ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (2) 4
COALVILLE TOWN (1) 2

Evo-Stik League Premier North match
played on Saturday, 26 August 2017, at 3pm

SUMMARY

In a very entertaining game, Altrincham let slip a two-goal lead before recovering to win the game by a final two-goal margin which was, perhaps, a little harsh on Coalville.

Despite lacking four players through injury or absence (Miller, Amis, Densmore, Harrop), Altrincham's bright start got them two goals clear in only the thirteenth minute. Alty's opener came in the tenth minute following a corner. The ball found its way to Poole who half-volleyed home 1-0. An injury to Short was to mean that he had to give way to Disney midway through the first half.

After a foul by Freeman on the impressive Hulme, the freekick fell for Hancock, who scored from towards the back post, to double the lead. But Coalville kept going and they got back into the game when Alty stood off and allowed Towers to get in a 20-yarder which somehow beat Thompson. And Coalville levelled eight minutes after the break when again Alty allowed an opponent too much time and Anderson made them pay with a fine shot into the top corner of the net.

But Alty regained the lead in the 74th minute when Jones was credited with the goal from close range after substitute Johnston had done superbly to get along the left byline. And Altrincham completed the scoring in the fourth minute of added time when Poole's fine run into the box drew out the keeper and left Hulme with a tap-in.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Aaron Bannister
ATTENDANCE: 592
TEAM NEWS

Alty were again without Sean Miller (injured) and John Amis (recuperating), but Tom Hannigan was available after suspension and defender Shaun Densmore had returned from the USA.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM

(Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 		1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Simon RICHMAN, 3. Lewis SHORT, 4. James JONES, 5. Ben HARRISON, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. Tom PEERS, 8. Laurence TAYLOR, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. James POOLE, 11. Josh HANCOCK. Subs: 12. John JOHNSTON, 14. Sam SHERIDAN, 15. John DISNEY, 16. Tom HANNIGAN, 20. Tim DEASY.

COALVILLE TOWN

(Blue and maroon striped shirts, blue shorts and socks)		 1. Matthew Coton, 2. Kyle Bryant, 3. Cleveland Taylor, 4. Danny Jenno, 5. Dean Freeman, 6. Steve Towers (c), 7. Jermaine Hollis, 8. Lee Cox, 9. Massiah McDonald, 10. Tom McGlinchey, 11. Blair Anderson. Subs: 12. Ollie Bassett, 13. Jamie Hannis, 14. Joe Pegg, 15. Daniel Creaney, 16. Brad Jones

BACKGROUND

This was the first encounter between our two clubs. Each had won their first league match of the season the previous Tuesday, leaving Alty one point ahead of their visitors at kick-off.

REPORT

Coalville kicked off towards Golf Road but it was Alty who won the match's first corner after just 40 seconds. However, it was The Ravens who had the first clear sight of goal but after a Hollis cross had been cleared to Towers, the visitors' captain blasted his shot well over the bar (4 mins).

Watched by a vociferous group of "Leicester City on Tour" supporters who had travelled to the J. Davidson Stadium en route to the Foxes' 5.30pm kick-off at Old Trafford, Coalville were soon on the back foot. But Alty could muster no more than a Poole shot which deflected to keeper Coton (8 mins). When a Short overlap won a corner, the ball came to Poole, who fired an impressive half-volley into the net to give his side the lead (10 mins).

Soon afterwards, Hulme sold Freeman a dummy and was fouled by the Town player, 40 yards from goal. The freekick fell for Hancock, who scored his second goal of the season with a firm shot from the left portion of the penalty box (13 mins).

When Laurence Taylor went down after a poor challenge, Cox was booked.

Following a smart turn by Poole, he overhit his pass for a goalkick before Alty needed a fine Peers tackle in his own box to halt Cleveland Taylor (21 mins). Peers was soon threatening at the other end as he forced a fine save which produced an Alty corner after good approach play by the home side (22 mins). Moult met the corner with a superb low volley which flew only inches wide.

In the 25th minute Lewis Short had to come off and was replaced by John Disney who, likewise, has been troubled by a pre-season injury.

Alty were now playing well as centre-back Harrison got forward to force a save (28 mins).

But after Poole had been penalised halfway against Cox, Towers was allowed space in the middle of the pitch twenty yards out, and his low shot beat Thompson, bouncing inside the keeper's left post to make it 2-1 (32 mins).

Coalville were now back in the game but Alty responded as Poole fed Disney who won a corner on the left, followed by a second, after which Alty were penalised (36 mins).

With the Leicester fans decamping to Old Trafford, the Coalville supporters were left to cheer on their side as Bryant lofted a shot well over the bar and Anderson got in a wild cross (43 mins). So, the interval arrived with Alty having let the initiative slip.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
COALVILLE TOWN 1

For the second half, Coalville introduced Bassett for McGlinchey before Alty kicked off towards the Golf Road end. After a fairly quiet opening, Hollis did well but his shot just missed the far post (50 mins).

When Anderson was allowed time and space, right of goal, he hit a fine goal into the nearside top corner from right of centre, 22 yards out. So the scores were level at 2-2.

Alty immediately went to the other end where a Peers cross went across the face of goal but evaded Hancock. Play was end to end at this stage. After a Bassett freekick had gone to Thompson, Peers poked the ball to Coton. The Alty defence then parted badly allowing McDonald to run totally clear but Thompson came out and blocked well.

Alty now made a double swap as Johnston replaced Hancock and Hannigan came on for substitute Disney, who had not been fully fit before this match (60 mins). Things were not looking so good for Alty at the moment after letting a two-goal lead slip and ceding the initiative to the visitors. Next, Anderson got past Hannigan, playing at left-back, and his shot from the right won his side a corner.

For the neutral the game was highly entertaining as, next, Johnston got to the other end and his low cross was cleared back to him but he fired over the bar (65 mins). Following good work by the industrious Hulme, Johnston now won a corner, after which Peers fired wide across the face of goal from the right.

Back at the other end, Hannigan conceded a corner and two minutes later, Moult got into the box and his shot was only just wide, across the face of goal from the left (70 mins). When a Moult long ball found Poole, he gained a freekick 25 yards out which, in turn, produced a corner. But Coton punched this clear.

Substitute Johnston was looking lively and he now made a great run along the left byline and from his cross, Jones was credited with his first Alty goal and his side's third of this match (74 mins).

The Ravens made a change as Creaney came on for Towers. For Alty, Johnston won the ball and raced into the Coalville box but his shot was blocked.He got the ball to Peers who fired over the bar (80 mins). Next, a Hulme 20 yarder went just wide before Jones had to block a cross from Anderson.

Coalville made another change as Pegg came on for Bryant (82 mins). Almost immediately, Pegg played in Creaney who was drifting across the six-yard box but goalkeeper Thompson did well to block his goalbound poke. Play again switched ends as Alty gained a corner before switching back again as a Creaney shot was deflected towards goal. Thompson, arching backwards, made an impressive reaction save but the ball looped up towards goal and needed Richman to clear it off the line (84 mins).

So, Alty could easily have conceded twice in these closing stages. And a third chance came for the visitors when Thompson came out bravely at feet of another substitute, Bassett, who had been put clear by Bryant, who was harshly penalised as he went for a 50-50 ball (86 mins).

Alty continued to live dangerously as McDonald appealed for a penalty after going down in the box. Then Creaney was flagged offside as he headed over the bar.

Alty's main outlet at this late stage was Johnston, whose fine shot just cleared the bar from the edge of the box (89 mins). Three added minutes were displayed on the board and in the second of these, Peers's run won a corner from his blocked shot.

The action was not over as a great run by Poole brought him inside from the right. As he got towards the near post he drew keeper Coton out of goal and slipped the ball to Hulme for a tap-in goal (90+4 mins). Although Laurence Taylor was a deserving Man of the Match, Hulme too was a leading candidate for the award. Altrincham were deserved winners but Coalville had played well enough to suggest that they won't be at the wrong end of the table for too long.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 4
COALVILLE TOWN 2