Match Report

STOCKPORT COUNTY (1) 3
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 17 December 2016, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham could have no complaints as they sank their seventh successive league defeat and are now 13 points away from safety in the table. Making just one change from the side that had played so well for much of the game at Blyth last Saturday, Alty gave new signing Gary Jones his debut in midfield in place of the injured Simon Richman.

Altrincham started fairly well but County soon got the upper hand, though their opening goal owed everything to a very dubious decision from the junior of the assistant referees who failed to flag what looked to be an offside Lloyd. The Stockport man was allowed to play on and finished well with a shot, from the left, past Deasy in the 26th minute.

Alty made a double change at the break with McDonald coming on for Goodall and Clee for Hobson, both the replaced players having received yellow cards in the first half. But the visitors failed to trouble the home defence whilst County wrapped up the points when Ross headed home a fine cross from Ball in the 77th minute. County could have added more before they finally did so in the first added minute when Minihan rifled home a shot from right of goal.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Glen Hart
ATTENDANCE: 3,991 (410 in away end)
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham had signed Gary Jones, Kyle Brownhill and Nicky Clee in the days running up to this match but only Jones started, with the other two on the bench. They were without the injured Simon Richman, John Cyrus and Greg Wilkinson. So the only change to the starting eleven from last Saturday at Blyth was that Jones replaced Richman.

LINE-UPS:

STOCKPORT COUNTY (Blue and white) 1. Ben Hinchliffe, 2. Sam Minihan, 3. Scott Duxbury, 4. Lewis Montrose, 5. Michael Clarke (c), 6. Chris Smalley, 7. Kaine Felix, 8. Gary Stopforth, 9. Kayode Odejayi, 10. Jimmy Ball, 11. Danny Lloyd Subs: 12. Mark Ross, 14. John Marsden 15. Courtney Meppen-Walters, 16. Josh Amis,

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shirts, red socks): 1. Tim DEASY, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (capt), 3. Andy McWILLIAMS, 4.Jake MOULT, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. Alan GOODALL, 7. Sam PATTERSON, 8. Gary JONES, 9. Craig HOBSON, 10. Sean MILLER, 11. James LAWRIE. Subs 12. Damian REEVES, 14 Nicky CLEE, 15. Clayton McDONALD, 16. Sam HEATHCOTE, 17. Kyle BROWNHILL

BACKGROUND

Despite a run of six successive league defeats, Altrincham supporters arrived at Edgeley Park with a modicum of optimism after an encouraging display in the FA Trophy win at Blyth seven days earlier. And the re-signing of crowd favourite Nicky Clee, as well as the signing of the experienced Gary Jones and young defender Kyle Brownhill had lifted the spirits to some extent.

Mike Garnett's statistics reveal our record against Stockport County.

League match record v Stockport County (1st XI)

Full record v Stockport County (1st XI)

REPORT

After County had kicked off towards the unused open end at Edgeley Park, Goodall got in a second-minute shot which went to keeper Hinchliffe.

Alty started slightly the better of the sides and after seven minutes, Miller forced a save from Patterson's feed. Having dealt with two routine efforts, the County keeper was seldom to be troubled at all in the remainder of the match.

County's only effort of note in the opening stages was when former Barnsley man Odejayi fired well over the bar. But the home side were improving as, soon afterwards, Ball's nod down was poked over the bar by a team-mate (9 mins). Next, Minihan won a corner, which was cleared to Felix whose shot deflected onto Deasy's left post.

County's improvement continued as they won a 14th minute corner but there was no real goal threat at either end. And when Miller was fouled, 20 yards from goal centrally, Jones put his freekick into the defensive wall. The Alty debutant, soon afterwards, had a shot blocked.

The first booking of the match arrived when Goodall was drawn into a foul after a Densmore error (19 mins). Two minutes later, Deasy had to save a shot. There was little quality to the game and nothing to excite the spectators before a ball upfield found County's Lloyd on the left. He looked comfortably offside but the junior assistant referee allowed play to continue. From the left, after Lawrie had lost possession, Lloyd fired a low shot past Deasy into the far corner to give County the lead (26 mins).

Soon after a Felix cross had been cleared, Hobson was not only harshly penalised when he won the ball but the referee also booked the Alty striker (29 mins). A promising Moult through-ball hit Miller's heels but generally Altrincham were being ponderous in their forward movements. More than once Jones had the ball near half way only to raise his arms in frustration at his team-mates' lack of movement to give him passing options.

At the back, Hannigan was impressing and he now got in a strong tackle. County's Ball now won a corner, which Odejayi headed over the bar (36 mins). Alty then got forward as McWilliams won a corner but nothing came of this before a fine Hannigan tackle halted the lively Lloyd in the centre of Alty's box.

When Odejayi was caught offside, held onto the ball, failed to retreat and pushed Hannigan, the inconsistent referee failed to punish him with the booking he deserved.

There was a scare for Altrincham when Deasy dropped a curling Lloyd shot from wide right but the ball dropped just outside the keeper's back stick for a corner. Following this, Moult conceded a second corner (42 mins).

Following more than two minutes of added time, half-time arrived with Altrincham trailing but far from out of the game.

Half-Time: STOCKPORT COUNTY 1
ALTRINCHAM 0

For the second half, McDonald came on for Goodall and Clee, making his second debut for the Club, replaced Hobson, with both of the replaced players having already been booked. So, Moult moved to midfield and Lawrie was pushed forward up the middle, as McDonald assumed centre-back duties and Clee occupied the left flank.

Almost immediately after the restart, Ball netted from Lloyd's feed but he was clearly offside. Although the freekick was awarded, Mr Hart booked Densmore for some reason (46 mins).

After Odejayi had won a freekick 25 yards out, centrally from goal, Lloyd's freekick flew over the bar. But Lloyd did better soon afterwards when his shot had to be well saved, low down, by Deasy (51 mins).

Alty's faltering start continued as a Densmore mispass in County's box was followed by McDonald's slice into touch. Then Patterson lost the ball upfield and a McDonald trip on Lloyd meant that he became Altrincham's fourth yellow card of a far from violent game (54 mins).

On 56 minutes, Ross came on for Felix and two minutes later Deasy had to save well from Ball after McDonald's overhit pass had caused Densmore to misplace his pass. A wild corner by County soon followed.

Not long after Minihan had been booked for a foul the junior assistant referee dubiously decreed Altrincham offside. But Alty could not blame the officials for their second-half performance which lacked urgency, with too many slow advances which petered out between half-way and the final third of the pitch.

A foul on Hannigan allowed Densmore a freekick which came to nothing as Altrincham continued to fail to create a second-half chance of any description (64 mins).

One minute later, Reeves replaced Densmore who has yet to complete ninety minutes this season following his return from a year-long injury absence. So, now Miller came over to the right as Patterson moved to right-back from right- midfield.

Following McDonald's wild slice into touch, Clee won a freekick 27 yards out, which Hannigan headed over the bar (68 mins). When County again prevented Altrincham taking a freekick, Mr Hart seemed puzzled as to what action to take before belatedly blowing his whistle and moving the hosts back the requisite distance.

On 70 minutes, a Miller cross from the right byline bounced on the top of the crossbar but the linesman awarded a goalkick. Miller was then fouled in front of the linesman whose failure to signal an offence led to some argy-bargy when Alty were then pulled up for an offence (72 mins).

Refereeing inconsistency continued as Odejayi's quite deliberate handball led to a freekick but no card. The big ex-FGR striker, for whom Barnsley had once paid £200,000 to Cheltenham Town, was subsequently replaced by Amis (75 mins). The dangerous Lloyd now got round McDonald but shot over the bar but the respite was brief. Moments after Altrincham had pushed McDonald up front and moved Moult back to defence, a fine cross from the right by Ross was met by a crisp header past Deasy by Ball to make it 2-0 (77 mins).

Alty's defence now rocked as Deasy had to save well from Lloyd. With eight minutes left, County's Meppen-Walter replaced Ball and from a corner a County header arrowed towards goal. An Alty defender on the line managed to head the ball onto the underside of the bar from where it was cleared (83 mins).

Next, a routine Lawrie foul was deemed sufficient to warrant Altrincham's fifth caution of the game. Altrincham remained under pressure as two desperate blocks kept out the hosts. The final nail in Alty's coffin arrived in the first added minute when full-back Minihan rifled home a well-struck shot from right of goal to make it 3-0 (90+1 mins).

After their two early shots on target in the first half, Altrincham had not landed a shot on the Stockport goal for the remainder of the match and, so, could have no complaints at the outcome, which leaves them 13 points from safety in the division.

Full-Time: STOCKPORT COUNTY 3
ALTRINCHAM 0
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