Match Report

WOKING (1) 2 ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 15 August, 2015, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham again failed to end their goal drought this season as they slipped to their third successive defeat. They started brightly enough but fell behind in the 32nd minute. Former Histon man, Dan Holman, just signed on loan from Colchester, forced a save from Coburn. But the ball ran loose and Sole netted from close range.

The Cards settled the outcome with a second goal, after 75 minutes. He was allowed to twist and turn on the edge of the box before slotting a low shot into the corner of the net, to Coburn's left.

Alty did hit the post after 78 minutes, through Richman, who also had an effort cleared off the line but, despite bringing on Reeves and Clee, there was no way back. The result sent Altrincham to the foot of the table, thiugh this was an improved performance.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Dean Treleaven
ATTENDANCE: 1,297
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were without injured defender Luca Havern but Simon Richman and Nicky Clee returned to the squad from injury. In midweek, Jake Moult, Tom Marshall and Shaun Densmore had all picked up minor knocks at Guiseley but all were fit to play here. Reeves and O'Keefe moved to the bench as Bowerman, making his full debut, and Richman started. Crowther was not in the squad but was at the game.

Woking had lost striker Scott Rendell to a long-term knee ligament injury but defender Adam Newton had returned to the squad from retirement. On the eve of the game, they had signed Ben Pattie from QPR and Dan Holman from Colchester (both on loan) as striker replacements.

LINE-UPS:

WOKING (Red and white shirts, black shorts and white socks ) 1. Jake Cole, 2. Jake Caprice, 3. Chris Arthur, 4. Mark Ricketts (c), 5. Brian Saah, 6. Ismail Yakubu, 7. Joey Jones, 8. Keiran Murtagh, 10. Giuseppe Sole, 11. John Goddard, 20. Dan Holman. Subs: 12.Godfrey Poku, 15. Bruno Andrade 16. Kadell Daniel, 18. Nick Hamann, 17. Adam Newton.

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and blue shirts, blue shorts, yellow socks): 1. Stuart COBURN, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT, 6. Scott LEATHER, 16. Tom MARSHALL, 7. James LAWRIE, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Michael RANKINE, 18. George BOWERMAN, 20. Jordan SINNOTT, Subs: 15. Anthony GRIFFITH, 17. Tim DEASY, 14. Josh O'KEEFE, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Nicky CLEE.

BACKGROUND

The visitors were looking for their first goal and points of the season, whilst The Cards had a win and a defeat as their record.

Mike Garnett's data gives us the historical record between Alty and The Cards.

REPORT

The Cards kicked off towards the terraced end of the ground. An Alty ten-pass move came to nothing but was a much brighter indication than we had seen in the opening stages at Guiseley on Tuesday. Jordan Sinnott was deployed centrally today but there was to be little outlet on the right wing in this game. Rankine was the lone striker.

The first corner of the game arrived as Marshall cut out a cross from the right. For Altrincham, Bowerman got in a shot, which was just touched wide, following a Sinnott long throw and a Rankine touch. From the resulting Alty corner, Lawrie's 25 yarder was saved (8 mins).

For Woking, Sole went just wide from the edge of the box but Alty's Bowerman, on the left, was looking willing to take on the defence and he won his side a corner on their left. Taken by Sinnott, Cole punched it out, then a Moult mishit effort went to the keeper (12 mins).

Next, Jones found Murtagh, then Sole saw his shot blocked for a corner, as Alty allowed him too much space. After 18 minutes, Bowerman got to the byline but Rankine miskicked the ball. Next, another decent Alty move ended as Sinnott fired over the bar.

When Holman got round Leather and, via Jones, located Sole, the last-named's shot earned another corner (21 mins). Woking threatened again as Coburn punched out and Jones responded with a shot, which flew just over the bar. With Alty now on the defensive, Coburn had to beat out a fierce shot before Arthur cleared the bar with a follow up (23 mins).

Next, Griffin was by-passed on the Cards' right but Woking's cross led to a wild Arthur shot.

Alty had a chance when Bowerman intercepted a pass near half way and ran up the middle but put his shot just wide of the keeper's right post (25 mins).

After a scrappy period of minor fouls, a Griffin cross was cleared and Woking broke forward. Holman's shot was beaten out by Coburn but Sole netted the loose ball (32 mins).

Rankine won a freekick off Saah but Sinnott's freekick was caught by the keeper at his second attempt. Seven minutes before the interval, Sinnott and Lawrie combined well but Rankine lifted his shot well over the bar. Play switched to the other end where an Arthur cross was turned just wide by Sole (39 mins0.

Alty had little presence on their right wing so their forward movements had become predictably left-sided. At the back, Marshall now felled Sole near half way and was booked (40 mins).

Jones turned well and won a Woking corner (43 mins) and before the break Densmore's low cross went across the face of the Woking goal but no Alty player was there. After a decent start from the visitors and a fairly entertaining half, Woking deserved their narrow lead.

Half-Time: WOKING 1 ALTRINCHAM 0

Early in the second half, Bowerman cut in but his shot was headed clear (48 mins). Soon afterwards, a Woking freekick on the right, narrowly evaded Sole in the goalmouth. Next, the impressive Arthur cruised up the left and found Holman who took his time but put his shot badly wide (52 mins).

Play again switched ends as a Rankine shot won a corner, followed soon after by a second gained from a Moult (54 mins). A third corner followed but, within moments, Altrincham had themselves conceded two corners at the other end, both off Marshall.

A Bowerman cross worried Cole but landed on the roof of his net, after which Jones fired just over the bar from right of goal. The sides traded shots as an underhit effort by Sinnott was followed by a Caprice ball which flew 40 feet over the bar.

Now, Clee came on for Bowerman, who had looked Alty's main threat going forward (62 mins). Soon Daniel and Andrade replaced Sole and Jones for Woking, whilst Reeves came on for Rankine (66 mins).

Moult was having a good game as the visitors now enjoyed a good spell. A Lawrie 25-yarder was tipped round the post for a corner, followed by a freekick for a foul on Richman, for which the referee booked Andrade (70 mins).

Next, a Richman cross flew inches too high for Reeves. But the pacey Andrade broke up the left and went past Densmore before he was tripped by Leather on the front corner of the box. Leather was booked (73 mins). Goddard put the freekick wide.

Then a ball came in from the left and Holman was allowed to jink and turn, just inside the box, before beating Coburn, low to his left, to make it 2-0 (75 mins).

Altrincham almost broke their duck soon afterwards as Richman hit the inside of the far post from right of goal, following a Reeves feed. A corner followed but to no avail (78 mins).

Ricketts was booked for a late lunge at Moult (80 mins) and, five minutes later, Sinnott was also booked for a foul. After Clee had won a corner, which was cleared, Woking's Goddard shot wide and was subbed by Poku (87 mins). Reeves won a later corner from Sinnott's feed but, despite four added minutes, there was no way back for Altrincham.

However, in added time a good build up saw Clee find Richman, whose dink from the right was cleared off the line (90+2 mins). But Aldershot responded and Coburn could not hold an Andrade shot and was glad to see Holman miss a very good chance as he put the ball wide.

Without a goal in four and a half hours, Altrincham are now bottom of the table but their improved showing today does give some grounds for hope of a rise up the table. Next up, Grimsby Town visit Altrincham on Tuesday night.

Full-Time: WOKING 2 ALTRINCHAM 0
Link to ARCHIVE INDEX