Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (2) 3 WOKING (0) 1

Vanarama National League match
played on Tuesday, 26 January, 2016 at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham lifted themselves out of the bottom four with a spirited performance and deserved win over Woking. Alty took a 13th minute lead when Woking goalkpeer Cole flapped at an aerial ball prompting a goal-mouth scramble. Although the ball was then half cleared, Margetts was felled in the process and Rankine blasted home the resulting penalty kick.

Burnley loanee Josh Ginnelly, who again impressed both with his pace going forward and his willingness to get back and provide cover, made it 2-0 just before the break. He scored from close range after Simon Richman's effort had only been parried.

Woking got back into the game when Sole netted from a 20 yard freekick (57 mins). But another Altrincham loanee, Jonny Margetts made it 3-1 after 71 minutes when Rankine's nod forward saw him judged to be onside and he finished impressively.

The game got a little feisty but Woking could find no way back as Altrincham deservedly took the three points.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Jason Whiteley (who earlier this season handled Alty's away games at Gateshead and Cheltenham Town)
ATTENDANCE: 826
TEAM NEWS

With Luca Havern now joining the list of long/medium term injured players at Altrincham to leave the club with five senior squad players sidelined, Altrincham had signed Tranmere defender Marcus Holness on loan on the eve of this match and he made his debut tonight. He was just one of four recent loanees in the injury-ravaged Alty squad. Of the other three, Josh Ginnelly and Jonny Margetts started whilst Dylan Mottley-Henry was named on the bench. James Lawrie, Sam Heathcote, Josh O'Keefe and Damian Reeves joined him as substitutes, whilst for once Alty named no substitute keeper.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shirts, white socks) 17. Tim DEASY, 20. Jordan SINNOTT, 6. Scott LEATHER, 28. Marcus HOLNESS, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 8. Simon RICHMAN, 15. Josh GINNELLY, 19 Ryan CROWTHER, 27. Jonathon MARGETTS, 9. Michael RANKINE. Subs: 7. James LAWRIE, 10. Damian REEVES, 14. Josh O'KEEFE, 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 26. Dylan MOTTLEY-HENRY,

WOKING (All yellow): 1. Jake Cole, 2. Jake Caprice, 4. Mark Ricketts (capt), 5. Brian Saah, 7. Joseph Jones, 8 Kieran Murtagh, 10. Giuseppe Sole, 11. John Goddard. 14. Matt Robinson, 15. Bruno Andrade, 26. Cameron Norman. Subs: 18. Nick Hamann, 19 Joe Quigley, 24 Gary Abisogun, 12. Godfrey Poku.

BACKGROUND

This was Altrincham's first home league match for nine and a half weeks.

Mike Garnett provides the record between the two clubs...

The Robins had not won any of their last five league matches whilst Woking were unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.

REPORT

On a mild evening, Alty kicked off towards the Golf Road end and had an early scare when Tim Deasy's freekick went to Woking's Sole but Holness did well to resolve the danger (2 mins).

Holness soon impressed again with a good ball for Rankine but then possession was lost. The first goal threat arrived with a Sinnott cross, which was only just too high for Rankine and led to Crowther fouling the keeper as he tried to turn the bouncing ball into the net (6 mins).

Soon, the pace of Ginnelly was testing The Cards and he now won a corner, despite being clearly held by a defender. After Ginnelly had taken the corner, a Richman effort went wide.

At the other end, Sole got past Griffin, but his cross was cleared. Next a Crowther cross from the right was poorly punched by goalkeeper Cole, prompting a melee in the visitors' box. They seemed to have cleared the immediate danger when Margetts was felled and a penalty was awarded. Rankine blasted home the spot kick to record his eleventh goal of the campaign (13 mins).

A well-struck 35 yarder from Margetts tested the nervous Cole in Woking's goal and the visiting keeper spilt the ball before he re-gathered it (17 mins). But Woking now won a corner as the ball span off Griffin's foot. Rain was falling as Woking gained a corner from a freekick.

As well as impressing with his pacy runs forward, Ginnelly is not averse to getting back to add to the defensive cover and he now did this effectively to deal with a Woking "up and under". Next Sinnott won the ball and then gained a corner. Soon afterwards, the Woking keeper again looked uncertain as a Sinnott cross came into the box.

Altrincham were doing well as a fine Crowther run up the middle was followed by a Margetts shot but this went over the bar (27 mins). Woking responded as a Goddard shot forced a save. Next a testing cross from Griffin was just reached by Jones who steered it to Cole.

However, a Crowther trip just outside Alty's box now gave Woking a freekick, which Robinson hit wide (35 mins). AT the other end another Margetts' shot won a corner and when Rankine was sandwiched, some 27 yards out, Sinnott's freekick drifted wide. Alty were doing well against a side 15 places above them in the table at kick-off. And it got better for them in the 43rd minute when they doubled their lead.

From a Margetts feed, Richman advanced purposefully up the middle. His shot was parried by Cole but fell to the keeper's right, where Ginnelly tapped it gleefully into the empty net for his first goal for the club.

Just before added time started the Woking defence was at sixes and sevens again before they hacked the ball clear in swirling rain that was now getting heavier. The interval arrived with Alty deservedly leading 2-0.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2 WOKING 0

After Woking had kicked off, manager Garry Hill was soon bellowing at his team. It had some effect as Deasy had to save a deflected shot from Woking's right but then the hardworking Rankine won a freekick, 25 yards out. However, Sinnott hit this well over the bar.

The jittery Cole now kicked poorly leading to a Rankine cross which just evaded Margetts but earned a corner (54 mins). Ginnelly's corner produced another after which Woking broke quickly up the middle. The retreating Crowther pulled back Andrade as he approached the Alty penalty area "D" and he was booked. Sole placed a low freekick to the right of the wall, leaving Deasy flat-footed as it entered the net to make it 2-1 (57 mins).

A minute later a Rankine shot hit the net but a freekick had already been given for a foul on Margetts on the edge of the box. Rankine took the freekick and won a corner.

There were very strong appeals for a penalty when Crowther seemed to be brought down in the box but referee Whiteley waved play on after looking to his linesman for guidance (63 mins).

Woking now introduced Quigley for Saah (66 mins) and then won a corner. However, Andrade now went down and, after treatment, was replaced by new signing, defender Alex Smith (68 mins). The game now got niggly as Sole and Moult exchanged pleasantries during which the Woking assistant in the technical area blatantly asked the referee to book the Altrincham captain which earned him the derision of the home crowd.

Altrincham restored their two-goal margin when Rankine's header put Margetts clear. He finished impressively from left of goal to make it 3-1 (71 mins).

Now Alty brought on Lawrie for Crowther who, in 23 appearances, curiously is yet to complete ninety minutes in a match this season (74 mins). Ginnelly continued to pose Woking problems and was now upended as the game again turned feisty, with Sole being booked as he conceded a freekick just outside his own box. This was laid off to Rankine whose fierce shot flew just wide (78 mins).

Margetts now won a corner (80 mins) before a tremendous run by Rankine saw him beat his opponent to a 50/50 ball left of goal. However, Woking then threatened and it took a fine save, with his legs, by Deasy to keep the visitors out (84 mins). At this point Poku replaced Murtagh for the visitors (84 mins).

Four minutes from the end of normal time, Mottley-Henry replaced Ginnelly who had impressed in both his Alty appearances to date. On ninety minutes O'Keefe replaced Margetts and within 25 seconds got himself booked for a blatant tug on Norman (90+1 mins).

Altrincham then saw out the match to record their first league win since 21 November and lift themselves out of the relegation places. They were deserved winners and out of the adversity of having five senior players sidelined for the medium or long-term, have found some excellent looking loanees to replace them. Margetts was named Man of the Match but both Holness and Ginnelly were equally impressive whilst the longer-established players also raised their game to produce this fine result.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 3 WOKING 1
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