Match Report


TAMWORTH (0) 2 ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 29 April 2017, at 3pm


SUMMARY

A good first-half showing by Altrincham had them 1-0 up at the interval and it could have been more but for saves by home keeper Jezeph.

Watched by new manager Phil Parkinson, Alty took a 34th minute lead when Clee fed Lawrie through the middle and Alty's leading league goalscorer, James Lawrie, scored with a well-struck,low shot.

Tamworth improved after the interval and levelled the score seven minutes into the second period. Powell was allowed to drift in from the left before he drove a firm shot past Deasy.

Misfortune struck Alty when keeper Deasy went down injured, off the ball, and had to be replaced in goal by midfielder Nicky Clee in the 69th minute. Five minutes later, from a freekick conceded by Heathcote, the ball found Newton who scored at the back post.

Alty almost levelled when Hobson's fine 25 -yard effort hit the woodwork but there was to be no way back.


SCORERS:
  • 34 mins: James LAWRIE (Tamworth 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
  • 52 mins: Callum POWELL (Tamworth 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
  • 74 mins: Danny NEWTON (Tamworth 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)

REFEREE: Mr Declan Bourne
ATTENDANCE: 902
TEAM NEWS

James Lawrie returned to the starting eleven as did Shaun Densmore, making his first league start since New Year's Day.

LINE-UPS:

TAMWORTH (Red) 1 Dan Jezeph, 2 Andy Burns, 3 Stephen Morley, 4 Ellis Deeney, 5 Luke Jones (c.), 6 Paul Green, 7. Callum Powell, 8 Ben Fox, 9 Danny Newton, 10 Reece Styche, 11 Connor Taylor. Subs: 12 Joe Clarke, 14 Jed Davies, 15 Brandon Fox, 16 Ross Dyer, 17 Belshaw

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow) 1. Tim Deasy 2. Shaun Densmore (capt), 3. Kyle Brownhill, 4. Laurence Taylor, 5. Sam Heathcote, 6. Jake Moult, 7.James Lawrie, 8. Simon Richman, 9. Micah Evans, 10. Damian Reeves, 11. Nicky Clee. Subs 16. Craig Hobson, 12. Andy McWilliams, 14. Andy Owens, 15. Clayton McDonald, 17. Tom Hannigan.


BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett reminds us of the previous record between the two clubs.

  • At Altrincham: P6-W3-D2-L1-F7-A2
  • Away: P6-1-2-3-6-8
  • All: P12-4-4-4-13-10

Tamworth had installed a 3G pitch at the end of last season so this was a new surface for an Altrincham team which had not visited The Lamb for more than six years.


REPORT

The Lambs kicked off towards the covered end but there was to be anAlty corner well inside the opening minute. In fact, Alty started the game well and, soon, Clee got to the byline after a neat string of passes in the build-up.

Tamworth responded with a corner for themselves (4 mins). A second corner arrived for Alty but, again, nothing came of it (8 mins). Once more, Laurence Taylor was impressing in midfield as Alty got forward again and a fine Reeves shot from the edge of the box forced a very good save to the keeper's right (10 mins).

The visitors' good play continued as Clee almost played in Reeves. But Alty then conceded three freekicks in five minutes as Tamworth got more into the game (18 mins).

But Altrincham soon looked the more dangerous again as Lawrie did well with a shot from an acute angle before a fine Laurence Taylor shot, from 20 yards, forced another fine save from Jezeph at the cost of a corner (19 mins). The home crowd was growing restless as their side faltered.

As the half hour mark was reached, the sides traded shots; Clee saw his effort saved, then Powell likewise had his shot saved equally comfortably at other end.

Next, a Moult misheader let in Tamworth on their right but Deasy beat out the resulting shot and Heathcote covered well to concede a corner (32 mins).

~ On an Altrincham counter-attack, Clee fed Lawrie up the middle and he scored with a fine, low shot from the edge of the box (34 mins). Following the re-start, Richman won a corner and the visitors' pressure continued as a Lawrie shot hit Moult then deflected just wide of the net off the keeper, but the referee gave a goalkick (35 mins).

Tamworth's main threat was coming from Powell on the left and his next cross just evaded a team-mate at the back post.

Soon afterwards, when Deasy collected a ball into his goalmouth, he was fouled and dropped it into the net but a freekick was rightly awarded (40 mins). As the interval approached, a cross won Tamworth a corner, which Deeney headed over the bar (44 mins).

Afterwards, Lawrie's highly optimistic shot from 60 yards flew well off-target before the half ended with Reeves hurting himself whilst making a challenge.

Alty's interval lead was well deserved and would have been greater but for the Tamworth keeper.


Half-Time: TAMWORTH 0 ALTRINCHAM 1

For the second half, Hobson came on for Evans, and then Altrincham kicked off. A Heathcote miskick soon conceded a corner, from which Jones's downward header bounced up on the springy surface and was smartly shovelled over the bar by Deasy (47 mins).

Tamworth were soon improving after their lacklustre first half. After a Newton shot had run to Deasy, a Styche shot was beaten out by Deasy before Moult cleared the ball (50 mins).

But then, Powell was allowed to drift in from the left, unchallenged, before he thumped a shot past Deasy from the edge of the box to make it 1-1 (52 mins). The lesson was not learnt by Altrincham as again they stood off, this time as Newton was allowed a shot, which ran to Deasy.

Tamworth were now drawing fouls as Richman, Moult and Taylor were all penalised in quick succession. But two fouls by Tamworth, on Moult and Reeves, relieved the pressure.

A midfield foot-up offence led to a booking for Clee (62 mins) before a move started by Laurence Taylor ended with Reeves running towards goal but he delayed and a corner was the outcome.

After a Deeney ball had run to Deasy, the Alty keeper went down for treatment. He seemed to have a hamstring problem as his injury-hit season continued. With no keeper on the bench, Nicky Clee donned the gloves (69 mins).

From the bench, left-back McWilliams replaced Deasy. Clee passed his first goalkeeping test superbly as he came out to beat Styche, not with his hands, but with a clever piece of footwork (72 mins).

But the stand-in Alty keeper had no chance when Tamworth took the lead soon afterwards. A needless Heathcote foul, near half way, led to a freekick which located an unmarked Newton at the back post, where he hammered the ball home (74 mins).

Up at the other end, a Richman shot won a corner before Owens replaced Reeves, and for the Lambs, Dyer came on for the disappointing Styche. Moments later there was another change as Brandon Fox replaced Taylor for the Lambs (77 mins).

When Hobson's fine 25-yarder hit the top of the keeper's left post, near the crossbar, it reinforced the belief that it was not to be Altrincham's day (79 mins).

As the game ticked away, there was a good spell for Alty but without any clear chance being created. The Tamworth keeper was announced as Man of the Match which was a credit to Altrincham's performance.

In the added four minutes Hobson felt he had been fouled by Clarke and the Alty man raised his hands in retaliation but he escaped with a yellow card (90+2 mins).

Although it was yet another defeat, Altrincham had played well in the first half and might well have emerged with something tangible from the game if their most creative player, Clee, had not had to spend more than twenty minutes in goal.


Full-Time: TAMWORTH 2 ALTRINCHAM 1