Match Report

ALTRINCHAM (0) 2
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (2) 3

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 14 January 2017, at 3pm

SUMMARY

A disastrous spell of defending at the start of the match saw Altrincham concede twice inside nine minutes after the kick off.

In the sixth minute Jarman got the better of Cyrus at the near post and beat Deasy from an acute angle, right of goal.

Three minutes later, Patterson was beaten on the Alty right and the resulting low cross found an unmarked Burdett who made it 2-0.

For Alty, league debutants Laurence Taylor and Tomi Adeloye were playing well as was Nicky Clee but there was no way back into the game before the interval. Alty were not aided by the referee who ignored two very strong appeals for penalties against Adeloye.

The ref further annoyed Alty as he failed to show a second yellow card to Willis, the visiors' keeper, whose first caution had been as early as six monutes before half-time for timewasting and he continued to do the same throughout the second half.

Although Alty dominated the second half they failed to deal with a ball up the middle and Worsfold made it 3-0 just after the hour mark.

Altrincham produced a grandstand finish as they got the game back to 2-3. Eight minutes from time Owens netted after Reeves had twice hit the bar, firstly with a shot and then a header. And four minutes later a long ball from Heathcote glanced off Cyrus to make it 2-3.

Despite some hairy moments in the Trinity defence the visitors held on for a win despite the referee playing only four and a half minutes of an announced five minutes of added time.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Kevin Mulraine
ATTENDANCE: 996
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham had midfielder Jake Moult suspended whilst Shaun Densmore, Craig Hobson and Alan Goodall were still sidelined by injury. Laurence Taylor made his first league start as did new signing, Tomi Adeloye.

For Trinity, manager Dom Roma started the game. An injury in the warm up meant that JAarman was replaced at the last minutebyWorsfold in the starting eleven.

LINE-UPS

ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Tim DEASY, 2. Sam PATTERSON, 3. Kyle BROWNHILL, 4. Laurence TAYLOR, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. John CYRUS, 7. Elliot NEWBY, 8. Gary JONES (c), 9. Andy OWENS, 10. Oluwatomisin ADELOYE 11. Nicky CLEE. Subs: 12. Andy McWILLIAMS, 14. Sam HEATHCOTE, 15. Damian REEVES, 16. James LAWRIE, 17. Simon RICHMAN

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY (Colours described as "volt" i.e. a lime green/fluorescent yellow) 1. George Willis, 2. Dom Roma, 3. Josh Lacey, 4. Matt Thornhill, 5. Ioan Evans, 6. Jake Picton, 7. James Reid, 8. Gavin Rothery, 9. Noel Burdett, 10. Ashley Worsfold, 11 Jordan Thewlis. Subs: 12. Kimarni Smith, 14. Tom Davie, 15. Laurie Wilson, 16. Alex Wiles, 17.

BACKGROUND

Trinity were seeking a league double after Altrincham had slumped to defeat at The Northolme earlier this season, a result which gave Trinity their first win of the season.

Meanwhile Altrincham were still seeking their first league win of the season at the JDS.

MATCH REPORT

Before kick-off there was a minute's applause in memory of Graham Taylor, the former England manager, after which Trinity kicked off towards the away end. After they had played in a ball to the back post, they had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside (2 mins). Alty had been fortunate to escape from this bit of poor defending but they were not to heed the lesson.

At the other end, Adeloye almost scored with his first shot in an Altrincham shirt, from a Jones lay-off, but his effort was beaten out by keeper Willis

However, Alty's shaky defensive start continued as Burdett swivelled past Brownhill who grabbed hold of him to concede a freekick. Although the freekick came to nothing, it was not long before Worsfold got the better of Cyrus at the near post and he then beat Deasy from an acute angle, right of goal (6 mins).

And, just three minutes later, Patterson was beaten on the Alty right, about 30 yards forward from the byline. The resulting low cross found Burdett in the clear and he scored with a low shot to leave Alty trailing 0-2 with only nine minutes on the clock. It had been a horror show from Alty's defence so far.

Things improved as Clee did well but Adeloye's shot was blocked. From an Alty freekick soon afterwards, on their left, Willis escaped with fumbling what should have been a routine catch.

From a Clee throw, Cyrus nodded the ball but Adeloye was blocked before any goal threat really developed. Play was fairly scrappy and, once again, Willis mishandled, dropping a gently looping Newby cross towards his own goal line but, as Alty were to find, luck favoured the defenders.

Laurence Taylor started his league debut well, having previously impressed in cup matches for the club.

After 23 minutes Owens got to the byline but, rather than pulling the trigger with his right foot, he cut inside and the moment was lost as he dribbled into trouble. Adeloye continued his bright start by now making space well but his shot was saved (25 mins).

Newby was now on the left and Clee on the right but it was Trinity who won the game's next corner. Alty captain, Jones, now got hold of a shot but it was blocked by a defender and, on the half-hour, Clee, Jones and Newby combined before Jones fired wide from 20 yards.

When Jones was penalised for a foul, he was irate at the referee's decision and his cause was helped by the better placed linesman not flagging for any offence. A long lecture and booking ensued for Jones, however (32 mins).

Altrincham continued to get forward but, next, Owens was seen off in the box. For Trinity, a corner was won off Cyrus on their left (34 mins).

When Clee was upended by Reid his reaction prompted another lengthy lecture from the referee. The freekick, from 35 yards, came to nothing. Six minutes before the end of the 45, goalkeeper Willis was deservedly booked for timewasting.

In the second added minute, another Adeloye shot was parried, after which Owens netted but was flagged offside. After their dreadful start, Alty had enjoyed a lot of the ball but had not managed to get back into the game by scoring.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 2

Alty kicked off towards the away end and Nicky Clee was soon clattered by Thornhill and needed prolonged treatment before resuming. Thornhill was booked for the offence (47 mins).

Three minutes later Thewlis hauled back Newby and was also rightly booked for a professional foul. Or so it seemed as the referee wrote something in his notebook but failed to show a card (50 mins).

Next, Deasy saved at full length from a Thewlis 20 yarder before an Owens header dropped to keeper Willis.

Alty's attacks were mostly coming on the left via Clee and it was he who won a 59th minute corner as the visitors remained largely on the back foot. A minute or so later, Owens turned well and shot; the keeper only half stopped the effort but a defender cleared the ball.

Out of nothing a routine aerial ball up the middle set Worsfold free and he lobbed the ball home over the advancing Deasy to leave Alty 0-3 behind (61 mins). Trinity had done little in the second half before this third defensive lapse by the hosts.

Alty now brought on Lawrie for Brownhill and Heathcote for Adeloye, with Patterson advancing to right midfield and Heathcote now the right side of three at the back, alongside Cyrus and Hannigan. (64 mins). Heathcote played the first of several fine long balls, this one reaching Clee but he was robbed of the ball. Soon, Lawrie got in a shot as Alty continued to make the running.

> In the 71st minute, Picton tripped Lawrie and was shown a second yellow, followed by the inevitable red. So for the second league match running, there were ten men for the visitors. Trinity now brought on Wiles for Burdett, before Reeves replaced Newby (72 mins). The bench told Trinity to play 4-4-1 as, now, Wilson replaced Worsfold (73 mins).

The Trinity keeper was given a generous freekick after again mishandling the ball. He did better soon afterwards, collecting a good cross from Lawrie (75 mins). Moments later, Lawrie got to the byline and, from left of goal, at an acute angle, his shot beat the keeper but was cleared off the line. Then, a Jones shot was beaten out by Willis as Alty cranked up the pressure (76 mins).

Reid put the ball in Alty's net after being flagged offside before Clee was tripped on the byline, only for nothing to be given by the referee. He now booked Clee for his dissent (79 mins).

With Cyrus now pushed forward, a Lawrie shot ran to the keeper as attacks continued to come predominantly up the left wing. Eight minutes from time Reeves's well taken shot came down off the underside of the bar and his follow-up header also struck the bar. The loose ball came to Owens who poked it home to make it 1-3 (82 minutes).

This was followed by more attacking from Alty but Gainsborough scrambled the ball clear before a Cyrus header was saved. Next, Lawrie opted to pass rather than shoot and the chance went. Willis, already booked for timewasting continued to commit the same offence with impunity from the referee.

Then Heathcote launched a long ball forward and the ball bounced in the box, and seemingly got a touch off Cyrus which made the score 2-3 with four minutes left.

Alty now won a corner which just evaded Cyrus before Willis again wasted time with the referee seemingly unwilling to make a tough decision and book him again. When another goalkick arose and Willis dithered again, Mr. Mulraine actually went and had words with the dawdling custodian but failed to show him another card (89 mins).

With five added minutes now announced, the referee had clearly noted the timewasting yet had not drawn the obvious conclusion by taking any meaningful action to stop it. Two Alty corners were followed by a Reeves header at the back post which went wide as the Trinity goal remained under siege.

Next there was another goalmouth scramble and Willis failed to hold the ball, another corner being the outcome. Next a stretching Cyrus headed over the bar from Lawrie's cross (90+3 mins). After this a Jones shot was blocked and Clee won yet another corner but Alty could not get an equalizer. Strangely Mr. Mulraine blew the final whistle after only four and a half minutes of added time.

Altrincham lost this game through sub-standard defending, especially in the opening ten minutes. They did enough attacking to warrant some reward from the game but it was not to be and they now lie seventeen points from safety.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 3
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