Match Report
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1 BOREHAM WOOD (0) 0
played on Saturday, 21 November, 2015, at 3pm
SUMMARY
Boreham Wood will count themselves unfortunate not to have taken something from a game in which the BBC statistics show they won the corner count 12-3 and the shots tally by 15 to 6. After a poor first-half showing from Altrincham, the hosts were fortunate to reach the interval on level terms. Indeed, Boreham Wood had hit the woodwork twice in the first 45 minutes. Things only really improved with the 59th minute introduction of Nicky Clee. It was he who got the 76th minute winner after Michael Rankine, who had just been brought on from the bench, had cut the ball back to him.
Simon Richman was named Man of the Match and the three points lifted Alty off 19th place for the first time in two and a half months; they now lie 17th.
SCORERS:
- 67 mins: Nicky CLEE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Boreham Wood 0)
REFEREE: Mr Oliver Yates (Newcastle under Lyme)
ATTENDANCE: 1,002 (27 in away end)
TEAM NEWS
Altrincham had seven players unable to start this game but four of them (Clee, Havern, Rankine, Lawrie) were fit enough to be named on the bench today.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 17. Tim DEASY, 20. Jordan SINNOTT, 6. Scott LEATHER, 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 8. Simon RICHMAN, 14. Josh O'KEEFE, 18. George BOWERMAN, 19. Ryan CROWTHER, 10. Damian REEVES. Subs: 5. Luca HAVERN, 7. James LAWRIE, 9. Michael RANKINE, 11. Nicky CLEE, 23. Callum WILLIAMS.
BOREHAM WOOD (All sky blue) 1. James Russell, 3. Danny Woodards, 5. Scott Doe, 8. Ricky Shakes, 9. Luke Howell, 10 Charlie MacDonald, 16. Conor Clifford, 24. Clovis Kamdjo, 25. Anthony Jeffrey, 30. David Stephens, 33. Joe Devera, Subs: 4. Sam Cox, 6. Callum Reynolds, 17. Junior Morias, 20. Billy Clifford, 27 Mauro Vilhete.
BACKGROUND
This was Boreham Wood's first ever visit to Altrincham. It was also Altrincham's first reverse fixture of the season, having won 1-0 in Hertfordshire, thanks to a Michael Rankine penalty. Boreham Wood are now a full-time side.
REPORT
On by far the coldest day of the season,so far, Boreham Wood kicked off towards the twenty seven away supporters in the ground. The visitors were soon on the front foot and, in just the third minute, they almost took the lead as the lively Jeffrey got to the left byline and, from his cut back, former Brentford striker MacDonald hit the post, with a corner resulting.
From this corner, the unmarked Howell got in a shot which only just cleared the bar. Alty's poor start continued as Leather's trip on MacDonald conceded a freekick on the front edge of the box, centrally. Clifford's freekick was beaten out by Deasy. Following this, Reeves was flagged offside after Alty's first decent move (8 mins).
O'Keefe had to block a Jeffrey shot inside Alty's box before two home corners arrived. Reeves, Bowerman and Crowther conspired to win the first, on their left, before a Sinnott cross produced the second, on their right (17 mins).
But the Wood replied when Jeffrey gained his side a corner on their left. Soon afterwards a Jeffrey low cross was cleared by Heathcote before Deasy beat out a Jeffrey shot for another corner. From this, a header was nodded off the line for yet another corner by Griffin (21 mins). Alty simply were not on the top of their game at all.
Just after the 30 minute mark, a McDonald run was halted by Heathcote at the cost of a further corner. Deasy mis-punched this which led to a Howell effort hitting the top of Altrincham's bar from 25 yards. Soon Howell won yet another corner as Altrincham continued to labour.
On 40 minutes Crowther won Altrincham a corner and, four minutes later, Sinnott hit a freekick into the Boreham Wood wall, but the half ended goalless. It had been a poor showing from Altrincham, who had created no chances at all.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 BOREHAM WOOD 0 |
The second half started with a good Crowther run but then the visitors' Jeffrey cleared the bar at the other end. Alty were showing a little more urgency this half.
Next, a decent Altrincham move ended as O'Keefe fired just over but Alty were flagged offside anyway (55 mins). There was then a protracted stoppage for the visitors' captain Clifford to receive treatment. As Clifford hobbled off, Clee came on for Bowerman on the right wing (59 mins). A minute later Barnet's loanee Portuguese, Vilhete replaced Howell, whilst Clifford was now back on the pitch.
After 64 minutes Jeffrey gained a corner; not long afterwards, MacDonald fired over the bar.
A smart Clee back-heel allowed Sinnott a shot, which was beaten out by the keeper (66 mins) and the game was now opening up a bit. Next, Clee fired just over the bar after a cross had been cleared back to him (69 mins).
Lawrie came on to replace Reeves (71 mins) and then Rankine replaced Crowther (75 mins). Almost immediately, Rankine was played in, right of goal. From near the byline Rankine cut the ball back. Clee's first effort was blocked but it came back to him, and following a touch from Simon Richman, he netted smartly from 15 yards to give Altrincham the lead with their first serious effort on goal (76 mins).
Two minutes later Morias replaced Shakes for the Wood before fine work by Clee led to an O'Keefe shot, which was blocked. The visitors now went close through MacDonald before they gained a corner. A minor O'Keefe foul earned him a harsh booking (83 mins) before Jeffrey volleyed over the bar. Following another Boreham Wood corner, Clee tried a 70-yard lob with the keeper off his lines but his effort was well off target (86 mins).
Clee had been Alty's catalyst, adding a degree of guile that had been absent before his introduction. Yet another Boreham corner was seen off before a fine Griffin tackle on Jeffery kept the visitors out.
Five added minutes were announced and, in the first of these, Clee won a freekick, for which the offendeer was booked. Next Richman fired narrowly wide but Boreham Wood applied some late pressure. A Stephens shot was deflected narrowly wide before Richman did well to get to the byline, left of goal. He found Rankine but he slipped in the box and the chance disappeared (90+4 mins).
Into the fifth added minute, Doe needed treatment and eventually was replaced by Reynolds (90+6 mins). Play was into the eighth added minute when a Boreham Wood effort skimmed the bar and gained a corner. From this a Wood header went narrowly wide before the final whistle sounded.
Altrincham had secured a vital win despite producing little of the football of which they are capable.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 BOREHAM WOOD 0 |