Match Report
EASTLEIGH (0) 2 ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
played on Saturday, 16 April 2016, at 3pm
SUMMARY
Altrincham suffered an early blow when keeper Deasy went down injured in the opening minutes. Though he completed the game he was unable to take goalkicks and limped throughout. Nevertheless, Alty did well in the first half and got to half-time goalless thanks to good defending and poor finishing from Eastleigh.
Eastleigh mounted some second half pressure and got ahead in the 59th minute when a cross from the right was met by Reason's rising shot into the net. A well-hit long shot from Coulson made it 2-0 in the 70th minute.
The hosts continued to press with Alty limited to sporadic counter-attacks.
SCORERS:
- 59 mins: Jai REASON (Eastleigh 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
- 70 mins: Luke COULSON (Eastleigh 2 ALTRINCHAM 0)
REFEREE: Mr Nigel Lugg (Surrey)
ATTENDANCE: 2,034 (69 away supporters)
TEAM NEWS
In addition to their four long-term absentees, Alty were without the suspended Marcus Holness but Jake Moult (injured last Saturday) had recovered to start. However, Simon Richman (injured on Tuesday) did not travel today. Reeves and Rankine both started as did Ginnelly but Sinnott moved to the bench.
LINE-UPS:
EASTLEIGH (Blue and white) 1. Ross Flitney, 2. Joe Partington, 5. Jamie Turley, 18. Andy Drury, 3. Michael Green, 4. Will Evans, 31. Luke Coulson, 10. Jai Reason, 14. Ben Strevens, 7. Yemi Odubade, 32. Matt Tubbs, Subs: 6. Paul Reid, 12. Jack Midson, 17. Lee Cook, 19. Michael Poke, 25. Matty Fanimo.
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks) 17. Tim DEASY, 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 6. Scott LEATHER, 5. Luca HAVERN, 3. Adam GRIFFIN, 4. Jake MOULT (capt), 7. James LAWRIE 19. Ryan CROWTHER, 15. Josh GINNELLY, 9. Michael RANKINE, 10. Damian REEVES. Subs: 23. Callum WILLIAMS, 24. Rhain DAVIS, 27. Adam SAVILL, 20. Jordan SINNOTT, 14. Josh O'KEEFE.
BACKGROUND
Eastleigh went into the game on a run of 11 home games without defeat in the league whilst Altrincham had not won any of their last ten away matches.
REPORT
Eastleigh kicked off towards the away end and, after an immediate foul by Moult on Evans, a Strevens freekick was nodded to Deasy. Alty replied with a Ginnelly run, which ended in a home goalkick.
After a foul on Rankine and another, as Tubbs held Havern, goalkeepr Deasy sat down, injured, in his own goalmouth (5 mins), He resumed after treatment but was limping and unable to take goalkicks, right-back Heathcote taking on this duty.
Following a Green run, Coulson shot well over the bar. At the other end, a Crowther run and shot, albeit off target, forced the first goalkeeping save of the afternoon at either end (11 mins).
Altrincham had more injury concerns when Reeves went down needing treatment whilst Ginnelly got in a shot across the face of goal (16 mins). Eastleigh had yet to land an effort on target when Crowther fed Reeves and his clipped shot forced a routine save from Flitney (20 mins).
Play continued with Deasy clearly in difficulties with his injury. Alty's most lively player was Ginnelly who now had a cross blocked then another of his crosses floated too high across the box (27 mins).
On the half hour a raking pass by Moult located Ginnelly but he miscued his cross. The ailing Deasy remained untested as Alty got forward and from a Heathcote freekick, for a foul on Ginnelly, Lawrie headed narrowly wide (34 mins)
Eastleigh were unimpressive at this stage and, when they did get in a testing cross, Odubade and Turley went for the same ball and Alty cleared the danger, only for another cross to come in, which Turley headed over the bar (37 mins).
Young Heathcote was doing well as he now cleared from Odubade, then put in a great tackle, followed by his blocking a cross. After a home throw there was an awful miss by Odubade who volleyed well over from 8 yards (41 mins).
The Spitfires came closer a minute later as Green dived to head Partington's low cross but he just missed the ball from five yards out. When Moult was fouled, Evans was booked for his late challenge (43 mins). Leather's freekick was just too high for Rankine.
Rankine, who was fouled repeatedly throughout this match, was now tripped again. And in added time, Reeves had a shot blocked before Drury shot over the bar after Odubade had been allowed to barge over Havern (45+3 mins).
Altrincham had done well in the first half but Eastleigh had yet to test the injured Deasy.
| Half-Time: EASTLEIGH 0 ALTRINCHAM 0 |
Just after Altrincham had kicked off, a blatant trip on Rankine only earned a lecture for Evans (46 mins). Eastleigh's unimoressive performance continued as Flitney sliced a clearance then a defender also miscued the ball.
The home side improved as, after a move on the right, Tubbs got in a shot but he only hit the net support behind the goal. Coulson went off with a blood injury and reappeared with a no.22 shirt on instead of his no.32. For the first time Deasy had to make a save, in the 55th minute, when he did well to stop a shot with his feet.
Alty were now on the back foot and the pressure told as a Tubbs cross from the right allowed Reason to score with a rising shot from a central position (59 mins). Crowther went down for treatement and was replaced by Sinnott; it was a straight replacement in right midfield.
Eastleigh continued on top as a Green shot went just wide and a Reason effort deflected to Deasy. Next Deasy saved a Tubbs shot (65 mins). Alty finally got forward but, first, Rankine overhit a cross and then a poor ball from Ginnelly ran to keeper Flitney (67 mins).
But any hopes of salvaging the game took a nosedive when Coulson scored with a fine shot from 25 yards, left of goal to make it 2-0 in the 70th minute.
Alty had already prepared Savill to come on and he now did so, replacing Heathcote, so Sinnott moved to right back, Ginnelly to the left and Savill settled in left midfield. Eastleigh introduced Midson for Odubade (71 mins).
Alty then created a half chance but Lawrie opted to chip a mis-pass when a shot was his alternative (72 mins). Alty now enjoyed a better spell as firstly Rankine was fouled and then Savill halted. Alty also soon won a corner, the first for them, but Ginnelly put this onto the roof of the net (73 mins).
Fouls on Griffin and then Rankine disrupted Alty as the home side seemed to be comfortable with their lead rather than desperate to increase the margin.
Savill made a good run to the byline before a double Eastleigh change as Fanimo came on for Strevens and Cook for Tubbs (83 mins). All the play was in the Alty half before Eastleigh gained a corner, which Deasy tipped away.
At the other end Rankine swivelled well but his shot flew across the goalmouth, well wide, For Eastleigh a Cook cross was miskicked in the Alty goalmouth.
Alty kept going as a Ginnelly run led to Flitney smothering his pass, just ahead of Rankine (88 mins). Next, Rankine had a shot blocked for a corner. After this, Flitney collected a Ginnelly cross from off Reeves's head near the goalline (90 mins). Rankine then ran into Partington and won a freekick to the left of the box.
Just before the added three minutes ended, an impressive Ginelly run and pass to Reeves saw Flitney out smartly to block the striker's effort.
So an encouraging first half had preceded a second period in which Eastleigh had made their greater resources tell. A win for Boreham Wood further deepened Alty's rlegation concerns in advance of the visit of relegated Welling United next Saturday.
| Full-Time: EASTLEIGH 2 ALTRINCHAM 0 |