Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (2) 3
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (1) 2

FA Cup 2QR match
played on Saturday, 17 September 2016, at 3pm

SUMMARY

It took a Damian Reeves goal in the second minute of added time to secure Alty's place in Monday's FA Cup draw and to record the team's first victory in twelve outings this season. But it was an encouraging performance especially in the second half...

However, it started badly as, just as on Tuesday, Alty fell behind early on. This time, Doherty's header went to an opponent, the ball was played in to Thewlis who was brought down in the box. Reid scored confidently from the resulting spot-kick and Alty trailed in only the third minute. However, there were encouraging signs particularly from Miller going forward and, at the back, Cyrus but Alty looked to be going into the break with a deficit. But two goals in as many minutes turned the score around.

First of all John Cyrus poked home a low James Lawrie corner from the right in the 44th minute. Then, Patterson did well to get into the right side of the box and, from his low cross, Reeves scored from close range in the 45th minute.

James Lawrie had two magnificent efforts at goal in a second half in which Alty grew in confidence. LAwrie's first effort was a superb lob, with the outside of his foot from the edge of the box, which hit the bar and the other came from the halfway line, which beat Hedge but ended in the sidenetting.

Trinity seemed to have secured a draw after some attacking substitutions. Seven minutes from time, a Thewlis cross from the right found Jarman who volleyed impressively home to make it 2-2 . But Alty had the final say as a corner pinged around the Trinity goalmouth, at one point coming off a defender and the crossbar, before Damian Reeves bundled it in at the back post in the second added minute.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Simeon Lucas
ATTENDANCE: 516
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were again constrained by injuries. Goalkeeper Tim Deasy and defenders Shaun Densmore, Danny Hall and Tom Hannigan remained injured but John Cyrus was able to return after his injury lay-off.

On Tuesday illnesses enforced the absences of Alan Goodall and Sam Heathcote, but both were fit again, with Goodall captaining the side from centre-back and Heathcote on the bench. Hobson's varied Alty career saw the striker cum centre-back of midweek moved to the left wing today.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Andrew DAWBER, 2. Sam PATTERSON, 3. Josh DOHERTY, 4. Simon RICHMAN, 5. John CYRUS, 6. Alan GOODALL (c), 7. Sean MILLER, 8. Jake MOULT, 9. James LAWRIE, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Craig HOBSON. Subs: 12. Greg WILKINSON, 14. Charlie JOYCE, 15. Sam HEATHCOTE,16. Harry CAIN, 17. Danny HATTERSLEY, 18. Fabio BASSANGUE, 20. Andrew JONES (gk)

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (Blue) 1. Jonathan Hedge, 2. Josh Lacey, 3. Brad Beatson, 4. Matt Thornhill, 5. Adam Quinn, 6. Jake Picton, 7. Darnelle Bailey-King, 8. Alex Wiles, 9. Ashley Worsfold, 10.Jordan Thewlis, 11. James Reid. Subs; 12. Matt Wilson, 14. Liam Davis, 15. Ioan Evans, 16. Nathan Jarman, 17. Reece Hands.

BACKGROUND

The sides had already met this season, when Trinity beat Alty 2-0 at The Northolme.

Mike Garnett reminds us of our record against Trinity.

REPORT

On a warm, sunny afternoon, Alty kicked off towards Golf Road. But in only the second minute they conceded a penalty. It came after Doherty had headed a clearance inside from the left touchline and it had dropped to a Trinity player. It allowed Thewlis to be put clear in the box but he went down under a challenge and a spot-kick was awarded.

Reid blasted home the penalty with Dawber having no chance to replicate his spot-kick save early in last Tuesday's match at Nuneaton (3 mins).

After a Lawrie shot had been blocked (4 mins), Alty's first meaningful effort came three minutes later when Hobson did well, from Patterson's feed, but his low shot went just wide.

Next, the speedy Bailey King now outpaced Doherty and Goodall on the Trinity right but his cross found no one in the box (11 mins). Miller started to make an impression as his cross-shot deflected to Hedge.

Soon, Reeves won a corner, from Patterson's ball and, shortly afterwards, Miller's well-struck left-foot 25-yarder just cleared the bar (15 mins). Reeves was again deployed as the lone frontman with Lawrie behind.

For Trinity, Bailey-King's pace again took him up the right-wing but his cross was cleared (19 mins). Play was fairly even as Worsfold was allowed to cross the ball but Moult headed the ball back to Dawber. On 28 minutes a rare Cyrus error allowed Worsfold a shot, which Dawber saved well, low down (28 mins).

Alty were yet to inconvenience Trinity keeper Hedge before Bailey-King again got round the defence and his towering cross won a corner off Dawber (32 mins). Alty fell asleep as a diagonal corner-ball was played and Reid got in a shot which flew just wide.

From yet another Bailey-King cross, Alty were fortunate that Worsfold miskicked his shot (35 mins). The home side were labouring with plenty of effort but no real threat being created to the visitors'goal.

Things improved as Miller turned well but his shot was blocked after a good move started by Cyrus. Two minutes later, Hobson's nod down allowed Miller a shot which had to be saved (40 mins). Miller was looking Alty's brightest attacking player.

The home side's improvement continued as a promising move was only ended by a cross behind the Trinity goal from Doherty as he overlapped and got to the byline (42 mins). The upturn continued as Miller won a corner on the left. This produced another corner, this time on the right, again taken by Lawrie.

The low corner was hooked into the net in a crowded box by John Cyrus from close range to make it 1-1 (44 mins). And it got even better a minute later as Patterson got into the box and onto a return ball. His low cross was poked in by Reeves amidst the attentions of defender Quinn.

Three added minutes were decreed despite there having been no trainer on the pitch but Altrincham left for the interval encouraged by having turned round a deficit for the first time this season.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 1

The first event of note was some superb skill from James Lawrie. With his back to goal, he received the ball from Miller, turned and flicked a shot with the outside of his boot over the keeper from outside the box. Sadly it hit the crossbar (49 mins).

Then Hobson was flattened which was not given as a foul. Miller continued to impress with a good run up the left all the way to the byline but his shot went into the side netting (52 mins).

Altrincham continued to play with a new confidence as a Miller shot was saved and then after Richman had won the ball, Hobson gained a corner. The referee went back and booked Beatson for a foul on Richman in the build up (55 mins).

The corner was cleared to Miller whose left footer from 18 yards just cleared the bar; Alty were looking a better side this half. Next, from a Moult ball, a Hobson diving header was saved. This was followed by a good move involving Lawrie and Doherty which ended with Moult's shot into the side netting.

Gainsborough made a change as Jarman replaced fellow striker Worsfold (61 mins).

Another sublime piece of skill came from Lawrie who, on halfway, at the right touchline, launched a shot at goal. It had Hedge beaten but dropped a matter of inches wide of the keeper's left post and fell into the side-netting (64 mins).

Patterson now won a corner which was sliced by a defender to Hedge. After this, Hobson fed Miller, and his low cross won a corner. At the other end a long cross led to a Thewlis header which Dawber saved.

After 72 minutes centre-midfielder Richman went down and was subbed by Charlie Joyce and at the same time Davis came on for Bailey-King who had not been the same influence as he had been in the first half. Three minutes later it was another change; Hands for Wiles for the visitors (75 mins).

Joyce then won a corner with a deflected shot (75 mins). When Hobson had his shirt pulled half off his back he got no response from the referee who then booked him for dissent (78 mins). Alty continued to go forward as Reeves shot at the keeper after an "up and under" into the Trinity box.

Seven minutes from time Thewlis got past Goodall, right of goal. His cross found the unmarked Jarman who volleyed home impressively from left of centre to make it 2-2. Immediately Wilkinson came on for Hobson (83 mins).

Trinity now had their tails up and Thewlis won a corner, which Dawber punched clear.

In the 90th minute a Doherty cross won a corner from a perceptive Wilkinson feed. After this four added minutes were decreed as a Moult cross was taken off Miller's toes to give Alty another corner. This one, from the right, pinged round the goalmouth, off a defender, off the bar and was prodded into the net by Reeves at the back post to make it 3-2 (90+2 mins).

There was time for Harry Cain to replace Reeves (90+3 mins), before Doherty had to make an important tackle on Thewlis. Into the fifth minute Miller won a corner before the final whistle sounded.

Altrincham had secured their first win of the season and the second half especially had produced probably their best 45 minutes of the campaign. Hopefully they can take this form on into the league next week.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 2
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