Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
BOSTON UNITED (0) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 24 September 2016, at 3pm

SUMMARY

In an end to end first half, chances went begging at both ends. For Alty Reeves had two half-chances; a flick across goal went wide, and a header flew wide of the post. Doherty also put in a good, low cross which went right across the goalmouth without getting a touch.

At the other end, Rollins and Thomas were a recurrent threat to the home side on the visitors' right and Alty were fortunate when a Colley header hit the post from a Rollins cross.

The pattern of unconverted chances continued in the second half with Hobson miscuing a chance wide and also heading a corner over the bar. However, slack defensive work allowed Boston captain Agnew to advance unhindered into the box and leave Andy Dawber with no chance as he fired Boston into a 70th minute lead.

Late on, Cain and Moult both forced saves from visiting keeper, Henry, but there was no way back for The Robins.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Paul Newhouse
ATTENDANCE: 918
TEAM NEWS

Simon Richman and Danny Hall were out, injured, but Tim Deasy and Tom Hannigan returned to the bench after their injury absences. Greg Wilkinson made his first start since returning to the club.

LINE-UPS:

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

BOSTON UNITED (All yellow with diagonal black stripe on shirts) 1. Dion-Curtis Henry, 2. Kalern Thomas, 3. Ben Gordon, 4. Marcus Marshall, 5. Joe Maguire, 6. Joe Robinson, 7. Jay Rollins, 8.Liam Agnew, 9. Lamin Colley, 10. Gregg Smith, 11. Jason St Juste. Subs: 12. Waide Fairhurst, 14. Lewis Hilliard, 15. Joe Burgess, 16. Courtney Wildin, 17. Cameron Johnson.

BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett reminds us of the historical record in clashes between the clubs...

REPORT

Alty kicked off towards Golf Road and the first entertainment came when the gusty wind blew a large black bin-bag over Boston manager Dennis Greene's head; he took the incident in good spirit (3 mins).

Neither side was keeping the ball particularly well but the first real goal threat arrived when Lawrie fed Hobson, whose low cross flew only just behind Reeves in the goalmouth. Following this, Wilkinson's finely placed 25-yarder was only just pushed round the post for a corner by Henry (7 mins).

After Lawrie's corner had gone to the keeper, Wilkinson tracked back well to block Agnew on the Alty byline. Boston responded as a ball was dinked over Doherty to Colley but his cross was too high for Smith. Doherty atoned as he cleverly got past two men to feed Lawrie, whose pass went astray. Next, a melee in Boston's box ended with a Moult shot being saved by Henry (10 mins).

The near-misses continued as a Smith header flew just wide from a cross from Boston’s right. For Altrincham, Wilkinson was impressing in midfield and he now played a superb great ball which located Reeves who was unable to find Hobson with his feed.

After 17 minutes a Wilkinson 30-yarder forced a diving save by Henry, who had been the busier keeper. However, a minute later, Boston's Colley had a shot saved by Dawber. From Rollins's cross Colley then hit the post with a header, from which a corner followed (20 mins).

Alty were fortunate again when, on a counter-attack, Agnew's chip over Dawber as the keeper came to close him down only found the sidenetting (22 mins).

Alty were displaying a mix of promising play going forward but were suspect at the back. The half-chances continued as Miller did well and his low cross from wide right was turned just wide by Reeves from six yards (25 mins).

Another half-chance fell to Reeves as a great Moult cross from the right was headed wide at the near post by the striker as he held off a challenge (29 mins). At Alty's end, Patterson covered well when Colley fed Rollins in the Alty box on a counter attack.

Next, a Doherty low cross from the left bisected a static keeper and the incoming Reeves as it flew across goal (34 mins). Alty continued to press as Hobson turned well but his shot was blocked for a corner. After this, a Miller lob went just over the bar following a good Wilkinson pass (36 mins).

But it was Boston who now enjoyed the better of the seven minutes before the interval. Firstly, a point blank save by Dawber was needed to halt Rollins but he was offside anyway (38 mins). The next threat came as a Thomas "give and go" up the right led to him lashing a shot wide, across the face of goal.

Cyrus then cleared another Rollins cross, for a corner. A minute before the break, Thomas again did well but Colley headed his cross from the right to Dawber. There was still time for Smith to hook an effort just wide as Boston again pressed up the right wing through Rollins and Thomas.

The first half had seen some good play from Alty, who had not converted their chances, before Boston finished the half the stronger.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
BOSTON UNITED 0

The referee had to go into the dressing room to fetch out Alty before Boston kicked off. From a Hobson nod on, Lawrie's cross was just too high for Reeves. But it was a generally quiet start to the second half until a Moult piledriver flew just wide from 30 yards.

After a fine Goodall tackle had stopped Colley, the Alty counter-attack led to a disappointing sidefooted finish, wide, by Hobson. Next, a Wilkinson 25-yarder was deflected just wide, for a corner (52 mins).

Half-chances continued to arrive as a Miller cross from the left, led to a Hobson header which went just wide. After 59 minutes Fairhurst replaced Colley for Boston.

Another chance went unconverted as a good Miller run, from Wilkinson's feed, led to a Hobson shot being well blocked by keeper Henry (61 mins). A Lawrie shot was then blocked before a low Patterson ball, across the box, was just ahead of Reeves.

After a Patterson cross had yielded a corner, which Hobson headed over the bar, Boston won themselves a corner, from which Dawber was fouled.

Next, a quick throw led to Lawrie getting into the box where Henry did well to divert his shot for a corner. The open play continued as a Fairhurst shot was blocked by Cyrus.

But for all their chances, Alty fell behind in the 70th minute. Agnew picked up the ball, right of goal and was allowed to advance unchallenged into the box before firing past the exposed Dawber (70 mins). Cain now came on for Miller (71 mins).

An excellent through-ball from Lawrie on a counter attack just ran to keeper Henry ahead of Reeves. Still the Alty chances continued; this time Hobson chested the ball down but blasted his shot well over the bar (73 mins) and then Henry had to come out smartly to block a Cain effort as the left-winger was played into the box (74 mins).

Heathcote now came on for Hobson. Initially Goodall moved to midfield as Heathcote slotted in at centre back but they soon changed positions as Heathcote was pushed forward.

A Wilkinson effort now just cleared the bar before the final ten minutes started. Boston kept the ball to wind down the clock before Smith headed a Fairhurst cross wide. Now Alty were not creating any openings.

The visitors then brought on Burgess for St.Juste. After 88 minutes, Wilkinson forced a good save and won a corner after Cain's pass. A wild 25-yard shot by Patterson went well wide before four added minutes started, during which Altrincham were unable to create any more chances.

So it is now twelve league games without a win this season for Altrincham but results elsewhere left them no worse off in terms of the gap between them and safety.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
BOSTON UNITED 1
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