Match Report

BROMLEY (1) 1
ALTRINCHAM (1) 3

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 14 November, 2015, at 12.30pm

SUMMARY

For the first time this season Altrincham scored three goals and, in doing so, secured their second away win of the season. That outcome had seemed unlikely when the pre-match teamsheet had again revealed seven absentees from the starting eleven. But a spirited performance, aided by some superb goalkeeping by Tim Deasy, saw Alty home.

Damian Reeves deftly headed them ahead in the 19th minute, from a Crowther cross from the left, before Bromley levelled in the 36th minute through Emmanuel despite, initially, Deasy seeming to have scooped the ball off the line.

Two goals in as many minutes after halftime sealed the outcome. First, O'Keefe scored with a low shot from the edge of the box before an error by Udoji let in Reeves for his second (52 mins).

Deasy produced several excellent blocks to keep out Bromley but Altrincham played out the closing stages fairly comfortably.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr David Rock
ATTENDANCE: 1,737 (55 in away end)
TEAM NEWS

Just as at Macclesfield last Tuesday, Altrincham had seven players unable to start this game and five of them unable to be named in the squad at all. The seven were Coburn, Marshall, Densmore, Lawrie, Havern, Rankine and Clee with only the two last-named being fit enough to be named on the bench.

LINE-UPS:

BROMLEY (White and black): 23 Chris Kettings, 2 Emmanuel Udoji, 4 Ali Fuseini, 6 Jack Holland, 11. Anthony Cook, 15 Lee Minshull, 13. Joe Anderson, 14 Louis Dennis, 5 Rob Swaine (c), 18 Moses Emmanuel 22. Ben Chorley Subs: 3 Aaron Tumwa, 7. Pierre Joseph-Dubois, 8 Reece Prestedge, 9. Ben May, 12. Paul Rodgers

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and blue): 17. Tim DEASY, 6. Scott LEATHER, 12. Sam HEATHCOTE,, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 8. Simon RICHMAN, 14. Josh O'KEEFE, 18. George BOWERMAN, 10. Damian REEVES, 19. Ryan CROWTHER, 20. Jordan SINNOTT Subs: 9. Michael RANKINE, 21. Joel SWIFT, 25. Ioannis STOUPPIS, 11. Nicky CLEE, 23. Callum WILLIAMS.

BACKGROUND

This is the first time the two clubs have ever met. Today was also the first ever live televised game for Bromley. At kick off Bromley lay sixth in the table whilst Alty were 19th.

REPORT

After a minute's silence, held for the Paris terrorist victims, Alty kicked off towards the away end. The rain had eased at kick off but persisted throughout and got heavier too.

Altrincham started the better and a feature of the opening stages was the numerous throw-ins from Jordan Sinnott. The first effort at goal was Crowther's scuffed shot which went weakly wide after six minutes.

Next, a 30 yarder from Bromley just drifted over the bar before three more Sinnott throws arrived in quick order! Next, Bowerman won a corner on the right which Kettings fumbled to concede another, this time on the left. Alty had started the game quite decently.

A great Reeves flick fed Bowerman but he pulled his left-foot effort across goal and wide of the post (12 mins). The alert Reeves almost reached a poor Swaine back pass before Kettings got the ball.

Alty continued to set the pace as Bowerman gained a corner on the left, which a stretching Leather could only head over the bar (16 mins). There had been plenty of Bromley errors so far, to the frustration of their supporters.

And, just after a Bromley defensive mix up, a Crowther cross from the left was smartly flicked by Reeves's head into the far corner of the net to give Alty a deserved 1-0 lead (19 mins). Bromley responded by winning a corner off Griffin. When Bowerman was harshly penalised for hands as the ball hit him, the freekick yielded a Bromley corner on their left. After a spell of head tennis, Alty were awarded a freekick.

Another freekick followed as Reeves got an elbow in his face off Swaine. From Crowther's freekick, a Reeves header was fumbled away by the keeper. Some poor defending gave Alty a corner but it came to nothing. Indeed, Bromley were looking shaky at the back.

As the rain continued, a dink over Heathcote required Griffin to cover superbly at the cost of a corner (30 mins). Bromley had now improved and Alty soon had to hack clear a cross into their box. Home pressure told as Emmanuel got in a one on one but his shot was impressively blocked by Deasy (31 mins).

Cook's dive in the box went unheeded before Bowerman won a corner on the left but, again, this was fruitless. The hardworking Reeves chased and won a ball but his cross was wasted by a lack of support.

Bromley then equalised with a goal very similar to the second one conceded at Macclesfield in midweek; a shot was blocked but looped up over Deasy. This time he managed to get back and seemed to have made a superb save at the base of his left post but the linesman, Mr Yates, flagged for a goal which was awarded - rightly it seems from video evidence (36 mins).

Unsurprisingly the goal lifted Bromley, who soon won a corner (40 mins). Deasy produced a brilliant block from Holland's header from the corner (41 mins). And three minutes later we were treated to another great block by Deasy from Emmanuel, who was in plenty of space.

So half time saw a 1-1 scoreline. After a good start by Alty, Bromley had come back into the game forcing Deasy to make three fine saves.

Half-Time: BROMLEY 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

In steady rain Bromley kicked off and there was an early scare for Alty as a Deasy shout induced Heathcote to leave the ball and Emmanuel nipped in to nod just wide (47 mins). Bromley had started the half on the front foot but when Bowerman got in space he put in a poor ball, Alty's attack seemed to be over. However, the ball came to O'Keefe who netted with a low shot from the edge of the box, just inside the post (50mins).

It got worse for Bromley as a dreadful mistake by Udoji in his own box, as he tried to control a cross, left Reeves with the chance to score Alty's third goal from close range, which he took (52 mins).

Next, a Bromley shot deflected over Deasy and went out for a corner but then a Crowther foul saw him booked (59 mins). The hosts were now going forwards as, first Deasy punched out an Udoji cross and then another cross was flicked just wide by Holland.

On 61 minutes, May came on for Udoji but Alty continued to contain Bromley fairly comfortably though a Dennis shot deflected out for a corner (67 mins). But then Minshall hit the outside of Deasy's left post as Alty remained on the back foot.

It now took a stupendous point blank save by Deasy to keep out Emmanuel then the follow up was cleared off the line by a defender (69 mins). After 71 minutes, Clee replaced Bowerman and went on the right wing. Two minutes later, Dubois came on for Fuseini and the changes continued when Rankine replaced Reeves (78 mins).

Next, Cook got round Griffin and Deasy had to beat out his shot for a corner, which was headed well wide for a goalkick (79 mins). Alty now enjoyed some possession as Sinnott got to the byline but a goalkick followed. Alty continued to keep the ball upfield as home supporters started drifting away already (85 mins).

With the rain still pouring down, four added minutes started and in the third of these Swift replaced Crowther.

Alty's injury weakened side had performed well but Tim Deasy had performed brilliantly to keep out several excellent chances for the hosts.

Full-Time: BROMLEY 1 ALTRINCHAM 3
HR>
Link to ARCHIVE INDEX