Match Report

BARROW (1) 3 ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 12 March 2016, at 3pm

SUMMARY

For the second time in a week, Altrincham went down to a 3-2 defeat in their quest to improve on a run which has now witnessed a single win in fourteen league games. With Rankine still injured, the only change was Leather for O'Keefe,which allowed Sinnott a rare start in right midfield.

Alty took an 18th minute lead with a superb freekick by Sinnott after a foul on Lawrie. The visitors remained the better side but lost Holness to a facial injury for the last ten minutes of the first half. Towards the end of this spell with ten men, Alty conceded a goal as they poorly defended a corner, allowing the unmarked Livesey to tap in at the back post.

The game was decided by two Barrow goals in the 62nd and 67th minutes. First, Cook got between Havern and Leather and scored with a firm shot from 15 yards. Then two brilliant saves in succession by Deasy stopped Cook scoring again before another Cook effort was saved only to be put in the net on the line by Tomlinson.

Two minutes later Lawrie scored a fine goal from the front edge of the box, his left-foot shot going in off the post to the keeper's left to make it 3-2.

The game then got ragged and niggly with Alty ending it with four yellows and Barrow with three. So Alty remain 21st ahead of the visit of Aldershot Town next Saturday.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Jason Whiteley
ATTENDANCE: 1,019
TEAM NEWS

With Rankine still injured, the only change was Leather for O'Keefe, which allowed Sinnott, who has regularly played right-back this season, a rare start in his more favoured right midfield position.

LINE-UPS:

BARROW (White and blue) 12. Joel Dixon, 28. Ritchie Sutton, 5. Danny Livesey, 25. Nick Anderton, 6 Simon Grand, 26. Michael Donohue, 24. Andy Parry, 29. Jordan Williams, 10. Andy Cook, 14. Ben Tomlinson, 4. Patrick Lacey. Subs 7. Andy Haworth, 8. Alex-Ray Harvey, 9. Jason Walker, 11. Danny Pilkington, 17. Steve Williams

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 17. Tim DEASY, 2. Jordan SINNOTT, 5. Luca HAVERN, 6. Scott LEATHER, 28. Marcus HOLNESS, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 8. Simon RICHMAN, 7. James LAWRIE 15. Josh GINNELLY, 10. Damian REEVES, Subs 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 18. George BOWERMAN, 19 Ryan CROWTHER 23. Callum WILLIAMS, 14. Josh O'KEEFE,

BACKGROUND

Altrincham had parted company with manager Lee Sinnott on Wednesday, so this was the first match in charge for caretaker Neil Tolson and his assistant Matt Doughty.

With one win in 13 league games, Alty had slipped into the relegation places.

Mike Garnett provides the historical record between Altrincham and Barrow...

REPORT

After a minute's silence before the match to mark the deaths of two Barrow AFC figures, Alty kicked off towards the clubhouse on a dull and drizzly afternoon. A clever ball from Sinnott to Griffin led to a third-minute corner on the left, which was wasted.

Several undistinguished minutes followed before a Williams cross was punched out by Alty's former Barrow keeper, Deasy, but only as far as Cook. However, he lifted his shot over the bar (10 mins).

Next Holness conceded a corner, as Cook prevented his making a clearance whilst, at the other end, a Ginnelly cross was too fierce and high for Reeves's head (13 mins). From one of several Anderton long throws in the first half, ex-Alty midfielder Lacey hit a wild shot high and wide (15 mins).

Alty had Lawrie supporting Reeves but the front man was to see little of the ball in this match. Barrow's former Alty loanee Parry blocked off Lawrie as he drifted across the front edge of the box and was booked. From the freekick a superb Sinnott shot flew into the top corner to Dixon's right to give Alty the lead (18 mins).

Cook then battled with Havern to win a corner but there was little to excite anyone before Barrow wasted a freekick in a central position, 30 yards out. Lacey's badly mishit effort deflected to Grand who struck the outside of the post but was offside anyway (25 mins).

Altrincham now enjoyed their best spell in the game as the home side's fans grew restless at their team's unforced errors. After a Sinnott ball had won a corner, Barrow twice failed to clear and a Moult shot gained another corner, on the right. From this Leather's hooked effort hit the post as Havern was clearly being held in the box (29 mins).

After Cook had headed wide from Williams's cross from the left, Barrow won a freekick 35 yards out against Havern. Despite poor marking at the freekick, Alty survived.

Holness now went down off the ball for treatment and he had to leave the pitch holding a pad on his left cheek/eye area which had been cut. He disappeared for attention in the dressing room leaving Alty with ten men (35 mins).

Leather covered for Holness and Sinnott went to right back. Soon Leather was penalised for a mistimed challenge on Williams and was booked (37 mins).

A wild shot by Cook flew out of the ground before Williams's good run forced Deasy to tip his shot over the bar for a corner on the right. Despite having all the outfield players back for the corner, Livesey was left unmarked on the line at the back post where he tapped home the corner. Barrow had equalized against the ten men (43 mins).

In added time, a Ginnelly corner was cleared back to him and he went down as he was challenged on the edge of the box, right of goal. All he got was a lecture for alleged diving though arguably he was avoiding a scything tackle.

Less fortunate was Moult who was caught by a lunging Lacey challenge but nothing came of the freekick. Alty had played well but yet again had given away a soft goal for Barrow's equalizer.

Half-Time: BARROW 1 ALTRINCHAM 1

Holness was back for the second half, with heavy bandaging around his forehead and the side of his left eye; he was now wearing the blood shirt.

Following a curiously extended interval break, Barrow finally emerged with Harvey on for Parry.

On 50 minutes, a Sinnott freekick forced a good save but a corner resulted. Play was fairly scrappy and, after a Lawrie error, Barrow earned a corner, which was poorly taken (56 mins). Next, Grand was booked for a late challenge on Griffin.

Altrincham then conceded another poor goal as Havern and Leather allowed Cook to get free between them and he scored with a firm shot from 15 yards to give Barrow the lead (62 mins).

Alty then rocked defensively and it took two brilliant saves in quick succession from Deasy to stop Cook as Alty were carved open by a cross from Barrow's right (64 mins). On 66 minutes, Pilkington came on for Donohue and within seconds it was 3-1. A ball was played into Cook, which Deasy beat out but the loose ball was put into the net on the line by Tomlinson (67 mins).

Immediately Crowther replaced Leather so Sinnott moved to right back (68 mins). Just as with Barrow, the substitution coincidentally produced an immediate goal. This time it was Lawrie who netted a fine goal with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box which flew in off the inside of Dixon's left upright (69 mins).

When Sinnott jinked into Barrow's box, he delayed his shot and was stopped (75 mins). Next, a Ginnelly foul saw him booked and he showed dissent at his name-taking (76 mins). Play became petulant and, next, Holness was cautioned, presumably for mouthing off (78 mins).

The scrappy play continued as a Reeves foul on Tomlinson led to a reaction and both men were booked (81 mins). Havern had now been pushed forward end then Bowerman came on for Ginnelly (84 mins).

Dixon then did well to punch clear from Reeves but one of his team mates came off worse and had to have treatment before resuming.

Altrincham were unable to force an equalizer and left Holker Street still without an away win since mid-November.

They had deserved their interval lead but could not argue with the outcome after some shoddy second-half defending.

Full-Time: BARROW 3 ALTRINCHAM 2
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