Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (1) 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN (0) 0

FA Trophy Round One match
played on Saturday, 13 December 2014, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham repeated their league win over the Silkmen with another 1-0 win in today's FA Trophy clash. The deciding goal arrived after just one minute and fifty seconds. A great turn by Damian Reeves got him free and he scored with a rising shot past Branagan. Macclesfield did not look like a team lying second in the Conference but they did improve after the break.

However, the visitors scarcely tested Dave Parton in the Alty goal and were reduced to ten men after 73 minutes, when Dan Whitaker was sent off for a "last man" trip on Simon Richman. Substitute Whitaker had only joined the game 13 minutes earlier. It was Alty who went closest to scoring again when Tom Marshall's cleverly hooked shot came back off the woodwork (76 mins).

Macclesfield rallied to apply some late pressure but their best chance was wasted by Grant who missed the target after a mis-header by Marshall.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr S Bennett

ATTENDANCE: 1,276
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham welcomed Nicky Clee back to the bench, whilst goalkeeper Stuart Coburn was again missing with injury, so Dave Parton continued in goal. Sean Williams replaced Jake Moult in midfield, whilst Scott Leather returned to the bench after completing his suspension.

Macc were without former Alty loanee Paul Turnbull.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 17.Dave Parton 2. Shaun Densmore (c), 5. Gianluca Havern, 16. Tom Marshall, 3. Adam Griffin, 8. Simon Richman, 18. Sean Williams, 25. Peter Cavanagh, 19. Ryan Crowther, 7. James Lawrie, 10. Damian Reeves. Subs: 4. Jake Moult, 14. Kyle Perry, 9. Steven Gillespie, 15. Greg Wilkinson, 11. Nicky Clee.

MACCLESFIELD TOWN (Blue and white): 20. Ritchie Branagan, 2. Andy Halls, 3. Scott Barrow, 31. Liam Hogan, 5. George Pilkington, 9. Chris Holroyd, 10. Waide Fairhurst, 14. Arthur Gnahoua, 28. Alex Grant, 30. William Bailey, 32. Denny Johnstone. Subs: 11. Adriano Moke, 12. Daniel Cowan, 23. Danny Whitaker, 29. Matthew Barnes-Homer, 27. Adam Thomas.

BACKGROUND

Altrincham had won the league match between these clubs, at home, earlier this season. Since then Macclesfield Town had climbed to second in the league, whilst Alty started the game in eighteenth place.

Mike Garnett informs us of the historical record between Altrincham and Macclesfield Town.

REPORT

It was a cold but sunny afternoon at the J. Davidson Stadium but the floodlights were on before kick off. Macc kicked off towards the away end and Reeves immediately chased down keeper Branagan and almost blocked his hurried clearance.

After Simon Richman had given the ball away, the midfielder then did well to get possession and prompt an attack. The ball reached Damian Reeves who turned brilliantly past his marker on the front central edge of the box before firing a rising shot into the net. Just one minute and fifty seconds had elapsed.

The visitors’ tentative start continued but they almost took advantage of Parton bouncing the ball before a kick but their player's attempt to hook the ball away failed. Next, more good work from Richman led to the midfielder having a shot saved (6 mins). Alty's dominance continued as Williams's fine ball, left to Crowther, led to the latter's low cross which gained a corner. A shaky Macc defence scrambled the ball clear before a Macc error allowed Crowther to shoot, but his effort went wide.

Next, the hardworking Reeves succeeded in charging down keeper Branagan's attempt to kick clear and when two Macc men went for the same header it epitomised the unexpected disorder in the visitors' play (14 mins). When Cavanagh hauled back Fairhurst, 40 yards out, he was fortunate to avoid a booking (15 mins).

Following a foul on Crowther, the resulting freekick led to Reeves and Barrow clashing heads. Both resumed and, soon afterwards, Richman was fouled and Pilkington was booked for the offence (19 mins). Alty continued to have the better of things, finding their men with greater regularity than the visitors, before a Macclesfield freekick led to a corner, from which Grant headed Fairhurst's kick well wide (22 mins).

As the half-hour mark approached, Macclesfield were having a better spell. However, from a freekick, won off Griffin, on their right, Fairhurst took a poor, low freekick which was cleared easily (28 mins). When Richman tripped Holroyd, he was booked for the foul, 35 yards out from the Alty goal. But, again, the freekick was wasted by a very poor effort from Fairhurst. Parton was called into some rare action as he came out well to catch the ball ahead of Johnstone (33 mins).

There was a blow for Alty when Crowther went down for treatment off the ball and had to be replaced by Gillespie, who took over the left wing slot (36 mins). As half time approached an excellent Richman tackle led to Williams winning a corner on Alty's right and up until the final moments of added time, Altrincham were on the front foot. But then Holroyd's sliced shot won his side a lucky corner, which came to nothing.

Alty deservedly led at the break, though Macclesfield had improved after a shaky start but continued to make unforced errors.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0

Altrincham kicked off towards the away end and won an early freekick, 30 yards out, which led to a weak Lawrie shot to Branagan. Town wasted a freekick for a foul on Hogan by hitting the ball into the wall. Macc had started the second half the better side before characteristic harrying by the energetic Richman won Altrincham a left sided corner (53 mins).

Alty now enjoyed forward momentum as, first, Reeves, then Gillespie were halted before a 57th minute Marshall shot flew well wide. Gillespie was now harshly booked for a needless foul on the touchline near half-way (58 mins).

On the hour mark, Whitaker came on for Fairhurst. Just after this, Gillespie was tripped but Lawrie's freekick was almost glanced into his own net by a defender. The resulting corner was poorly taken by Lawrie. Next, an impressive Gillespie dribble was halted (64 mins).

After Macc had won a corner, ex-Kidderminster striker Barnes-Homer came on for the visitors' captain Pilkington. The armband was passed to Whitaker (68 mins). Altrincham made their second change after 72 minutes when Nicky Clee came on for Lawrie.

Moments later, about 25 yards out, Whitaker tripped Richman as the Alty midfielder got onto a good ball up the middle. Referee Bennett produced a red card so Whitaker left the game just 13 minutes after joining it (73 mins). So now the captain's armband had to be reassigned once more.

On 75 minutes, Moke replaced Gnahoua before Gillespie hit a freekick into the defensive wall. Next a Densmore cross won a corner. Taken by Gillespie, this led to an impressive hooked shot from Marshall which beat Branagan but rebounded back off the woodwork (76 mins).

Gillespie produced a mazy run past two defenders before feeding Richman, who from left of goal, lifted the ball just over the bar as the keeper closed him down (81 mins). When Johnstone got behind Marshall, his cross was only just cleared. Oddly, Gillespie fell over off the ball near the centre spot and remained on the ground. After treatment he was able to continue (86 mins).

Following a rare Marshall misheader, the unmarked Grant headed badly wide (88 mins). Nevertheless, Macc continued to press with their ten men and Grant won a corner off Clee. In the first of four added minutes, Perry replaced Reeves (90+1 mins). Almost immediately a good Clee-Perry interchange ended as Perry had a shot saved (90+2 mins).

The final whistle arrived to confirm Altrincham's place in Round Two. It was a result they deserved against a below par Macclesfield.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0
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