Match Report
ALTRINCHAM 0 BURNLEY XI 0
played on Friday, 29 July 2016, at 7.30pm
SUMMARY
This fifth draw in six pre-season matches was also the first clean sheet and the first time that the Robins had not found the net this summer. In a match which saw neither keeper overworked, the sides were evenly matched and the defences on top. For Alty, Harry Cain started at left-back and the others to start this game who had not done so last time out were Charlie Joyce, Craig Hobson, Alan Goodall and Simon Richman, as manager Neil Young again rang the changes. Tom Hannigan picked up a late injury but hopefully will be OK for next Saturday's start of the season. Burnley did have the ball in the net late in the game but it was ruled out for offside.
SCORERS:
- None
REFEREE: Mr Anthony Taylor
ATTENDANCE: 300
TEAM NEWS
Alty again varied their starting eleven as the anagement continued to use pre-season to assess players in a variety of roles.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts and socks, black shorts, white socks): 1. Andrew DAWBER, 2. Sam PATTERSON, 5. John CYRUS, 7. Tom HANNIGAN, 9. Harry CAIN, 8. Alan GOODALL (capt), 12. Charlie JOYCE, 11. David LYNCH, 18. Simon RICHMAN, 10. Damian REEVES, 14. Craig HOBSON. Subs: 19. Billy HASLER-CREGG, 20. Sam HEATHCOTE, 21. Jamie MENAGH, 22. James LAWRIE, 23. Jake MOULT, 25. Danny HATTERSLEY, 26. Callum CHARLTON.
BURNLEY XI (Sky blue shirts, navy blue shorts, navy and crimson socks): 1. Nick POPE, 2. Arlen BIRCH, 3. Jimmy DUNNE, 4. Freddy YAO, 5. Tom ANDERSON, 6. Kevin LONG (capt), 7. Brad JACKSON, 8. A TRIALIST, 9. Rouwen HENNINGS, 10. Dan AGYEI, 11. Robbie LEITCH. Subs: 12. Conor MITCHELL, 14. Ntumba MASSANKA, 15. Khius METZ, 16. Taofiq OLOMOWEWE, 17. Fraser MURDOCH, 18. Jamie THOMAS.
BACKGROUND
This was the sixth pre-season game for Alty and the last of four home fixtures in that sequence.
REPORT
On a sunny evening on the excellent surface prepared by groundsman, Neil Brown, Burnley kicked off towards the away end at the J. Davidson Stadium. Alty started quite brightly but the sides were evenly matched during the opening stages. After 11 minutes the first meaningful attack saw Agyei get past Hannigan and Cyrus but Patterson covered well, at the expense of a corner.
Following a foul on Joyce, 30 yards out, Goodall's freekick yielded a corner. Then a fine ball forward from Patterson was almost brought down and under control by Reeves.
Cain, who has emerged through the Altrincham youth and reserve teams, was making his mark on the Alty left but neither side was testing the opposition's goalkeeper. However a neat move involving Goodall led to a Lynch shot which Pope had to save, albeit fairly comfortably (28 mins). At the other end, Hennings's shot had to be pushed round his right-hand post for a corner by Alty keeper, Andy Dawber (35 mins). Dawber then tipped the corner over the bar but the keeper was then unable to get to the resulting corner kick, which was then cleared.
Lynch and Richman were working hard in midfield but further forward it was Hobson who turned well before teeing himself up for a good shot which Pope, a recent arrival from Charlton Athletic, saved (39 mins).
Another Burnley corner was dealt with before half time but the break arrived with the game goalless.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 BURNLEY XI 0 |
Burnley brought on Murdoch and Thomas for Agyei and Yao at the break. The second half resumed in much the same vein as the first forty five minutes, with plenty of effort but the two sides cancelling each other out.
Cain, Joyce and Hobson combined to win a corner for Alty (52 mins) before the home side made two changes with Lawrie and Moult replacing Patterson and Joyce (56 mins). Cain now moved to right-back and Lynch to left-back.
An excellent ball from Moult got Reeves half free but just as he was about to shoot he was blocked off (61 mins). After 68 minutes Heathcote replaced Cain at right-back.
A quick Heathcote throw now located Reeves and he smartly turned and fired in a good shot which flew narrowly wide of Pope's right post (72 mins). After a fine tackle from Heathcote, a Richman 25-yarder was not too far off target as Alty enjoyed a good spell (75 mins). This was followed by a chip from Lawrie which Pope collected.
there was a concern when Hannigan went down and had to go off after treatment from physio Alan Ainsley (79 mins). His leg was later given the ice treatment on the bench. Callum Charlton came on for Hannigan as Heathcote moved from right- to centre-back, whilst Moult filled in on the right.
Seven minutes from time, from another good Moult feed, Lawrie advanced and lashed a rising shot just over the bar (83 mins). Two minutes later Thomas fed Murdoch and he put the ball in the Alty net but was ruled offside.
In the final minute, as Altrincham finished strongly, Lawrie did well and found Charlton whose cross from the left was only just intercepted as Richman closed in at the back post.
So the match ended goalless but Altrincham had more than matched the young hopefuls of Premiership club Burnley.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 BURNLEY XI 0 |