling behind prompted Wrexham to abandon their policy of containment and get forward themselves. Following a Richman foul, near half-way, the freekick was nodded on to Coburn.

With two minutes of normal time left Cavanagh fouled Ashton just outside Alty's box but the freekick was cleared. But Wrexham did not give up as Jennings fired wide but was awarded a corner. Five added minutes saw Altrincham again defending manfully before Harris replaced white (90+3 mins). This substitution was accomplished in record time in contrast to the earlier dawdling changeover.

Soon, the final whistle went to confirm Altrincham's third away win of the season, all accomplished against former Football League clubs. Whilst the sendings off obviously had an effect on the outcome, Altrincham had shown fighting spirit to come back, for the first time this season, to win a game in which they had initially fallen behind.



Full-Time: WREXHAM 2 ALTRINCHAM 3