Match Report
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
AFC TELFORD UNITED (1) 2
played on Saturday, 22 October 2016, at 3pm
SUMMARY
A very poor performance from Altrincham saw them fortunate to go in at half-time just 0-1 behind, after the visitors had hit the woodwork three times. Telford had taken the lead in the 24th minute when, following a throw-in, Goodall missed the ball and McCarthy drove his shot past Deasy. Goodall was withdrawn before the interval as Altrincham continued to labour.
Telford's second arrived in the 58th minute when Reid caught Deasy in no-man's land and lobbed him from wide-right of goal, outside the box. Despite changing to a back three and pushing men forward, Altrincham made little impact and could not complain at the outcome.
Alty remain six points from safety.
SCORERS:
- 24 mins: Connor McCARTHY (ALTRINCHAM 0 AFC Telford United 1)
- 58 mins: Bradley REID (ALTRINCHAM 0 AFC Telford United 2)
REFEREE: Mr David Underwood
ATTENDANCE: 1,074; 76 in away end
TEAM NEWS
Andy McWilliams made his Alty debut after joining in midweek. Tom Hannigan was out, suspended, but Danny Hall returned to the squad after injury. Luca Havern and Sean Williams were two ex-Alty men in the Telford eleven.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and white socks): 1.. Tim DEASY 2. Sam PATTERSON, 3. Andy McWILLIAMS, 4. Jake MOULT, 5. John CYRUS, 6. Alan GOODALL (c), 7. James LAWRIE, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Greg WILKINSON, 10. Damian REEVES, 11. Sean MILLER. subs: 12. Craig HOBSON, 14. Phil MARSH, 15. Danny HALL, 16. Billy HASLER-CREGG, 20. Andrew DAWBER.
AFC TELFORD UNITED (Blue) 1. James Montgomery, 2. James Hurst, 3. Ben O'Hanlon, 4. Ben Bailey, 5. Paul McCone, 6. Luca Havern (capt), 7. Jonathan Royle, 8. Sean Williams, 9. Bradley Reid, 10. Connor McCarthy, 11. Jack Rea. Subs: 15. Josh Wilson, 12. Danny Reynolds, 14. Dwayne Samuels, 16. Jordan Sangha, 17. Alfie Crooks.
BACKGROUND
Mike Garnett provides the statistical record against AFC Telford United...
- At home: P2-W0-D1-L1-F2-A3
- Away: P2-W0-D0-L2-F2-A5
- All: P4-W0-D1-L3-F4-A8
On a sunny but cool afternoon at the JDS, Alty kicked off towards Golf Road. But they were on the back foot from the start as a Moult foul was conceded, just outside his own box. After a Wilkinson shot had gone comfortably to keeper Montgomery, McCarthy won Telford a corner from Reid's feed. The corner was headed narrowly over the bar (4 mins).
Alty responded with a Miller shot, which was blocked and a wild effort from Moult. But there was little to set the pulse racing before a Hurst cross was headed very wide by Reid as Telford started the game as the better side (9 mins). Alty were mis-firing, epitomised by a wild pass from Goodall, which was followed by Wilkinson's mis-pass.
Telford almost took the lead when Reid hit the post from a Hurst cross after McCarthy had taken advantage of a poor Goodall clearance (12 mins).
When Lawrie was upended just outside the box, as he latched onto a poor clearance, his resulting freekick went across goal for a goalkick (19 mins). Alty were settling a bit better now and a Patterson cross was met on the volley by Miller who forced a save that conceded a corner (20 mins).
The normally dependable Goodall was having an "off" afternoon as, following a Telford throw on their left, he missed a through ball allowing McCarthy to score comfortably past Deasy (24 mins).
Altrincham continued to lose the ball cheaply and misplace their passes, before there was another uneasy moment for Goodall as he almost lost the ball trying to dribble out of his own box (28 mins).
Following another Telford throw, near half way, a Reid header was blocked then the same man fired wide (32 mins). Next, Telford hit the bar from 30 yards, and after a scramble in their box, Alty just about got the ball clear.
Manager Jim Harvey had now seen enough of his faltering team and he brought on Danny Hall to replace Goodall at the back (35 mins). But the mistakes continued as Moult's error now allowed Reid to hit the bar from 22 yards. Alty were playing poorly (36 mins).
Apart from Miller and McWilliams, who was having a steady game at left-back, few Alty players were doing themselves justice but they did now win a corner. However, this was cleared (39 mins). A minute later, a wild shot by Lawrie bisected the byline between the corner flag and goal, from Miller's feed.
Alty survived a penalty appeal as McCarthy went down but the striker was booked for "simulation" (41 mins). Just as two added minutes commenced, a Wilkinson foul prompted a small fracas and Alty's midfielder was booked.
Before the interval, Deasy saved a shot from the Telford left before a Lawrie cross led to Reeves's hook to the keeper.
Alty had been poor so far but Telford had hit the woodwork three times so it could have been much worse at half-time.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 AFC TELFORD UNITED 1 |
Altrincham introduced Hobson for Richman for the second half. But the Robins were unable to make much impression until Havern blocked Reeves on the front edge of the box to concede a freekick. The former Alty defender was fortunate to avoid a booking. However, Miller put the freekick into the wall (52 mins).
Havern's team-mate Bailey was less fortunate as he was booked for fouling Hobson, again on the edge of the box (54 mins). From the freekick, Lawrie hit the wall before Hall fired over the bar (55 mins).
A Deasy kick went into touch and then a Hall headed clearance fell to an opponent. The ball was played forward. Deasy rushed from his goal but was still some yards from Reid when the Telford man looped the ball over him and into the net, from outside the box, right of goal, to make it 2-0 (58 mins).
On the hour mark, a Hobson effort was saved from left of goal but, at the other end, McCarthy dribbled past three defenders before Alty just managed to clear the ball.
The home defence parted again as Hurst got through to fire wide. Alty remained on the back foot, playing with little confidence.
Both sides made substitutions as Telford introduced Reynolds for McCarthy and Alty brought on Marsh for McWilliams, who was sacrificed to allow a change of shape to a back three. Hobson dropped to the left of the back line with Hall central and Cyrus to the right (67 mins).
The mistakes continued as, now, Lawrie sliced an intended clearance high into his own goalmouth.
Sangha replaced Sean Williams (72 mins) before Alty gained a rare corner, off McCone. Deasy had to race almost to half way to get someone to cover a Telford player left totally unmarked on half way as the corner was about to be taken. From the corner Hobson headed well, but wide (73 mins).
. Miller, Alty's liveliest player, shot wide from the edge of the box before McCone was booked for a foul on the same Alty player (82 mins). From Lawrie's freekick, Cyrus misheaded the ball away from goal.
Play meandered on without any real threat of a goal at either end. But, in the 90th minute, Alty fell asleep and Reid was allowed to get onto a ball which he should never have got. From a resulting rebound, Sangha hit a clear chance over the bar.
A surprisngly long five added minutes were proclaimed during which McWilliams was announced as Altrincham Man of Match, despite only playing 67 minutes but he had done well in a problem position for Alty.
Two minutes into added time, Samuels came on for Reid. Then Hobson carried the ball out to concede a corner but the final minutes were completed without any change to the scoreline.
Four wins in five games, albeit three of them in the FA Cup, had engendered some optimism at the J. Davidson Stadium, but this afternoon was a dose of harsh reality.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 AFC TELFORD UNITED 2 |