Match Report


ALTRINCHAM (1) 3
MATLOCK TOWN (1) 1

Emirates FA Cup 4QR match
played on Saturday, 15 October 2016, at 3pm


SUMMARY

After Matlock had taken a deserved 32nd minute lead through McManus, who got the better of loanee Josh Doherty to fire past Tim Deasy, Altrincham equalised two minutes later through the individual excellence of Damian Reeves. He controlled a ball from Jake Moult superbly, turned past his marker and planted a fine low shot past keeper Barnes.

Alty settled the outcome with two goals in five minutes early in the second half, both scored by Sean Miller. The first, fewer than ninety seconds from the re-start, was a tap in from James Lawrie's low cross after good work from Sam Patterson. The second was an excellent shot from just outside the box in the 52nd minute.

Ten minutes from time, Alty were fortunate when Jake Moult was penalised for a trip on the edge of the box that the already booked midfielder stayed on the pitch. Marc Newsham blasted the penalty well over the bar. But, minutes later, Altrincham were reduced to ten men when substitute Tom Hannigan's high challenge on Matlock's Williams, earned him a red card. Williams was unable to complete the game.

But for some wayward finishing in the latter stages from Dinanga, Matlock might have earned a replay but Alty go through to Round One.


SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Paul Marsden
ATTENDANCE: 1,071; 119 in away end
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were unchanged but Andy Dawber had recovered from his kidney infection to return to the bench.

LINE-UPS:

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

MATLOCK TOWN (Blue shirts, white shorts and blue socks): 1 Phil Barnes, 2 Liam Marsden, 3 Jake Green, 4 Joe Doyle-Charles, 5 Adam Yates, 6 Dwayne Wiley, 7 Niall McManus, 8 Michael Williams, 9 Marc Newsham, 10 Curtis Morrison, 11 Ted Cribley. Subs: 12 Marcus Dinanga, 14 Nico de Girolamo, 15 Alex Pursehouse, 16 Jamie Yates, 17. Nicolas Travis, 18 Arron Jameson


BACKGROUND

Altrincham were playing their third successive home game in the Emirates FA Cup this season and were looking to build on the incremental improvements witnessed, so far, under Jim Harvey's stewardship.

Mike Garnett provides the statistical record against Matlock Town...


REPORT

Matlock kicked off towards the away end on a sunny afternoon at the J. Davidson Stadium. The early minutes consisted of little more than throw-ins; Alty winning five alone, inside their own half, in the opening four minutes.

It was Matlock who had started on the front foot but then Miller got forward, before being halted, having received a smart ball from Wilkinson. Matlock's lively striker Morrison now got behind Alty's defence but McManus was unable to get power into his shot from right of goal and Deasy saved comfortably (8 mins).

The match's first corner was won by Williams from McManus's feed but Altrincham then got forwards and a Wilkinson shot, from left of goal, had to be pushed away for a corner after a good interchange with Lawrie.

From the corner, Cyrus won a header but Goodall nodded the ball wide of goal near the post. Alty were improving after a slow start. Next, Reeves almost got on the end of a long ball from Doherty (16 mins).

After Cyrus had failed to clear, a Matlock cross/shot went wide from the left. Soon afterwards, it needed a vital block by Cyrus after Morrison had been played into the box. Alty were shaky at the back and, next, McManus got past Doherty but Newsham could not get any power into his shot and Deasy blocked the effort (20 mins). The Gladiators had had the two best chances so far.

And, after a Wilkinson shot had been saved comfortably, Matlock again opened up Altrincham as Morrison fed Williams, who forced a fine one-handed save from Deasy, which conceded a corner. Following this, Cyrus was beaten in the air. Deasy then punched half clear, before Goodall underhit a back pass and Deasy did very well to block the resulting shot (26 mins).

Alty were still second best but after Lawrie hacked the ball clear from his own half, he found Reeves. Fully 50 yards from goal, Reeves almost scored but his excellent lob landed on the top of the net (28 mins).

On the half-hour, Lawrie brought down an aerial ball superbly but Reeves was just unable to turn his cross into the net.

Matlock took a 32nd minute lead when the excellent McManus, on the right, collected a deep cross-ball. With Doherty belatedly closing him down, the Matlock man sold him a dummy to make space and fire a low shot past Deasy.

Not for the first time Alty played a wild long pass, this time from Moult. But then, without having played very well, they regained parity, thanks to a piece of individual skill from Reeves. A Moult ball forward was brilliantly controlled by Reeves who turned smartly and fired past Barnes from the edge of the box to make it 1-1 (37 mins).

Next, Wilkinson advanced and his low shot was deflected into the side netting for a corner (38 mins). Alty wasted the corner, after which Cribley spooned a shot miles over the bar from left of goal at the other end.

After an Altrincham corner had led to nothing, Matlock player Wiley needed treatment, before resuming (45 mins).

Alty just about deserved to be level but they were looking suspect at the back and their passing had been hit and miss in the first half.


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
MATLOCK TOWN 1

Just over a minute after the re-start, Patterson slid a fine ball forward to Lawrie. He got into the box, and his low cross from right of goal allowed Miller a virtual tap-in to make it 2-1 (47 mins).

At the other end, Deasy blocked Wiley's goalbound header from a corner. Six minutes in, De Girolamo came on for Wiley.

Alty soon scored a third goal as Miller was allowed to advance up the middle, as Town stood off. He then drove a low shot past Barnes (52 mins).

Alty were now playing with a bit more confidence and, after a good move, a Patterson shot won a corner on the right. Matlock responded with a rasping Morrison shot which took a slight deflection to earn a corner (56 mins).

Now Burton Albion loanee striker Dinanga came on for Morrison who had played well (58 mins). Miller now put a difficult chance over the bar after Patterson had won a header. Then Hannigan replaced Cyrus (59 mins).

Four minutes later Alty made another change as Marsh replaced Reeves, up front (63 mins). In a non-threatening part of the pitch, Moult clattered Williams and was booked (64 mins). Moments later, Williams was harshly booked for holding.

Dinanga now did well but Cribley was blocked in the act of shooting; a Matlock corner soon followed (67 mins). Now, a wild shot by Doyle-Charles went very wide. Despite their two-goal deficit, Matlock were still competing well.

After McManus had won the ball off Marsh, he fed Dinanga who spooned a good chance over the bar (73 mins). Another chance came the substitute's way but this time Dinanga fired into the sidenetting when put clear (75 mins).

Alty made their final swap as Hobson replaced Miller, who curiously exited the field via the crowd in the Golf Road end! (78 mins).

Next as Matlock advanced to the edge of the box, the already booked Moult was adjudged to have tripped his opponent. It looked to be just outside the box and it also looked like Moult might be seeing a second yellow card. But neither eventuality came about; a penalty was awarded and Moult escaped further punishment.

To add to a bizarre minute or so, former Gainsborough striker Marc Newsham blasted his penalty over the bar where it hit the hoarding on the Golf Road terracing's roof.

Matlock had had their chances to get back into this game but had been wasteful in front of goal. But the drama continued...

A bad challenge, at waist level by Hannigan on Williams, left the Matlock man in a heap with an injury at the top of his thigh. Hannigan was shown a red card (83 mins). The offence had occurred in a non-threatening part of the pitch, near the touch line, near half way. Williams was unable to continue and he was replaced by Travis (84 mins).

Moult now moved to centre back as Matlock pressed forward. Alty, 3-1 ahead, should not have got themselves into a position where they were on the back foot for the final stages of the afternoon.

In the final minute of normal time, Dinanga beat Patterson but the ball was cleared. Four added minutes witnessed a Town corner and, at the other end, a Marsh cross-shot was almost turned in by Hobson, sliding in at the back post, but an Alty corner was the outcome (90+2 mins).

So, Altrincham are in the hat for Round One but their joy will be tempered by the red card for Tom Hannigan who is having an unfortunate season after missing so many games through injury and now suspension.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3
MATLOCK TOWN 1