Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (2) 2
FOREST GREEN ROVERS (1) 2

Vanarama Conference match
played on Saturday, 14 February, 2015, at 3pm

SUMMARY

FGR started the better and Parkin netted with a strong shot from 20 yards in the seventh minute. But Alty responded with an equalizer three minutes later. Although Reeves was unable to gather a smartly taken Clee throw, the ball ran to Perry who scored with a firm close-range shot. Altrincham grew into the match and took a deserved lead in the 43rd minute when a Lawrie shot was deflected to Reeves, who scored.

In the second half Altrincham were the better side until the ball span off a Parkin touch and left Marwood in possession and from his feed Sinclair scored (61 mins). After 73 minutes Coles was dismissed for a second yellow card but Altrincham could not make the extra man tell and the game ended a draw.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Rob Jones (Northumberland)
ATTENDANCE: 1,071
TEAM NEWS

On the eve of the game, Alty had signed Jordan Sinnott, following his release from Huddersfield Town. Pre-match doubts concerned Nicky Clee and Peter Cavanagh but Clee started. However, Ryan Crowther was out injured. FGR welcomed back Dale Bennett to the bench after suspension but Aarron Racine was out injured.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white stripes, black shorts,red socks) : 1. Stuart Coburn, 2. Shaun Densmore (capt), 5. Gianluca Havern, 16. Tom Marshall, 3. Adam Griffin, 4. Jake Moult, 8. Simon Richman, 7. James Lawrie, 11. Nicky Clee, 10. Damian Reeves, 14. Kyle Perry. Subs: 6. Scott Leather, 9. Steven Gillespie, 17.Dave Parton, 18. Shaun Williams, 26. Jordan Sinnott.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS (Lime green and black trim) 1. Sam Russell, 2. David Pipe, 4. Charlie Clough, 26. Danny Coles, 10. Marcus Kelly,17. Kurtis Guthgrie, 8. Sam Wedgbury, 19. Rob Sinclair, 18. Elliott Frear, 20. Jon Parkin, 33. James Marwood. Subs: 13. Steve Arnold, 9. Stuart Fleetwood, 12. Clovis Kamdjo, 6. Dale Bennett, 7. James Norwood.

BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett provides our historical record against FGR

REPORT

For no apparent reason the game kicked off several minutes late, with the floodlights already switched on, at a dry but cloudy J. Davidson Stadium. FGR started the better but there was no early threat from their team of giants with the biggest of them all, Parkin, being caught offside early on (4 mins). Two minutes later Havern was penalised versus Marwood on the front edge of the box but Parkin put the freekick into the wall and a team-mate's follow up hit Marshall. However, the ball was played back in and Coburn punched clear only for Parkin to net with an impressive shot from 20 yards.

Altrincham then got forward as Clee fired over from outside the box (8 mins). And the home side drew level two minutes later when alertness from Clee saw him take a quick throw from the left. Although his target, Reeves, was unable to control the ball deep inside the box, it ran to his right to Perry who hammered it home from close range (10 mins).

When an FGR man went down in the box, their appeals went unheeded. AFter this, two Alty crosses from Griffin and Lawrie underlined that Alty had now settled after a shaky start. As if to underline this, a fine through ball from Marshall was smothered by keeper Russell before a magnificent curling cross from the left by Clee was met by a well timed run from Reeves, who toe-ended the ball goalwards but it was well saved by Russell (15 mins).

FGR responded and Altrincham were relieved when, after Densmore had been beaten in the right corner, the resulting cross was headed wide by Parkin. Following a foul by Moult on Guthrie 45 yards out, Clough misheaded the resulting freekick.

Altrincham were now getting on top as Richman was halted on the edge of the box before great skill from Perry led to a Lawrie cross. Next, a Griffin cross was misheaded wide by Reeves (20 mins). But then Moult's foul on Sinclair drew a protracted lecture from Mr Jones before Parkin fouled Richman.

Altrincham were still having the better of things as a Clee shot won a corner. The same player then overhit a through ball to the keeper before Lawrie did well before being halted. At the other end, Marwood beat Griffin and Moult had to head the resulting cross out for a corner, taken by Sinclair but headed just wide by Guthrie (30 mins).

When Perry was taken out, off the ball by Coles, the defender was booked (33 mins). From the freekick Perry was clearly held in the box but nothing was given and Marshall skied the resulting loose ball. Next, Alty was penalised on the edge of their box but the FGR freekick was hit wide from 24 yards (35 mins).

After 38 minutes, Lawrie jinked into the box but lashed his shot across the face of goal. This was followed by a great Clee run, from which a Richman shot was blocked. Still on the front foot, Lawrie almost located Reeves. Alty's dominance continued as a Clee shot was beaten out by Russell from Perry's feed (42 mins). The pressure told as Lawrie's shot from right of centre deflected to Reeves who slotted it calmly into the net to put his side ahead (43 mins).

So, Altrincham went in at the break with a deserved lead.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1

Forest Green were sent out a good five minutes early for the second half before they kicked off the second half towards Golf Road. Whilst a FGR onslaught might have been expected, the half actually began with Altrincham retaining the forward momentum against their highly aspirational opponents. Following a Lawrie cross and a mishit effort from Moult, Lawrie lashed a volley over the bar from a Perry knock down (49 mins).

A disappointing Reeves cross, from a Lawrie set up, was followed by Densmore being halted in FGR's box. The home side's superiority continued when Clee won a freekick 45 yards out, which Reeves headed wide (51 mins). The momentum continued with Perry's nod on to Richman, whose downward shot was saved. After 56 minutes, Lawrie got to the byline before FGR brought on Norwood for Guthrie (58 mins).

The substitution and a subsequent stoppage after Kelly had sat down for treatment seemed to break Alty's concentration. Lawrie gave the ball away with a mis-pass inside the visitors' half and the ball went up to Parkin. His poor touch resulted in the ball spinning off a challenge and falling fortuitously to Marwood. He fed Sinclair for an easy close-range goal, which had arrived totally against the run of play (61 mins).

Alty responded as a Clee cross won a corner on the left whilst, for FGR, Parkin skied a shot from 16 yards. Next, Frear won a corner, which Clough headed over the bar. Soon. Bennett, returning from a four-match ban, replaced Kelly. Next, Lawrie almost put Richman through inside the box before a Clee cross skimmed off Richman's head. When Perry was upended on the edge of the box, Clee put the freekick over the bar (71 mins).

Soon after Clee had fired over from a Richman lay off, Perry was subject to a professional foul from Coles, who was sent off for his second yellow card (73 mins). Densmore's freekick was cleared then he skied the loose ball. When Parkin was fouled just outside the box, Marshall was booked (75 mins). The freekick, from the right front of the box was just off target.

FGR made another change as defender Kamdjo replaced midfielder Frear (77 mins). Fouls by Parkin on Marshall and Wedgbury on Richman led to a freekick 22 yards from goal but Densmore's shot flew just wide (80 mins). A well struck shot from Perry went over from 20 yards (84 mins) before Moult won a corner on the left, taken by Lawrie.

A late FGR counter attack was superbly halted by Havern. But then, Lawrie was clearly fouled but gained no foul so he took the law into his own hands and fouled his opponent, earning himself a booking (88 mins). Part-time Altrincham finally made a substitution against their full-time opponents in the 89th minute when Sinnott replaced Clee (89 mins).

Four added minutes saw a Parkin shot saved (90+2 mins) but little else in way of a goal threat as FGR hung on for a point against an Altrincham side which had more than matched them in an entertaining game.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
FOREST GREEN ROVERS 2
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