Match Report

ALTRINCHAM 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 5 March 2016 at 3pm

SUMMARY

With five draws from their last six games and just one win in the last twelve league fixtures, Altrincham have dropped into the relegation places following this goalless draw against neighbours Macclesfield Town.

There was plenty of effort from both sides but not much in the way of goalmouth action. Arguably the best chance of the afternoon fell to Damian Reeves, just after he had come on as a 62nd minute substitute for Ryan Crowther. Put through by Jake Moult, Reeves put his effort wide.

For their part, Macclesfield hit the crossbar from a first-half freekick by former Alty loanee Turnbull.

With FC Halifax Town winning at Southport, Altrincham dropped to 21st in the league, albeit with a game in hand on 20th placed Boreham Wood.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Wayne Barratt
ATTENDANCE: 2,014 (409 in away end)
TEAM NEWS

Richman returned from injury, whilst Leather and Reeves remained on the bench, where Bowerman joined them after completing his loan spell at Telford, which had included a time on trial in the USA.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts white socks) 17. Tim DEASY, 2. Jordan SINNOTT, 5. Luca HAVERN, 28. Marcus HOLNESS, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 8. Simon RICHMAN, 7. James LAWRIE, 19. Ryan CROWTHER 15. Josh GINNELLY, 9. Michael RANKINE. Subs: 10. Damian REEVES, 6. Scott LEATHER, 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 14. Josh O'KEEFE, 18. George BOWERMAN

MACCLESFIELD TOWN (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts) 13. Shwan Jalal, 2. Andy Halls, 3. John McCombe, 5. George Pilkington, 6. Paul Turnbull, 8. Paul Lewis, 19. David Fitzpatrick, 10. Jack Sampson, 14. Kristian Dennis, 18. Danny Whitehead, 26. Chris Sutherland. Subs: 29. Jimmy Phillips, 1. Ritchie Branagan, 9. Chris Holroyd, 12. Dan Cowan, 25. Reece Styche

BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett provides the historical record between Altrincham and Macclesfield Town

REPORT

Macclesfield kicked off towards the away end and soon former Ashton United man, Chris Sutherland got free but his cross was cleared by Lawrie. At the other end, former Silkman Adam Griffin got in a cross to the keeper, Jalal.

There was plenty of endeavour but little in the way of quality in the opening stages before Ginnelly was tripped by Turnbull and needed treatment (8 mins).

In the tenth minute arrived the game's first corner, won on the Macc left by Sampson. Alty's first real threat to the visitors' goal came when a Ginnelly shot from the left deflected just over Crowther's head for a corner (12 mins).

Play continued fairly evenly as a Lawrie effort was blocked in the box before Crowther covered well to stop Sampson at the cost of a corner (17 mins).

In the 20th minute, Havern was harshly penalised on the edge of the Alty box for handball as, above, the heavens opened. Former Alty loanee and the current Macclesfield captain Turnbull hit a fine freekick which came back off the bar (21 mins).

As the rain eased off there was little threat of a goal at either end as the sides cancelled out each other's efforts. Fitzpatrick then went down and had to go off with a facial blood injury. He disappeared down the tunnel for attention and the visitors were left to play on for nearly ten minutes with ten men.

Soon after Fitzpatrick's departure, Dennis had a go at Moult after the latter's fair challenge on him. The ref just lectured them both (33 mins).

A raking crossfield ball from Ginnelly located Crowther but his cross from the right was too long (35 mins). Soon, Deasy had to save well, low down, from Dennis, at the cost of a corner (38 mins).

Four minutes before the break Fitzpatrick returned, now wearing a "blood" shirt. Almost immediately, a Lawrie snap shot from 30 yards flew into Golf Road (42 mins).

Soon Lawrie did well but the move ended as the ball just evaded Richman in the visitors' box. But the half ended after a scrappy spell which included two added minutes. HALF-TIME: 0-0

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0

For the start of the second half the sun was shining and the rain had ended. Fitzpatrick emerged in a named shirt once again after using the "blood" shirt before the interval.

Alty started quite brightly without seriously threatening to break the deadlock. Indeed, by the hour mark there had been no goalmouth action of any note.

On 62 minutes Reeves came on for Crowther and barely a minute later the substitute was presented with the best chance of the game. Moult did well to gain possession and put Reeves clear up the middle. But with what was virtually his first touch of the match, Reeves poked the ball well wide of the net as Jalal advanced to meet him (63 mins).

The referee allowed play to carry on after Moult had been brought down. Bizarrely the fourth official, though miked up, felt it necessary to go onto the pitch and talk with the match referee. Following this, referee Barratt lectured Sampson and Moult.

A Town corner was now cleared (65 mins). Altrincham now enjoyed a better spell as a Ginnelly cross was cleared before Sinnott mishit a shot wide. Next, Lawrie did well and then Sampson flattened Moult in an aerial challenge and was booked (69 mins).

After 70 minutes Phillips replaced Lewis for Macclesfield and now Richman won a corner on the right. A Rankine header was cleared from the corner.

Following another foul on Ginnelly, on the right wing 35 yards out, a Sinnott freekick was cleared. At this point Holroyd replaced Sutherland. Next a rare shot on target was witnessed as a Lawrie 25 yarder was held by Jalal at the second attempt.

In response, Holroyd beat Griffin but Dennis's shot ran easily to Deasy. Play again switched as Ginnelly located Reeves, whose cross was cut out by Jalal (77 mins). The Burnley loanee soon impressed again, wriggling past two defenders into the box before the ball was cleared. As the game improved, albeit from a pretty low level, Macc gained an 83rd minute corner, which Ginnelly cleared.

The rain started again and was lashing down as Alty gained an 87th minute corner which came to nothing as did one for Macclesfield in the ninetieth minute. The last hope of a goal came and went with an Alty corner two minutes into the three added minutes but in keeping with all that had preceded it, it was wasted, Lawrie underhitting the dead ball.

The season is at a glass half-full or half-empty stage; on the one hand, Alty have lost just once in their last seven matches but on the other, they have won just once in twelve attempts in the National League. So Alty dropped into the bottom four courtesy of Halifax's late win at Southport and now face 12 matches over eight weeks in which to try and remain at the national level of football.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 0
FA CUP TIE ARRANGEMENTS