Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (2) 2 CHORLEY (2) 2

Vanarama National League North match
played on Tuesday, 7 September 2016, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham ended their run of five successive defeats by taking a point but, on the downside, they dropped to 21st place and also lost three players to injury (Hall, Sinclair and Miller). Yet again, Altrincham scored first, only to fall behind but then equalize.

The lead came through a well-taken 13th minute goal from Reeves. But the Magpies levelled in the 25th minute when they advanced on the left before Walker scored from close range. Eight minutes later, Walker got past Lynch and his cross was turned home by Carver.

Watched by new manager Jim Harvey, who takes charge after this game, Altrincham responded and a superb shot from Miller into the top corner of the net made it 2-2 after 39 minutes.

The visitors had the better of the second half, though Altrincham had some good moments of their own. But Altrincham were fortunate to escape in the third added minute when substitute Gonzales saw his shot come down off the bar and also, it seemed, hit the post before being cleared.

Jim Harvey will have seen plenty of good things to build on but his team selection will be hampered by the wave of injuries.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Kevin Sarsfield
ATTENDANCE: 1,006
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham made three changes. Danny Hall, who rejoined the club on the eve of this match, started instead of the injured John Cyrus, David Lynch replaced Sam Heathcote and with Simon Richman also injured, Emile Sinclair came in up front. Lynch started at left back with Sam Patterson reverting to his natural position on the right. Chorley included ex-Alty men Scott Leather and Josh O'Keefe.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts): 1. Tim DEASY, 2.Sam PATTERSON, 3. David LYNCH. 4. Jon MORAN, 5. Danny HALL, 6. Adam GOODALL, 7. James LAWRIE, 8. Jake MOULT, 9. Emile SINCLAIR, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Sean MILLER Subs 12. Sam HEATHCOTE, 14. Charlie JOYCE, 15. Harry CAIN, 16. Craig HOBSON, 17. Andrew DAWBER.

CHORLEY (Blue with yellow trim) 1. Sam ASHTON, 2. Matt CHALLONER, 3. Will BEESLEY, 4. Kieran CHARNOCK, 5. Scott LEATHER, 6. Steven JORDAN, 7. Adam BLAKEMAN, 8. Josh O'KEEFE, 9. Marcus CARVER, 10. Jason WALKER, 11. Jake COTTRELL, Subs 14.Adam ROSCOE, 17. Waqaz AZAM, 12. Andy TEAGUE, 16. Paul JARVIS, 15. Sefton GONZALES

BACKGROUND

Although Jim Harvey had been apppointed manager on Monday, the three caretaker player/managers (Messrs Goodall, Densmore and Moult) remained in charge for this match.

Mike Garnett informs us of the record between Alty and Chorley...

And Howard Watts has the record of all previous Alty matches on today's date. Coincidentally, the first game Alty ever played on 6 September was at home to... Chorley! Alty won that one 5-2 in 1913.

REPORT

Alty kicked off towards the Golf Road end. After a few uneventful minutes, Reeves got free in the box but was caught offside (4 mins). Two minutes later Reeves got on the end of a Patterson cross but his header was saved and the flag was raised once again against him.

After a good Chorley passing move, Blakeman fired just over from 25 yards (9 mins). But with Chorley settling the better, it was Altrincham who took the lead. A neat move started by Lynch went via Moult to Miller and he set Reeves free. The Alty striker netted well with a low shot to make it 1-0 (13 mins). So as in every game (six) that Alty have scored in this season, they had the lead, but could they finally build on that to secure three points for the first time?

Chorley pushed forward and after a needless push by Hall, their freekick from the left was laid off to Beesley whose thunderbolt was impressively beaten out by Deasy for a corner (22 mins). But it was not long before the visitors had an equalizer. Chorley broke up the left and the ball was played into the goalmouth from the left byline. Here Walker scored comfortably to make it 1-1 (25 mins). So, yet again, a lead had been let slip.

It then got worse as left-back Lynch allowed the ball to bounce and Walker nipped past him to get in a low cross from the right which Carver slotted home to make it 1-2 (33 mins). Before play could restart Hall went down and after treatment had to be replaced by Heathcote at centre-back (35 mins).

But Altrincham responded well. Miller picked up the ball on the edge of the box, made space for himself, and curled a superb shot into the keeper's top-left corner to restore parity at 2-2 (39 mins).

There were one or two alarms before the interval, notably when Goodall grappled with Walker to concede a freekick near halfway. Deasy came for the ball but did not get it cleanly but the danger was cleared. In added time Goodall had to do well to clear a Chorley corner but half-time arrived with the score 2-2.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
CHORLEY 2

Altrincham started the second half slowly and were almost caught out when, with Patterson upfield, Walker got free and won a corner. Next Miller had to get back to clear as Chorley pressed. After this Walker drifted in from the left and smacked a fine shot against the outside of Deasy's right post (50 mins). At the other end, a Miller ball flew across Chorley's goalmouth but there was no Alty man there (51 mins).

Likewise, for Chorley, Carver got past Moran but could not locate a team mate. Then Deasy had to rush out to smother a quick freekick after Moran had been penalised. Chorley were setting the pace this half.

In the second half Alty had changed formation with Goodall at the back between Heathcote and Moran, as wing backs Lynch and Patterson pushed on, with Miller behind the two strikers. After Miller had won a corner, Heathcote's firm header was blocked (56 mins).

After 61 minutes, Hobson replaced a limping Sinclair and he almost set up Reeves moments later. Two Chorley corners came and went before Joyce came on for Miller, who limped off. Immediately, Moran went down after a collision whilst heading clear but he recovered. From a corner the ball was fed to O'Keefe who blasted over the bar into Golf Rd.

Hobson now headed a freekick just wide and soon after this his good cross was almost converted by a stretching Reeves (71 mins). Altrincham enjoyed some forward momentum without creating a clear chance before the visitors introduced Gonzales for Carver (80 mins). Joyce's powerful 25 yarder was spilt by Ashton but the keeper gathered the ball ahead of Hobson.

Play was end to end before Alty won two freekicks near the left corner flag. From one of these Ashton spilt the ball again but again regathered it (90 mins). In the first of three added minutes, Joyce advanced up the middle and forced Ashton to tip the ball over for a corner. Again Heathcote's head met this well but, again, the effort was blocked. But with the game into a fourth added minute Alty had a narrow escape as a Gonzales shot came down off the bar and also seemed to strike the post before being cleared for a corner.

Defeat would have been harsh on Altrincham who had played some good football but had again been undone by defensive lapses. Alty have now matched the record of 2010-11 when no wins were secured in the opening nine league matches; on that occasion they had just one point at this stage whereas now they have four. Manager Jim Harvey now takes the reins and he will have seen that he does have something to build on, though the number of injuries affecting his squad will complicate his task.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
CHORLEY 2
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