ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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WITTON ALBION (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (2) 2

Evo-Stik League Premier North match
played on Monday, 28 August 2017, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham made it three successive league wins, for the first time since January 2015, after a particularly impressive first-half performance at Wincham Park. Victory took them into the top half of the table. But the game was marred by three additions to Alty's growing injury list.

Altrincham took a fifteenth-minute lead when Hulme collected a long ball and fed Poole. He placed an excellent rising shot into the net from just outside the box. However, Alty then lost right-back Richman to a foul which the referee failed to see. With full-backs Short and Disney missing this game through injury, the loss of makeshift full-back Richman, a midfielder by trade, must be a concern to the management.

But a superb strike from outside the box by former Witton man Josh Hancock made it 2-0 for the visitors in the 37th minute. After the break Alty also saw Densmore hobble off and then Hulme departed after an earlier knock. Witton had more of the game in the second half but Alty's makeshift backline, featuring midfielder Taylor at right-back, and centre-back Hannigan at left-back flanking Harrison and Jones, kept a clean sheet.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Ben Atkinson
ATTENDANCE: 754
TEAM NEWS

In addition to long-term absentees Sean Miller (injured) and John Amis (recuperating), full-backs John Disney and Lewis Short were both sidelined by injury. Manager Parkinson rotated his squad for this second game within forty-eight hours, bringing in Sheridan, Densmore and Johnston for Taylor, Peers and Short

LINE-UPS:

WITTON ALBION

(Red & white striped shirts, black shorts)		 1. Calin Hare, 2. Anthony Gardner, 3. Ben Hedley, 4. Michael Wilson, 5. Anthony Brown (c), 6. Nick Ryan, 7. Prince Haywood, 8. James Foley, 9. Rob Hopley, 10. Will Jones, 11. Paul Williams, Subs: 12. Micah Evans, 14. Steven Tames, 15. Alex Newby, 16. Ben Greenop, 17. Ryan Neild.

ALTRINCHAM

(Purple) shirts and shorts, white socks) 		1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Simon RICHMAN, 3. Shaun DENSMORE, 4. James JONES, 5. Ben HARRISON, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Sam SHERIDAN, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. James POOLE, 11. Josh HANCOCK. Subs: 12. Tom PEERS, 14. Tom HANNIGAN, 15. Laurence TAYLOR, 16. Max HARROP, 17. Tim DEASY.

BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett reminds us of the statistical record against Albion. Although Alty shade the number of victories, Witton have a significant lead in goals scored.

REPORT

In bright sunshine, Altrincham kicked off towards the club's museum end but it was Witton who gained the match's first corner. Alty keeper Thompson dropped this but the ball was half cleared before coming back to Thompson (5 mins).

Alty's first shot at goal came from Densmore's 25 yarder which was well struck but cleared the bar (6 mins). Apart from two balls from Johnston which went for a goalkick, and a Hayward 20 yarder, which went well wide, there was no real threat of a goal despite Altrincham playing the ball around confidently.

When a long ball found Hulme in the inside-left position, he controlled the ball before laying it off to Poole. From just outside the box, Alty's number ten calmly took aim before sending an impressive rising shot past Hare to open the scoring (15 mins).

Soon, a great Moult long ball located Hancock who, in turn, fed Densmore, whose shot was saved (16 mins). At the other end, Foley fired the bar well over from 22 yards, before play switched again and Johnston won a corner off Wilson (18 mins).

Two minutes later, a low Hancock cross won another corner as Alty maintained the upper hand. Harrison then got forward but saw his shot saved after keeper Hare had earlier batted the ball half-clear.

Following a Richman foul, James Jones cleared any danger after Witton's freekick had gone into the wall. Moult now won the ball and Hare spilt the resulting shot before Johnston won another corner on the right (26 mins). As Alty continued to dominate, Poole had two shots blocked in succession and Johnston and Poole got in crosses.

But as Richman got forward up the right he was brought down by what seemed to be a foul, though Mr Atkinson did not concur. The Alty right-back stayed down and eventually had to be helped off the pitch, with Hannigan coming on to replace him (34 mins). Centre-back Hannigan, who had had to come on at left-back on Saturday, was now deployed on the other flank.

Altrincham finally converted their attacking threat into a second goal when Hancock, from just outside the box in a central position, smashed a superb shot into the net to make it 2-0 (37 mins).

Witton's best chance so far arrived when Hedley mishit a shot well wide after the ball had come to him beyond the back post (38 mins).

As half-time approached, Poole went down under Ryan challenge as he got into the box but, once more nothing amiss was seen by referee Atkinson (44 mins). In added time Thompson came out for the ball from a freekick but failed to reach it and was grateful to see the danger cleared. There was still time for Hayward to have a shot blocked before half-time arrived with Altrincham holding a deserved lead.

Half-Time: WITTON ALBION 0
ALTRINCHAM 2

Witton introduced Greenop for Williams at the interval and they won an immediate corner after kicking off. This was cleared to Hayward who shot well wide. A late challenge on Densmore was apparently not seen by the referee but after consulting his linesman he booked Greenop (49 mins).

Densmore was unable to continue and a few minutes later he was replaced by Taylor who took up the unaccustomed right-back role (53 mins). Next Hulme stayed down and needed treatment before resuming (56 mins).

Not surprisingly given the disruption to the Alty team, Witton were more in the match during this half. Referee Atkinson continued to upset Alty as he now waved play on after keeper Hare had come out of his box and barged Hancock over (59 mins).

On 63 minutes, former Alty man Michah Evans replaced Will Jones for Witton. Johnston was proving a useful outlet for Alty and after he had done well, Hulme poked an effort just wide. He was then subbed by Peers (65 mins).

Another Johnston run was soon halted on the edge of the box but then Albion won a freekick which came to nothing (71 mins). Next, Johnston beat his man and his shot won a corner off the keeper's legs. Moult did well to get the ball after the corner before an Alty shot cleared the bar (74 mins).

After Peers had got into the box, Poole jinked round the keeper but Hare managed to block the resulting shot. Hancock then had a 25 yard freekick saved.

Alty remained comfortable with their lead and goalkeeper Thompson was not being tested by the home attack. When the already booked Greenop came in late on Jones, he was very fortunate to escape with a lecture (84 mins).

An Alty corner now wen to the home keeper as did a freekick from the right by Moult soon afterwards (87 mins). The game went into four added minutes which Alty negotiated without too much difficulty to confirm a deserved victory over a team which had started the game as joint league leaders. And a clean sheet recorded by a makeshift back four was another step forward for an Altrincham side which is beginning to gather momentum after a faltering start to the campaign.

Full-Time: WITTON ALBION 0
ALTRINCHAM 2