ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (3) 5
NANTWICH TOWN (0) 1

Evo-Stik Premier Division match
played on Tuesday, 3 October 2017, 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham moved up to fourth in the league on a night when other clubs at the top end of the table also won heavily. Three goals inside ten minutes before the interval determined the outcome.

Nantwich keeper Burzynski had started the game unable to take goalkicks and when Bembo-Leta's low cross was put into the net at the back post by Hannigan, it was clear that the keeper's mobility was limited. But the Dabbers chose not to substitute him and two goals in the 45th minute and two minutes into added time left Altrincham well in command.

First Richman fed Hulme, up the middle, and he netted with a low shot to make it 2-0. Then Johnston, who caused Nantwich numerous problems, won the ball and got along the byline left of goal from where his shot seemed to go through the keeper and into the net.

Nantwich tried to get back into the game but went four down on the hour when Peers fired home from a Hulme feed. But with a fifth successive league clean-sheet almost secured, Alty conceded a needless corner and then allowed Mullarkey a free header to make it 4-1 in the 90th minute. However the Robins had the final say as the game went into its fourth added minute when Hulme turned well and was chopped down in the box but Hancock drove home the loose ball to make it 5-1.

SCORERS:
REFEREE: Mr Richard Holmes
ATTENDANCE: 636
TEAM NEWS

Disney and Taylor were again out of action, and Poole and Amis were both added to the injured list tonight. But Miller was back for the first time this season, on the bench, after he had hit a hat-trick for the Reserves last Saturday. Richman and Johnston returned to the starting eleven, as Densmore and Sheridan dropped to the bench.

In addition to manager Phil Parkinson and his management team, Alty's squad included numerous former Dabbers players. Likewise, Nantwich ranks included ex-Alty players Clayton McDonald and the recently re-signed Joe Mwasile.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Joel BEMBO-LETA, 3. Lewis SHORT, 4. Tom HANNIGAN, 5. Ben HARRISON, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Tom PEERS, 11. Josh HANCOCK. Subs 12. James JONES, 14. Sam SHERIDAN, 15. Max HARROP, 16. Sean MILLER, 17 Shaun DENSMORE.

NANTWICH TOWN (Yellow shirts and socks and black shorts) 1. Krystian Burzynski, 2 Troy Bourne, 3. Jamie Morgan, 4. Tobias Mullarkey, 5. Clayton McDonald, 6. Sam Hall (c), 7. Joseph Mwasile, 8. Casper Hughes, 9 Harry Clayton, 10. Sean Cooke, 11 David Forbes. Subs: 12 Matthew Bell, 13 Reece Quinn, 14. Courtney Wildin, 15 Jordan Davies, 16. Stephen Jones.

BACKGROUND

It was fewer than two months since the 2017-18 season had started but Altrincham and Nantwich Town were already meeting for the second time. Back in August the clubs had drawn 1-1 at the Weaver Stadium.

Mike Garnett's records reveal the statistical record of matches between the two clubs...

REPORT

Alty kicked off towards the away end on a cool but dry evening. An early lunge by Hannigan saw him booked and Morgan needing treatment (2 mins).

Following the freekick Thompson twice beat the ball out and then McDonald put it wide as Altrincham started shakily. When the Dabbers' keeper did not take an early goalkick, as Morgan did the honours, it was clear that he had a problem (6 mins). He confirmed his discomfort in kicking when he next hurled the ball 50 yards instead of punting it upfield (7 mins).

Alty then began to settle, as a Hulme run led to a Moult cross before the pressing continued when Johnston got to the byline (11 mins). When McDonald dived in on Hancock the referee did not caution him as he had for Hannigan's earlier offence (12 mins). The resulting rasping freekick from the left by Hancock very narrowly cleared the bar (13 mins).

Next, a Hancock shot was blocked and the rebound was given as handball against Alty. The first corner arrived on 15 minutes, through Johnston and then Harrison danced through a challenge and his shot from 17 yards was saved. After their stuttering start Alty were now on top but it was Nantwich who won the next corner from a low cross from the right (23 mins).

At the other end Hulme fed Peers who fired over the bar from right of goal, inside the box. After 27 minutes Peers won a corner, taken by Johnston. From this the visitors counter-attacked only for Mwasile to be halted on the edge of Altrincham's box.

Johnston again impressed, soon afterwards, as he robbed Mwasile, scooted past McDonald and ran at goal, his resulting shot winning a corner, which he disappointingly put into the side netting (30 mins).

Two Nantwich men were well offside before one of them now put the ball in the net. Next, another impressive Johnston run got him along the byline, left of goal before the ball was cleared (34 mins). When Hannigan advanced upfield and was tripped, the referee again erred on the side of leniency (36 mins).

Altrincham's pressure finally told when Bembo-Leta got into the visitors' box, right of goal, and his low cross/shot was put into the net at the back post by Hannigan to give his side the lead (37 mins).

By now, goalkeeper Burzynski was hobbling badly but Nantwich made no move to replace him by sub keeper Quinn. After 41 minutes, McDonald went down on his knees, off the ball, and was substituted by new signing, Wildin (42 mins).

When play resumed, the industrious Hulme did well to get the ball at the byline and locate Peers but he was dispossessed. Just as added time was to start, Richman fed Hulme up the middle and the front man netted with a low shot to make it 2-0 (45 mins). Within two minutes Johnston won the ball on the left, raced to, and along, the byline and his shot from an acute angle seemed to go through the keeper into the net. It was cleared but had clearly crossed the line to make it 3-0 (45+2 mins).

So, at 3-0 down, Nantwich supporters would have been asking themselves why their injured goalkeeper had not been substituted. The goals had not been his fault but, had he been fit, he might well have kept a couple of them out.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3
NANTWICH TOWN 0
For the second half goalkeeper Quinn belatedly replaced Burzynski between the posts.

Soon Johnston was tormenting the Dabbers again as once more he reached the byline and fed Hulme who could not sort out his feet at the near post and a potential tap-in went begging (48 mins). Next Hulme fired well over the bar from right of goal. After a freekick for a Moult foul on Mwasile 35 yards from goal, Bembo won a corner at the other end (52 mins). Johnston's run, after the corner, culminated in a fine shot which smacked the post from right of goal (53 mins).

For Nantwich a Hughes run culminated in a blocked shot, before Richman's foul earned him a somewhat harsh booking which placed him one yellow away from suspension (57 mins). Nantwich now brought on Davies for Forbes as the visitors continued to show some attacking intent (59 mins). But moments later, Hulme advanced on the right and fed Peers, to his left, who netted with a fine, low shot from 18 yards to make it 4-0 (60 mins).

After an Alty corner they were caught offside before Sheridan came on for the booked Richman (65 mins). The referee now twice got in the way of the players and ball in as many minutes before Densmore replaced Short at left-back (73 mins). Next, Hancock got in a 30 yarder from a Densmore pass but it flew wide. Alty's final change saw Harrop on for Johnston, who left the pitch to applause (76 mins)

On 79 minutes, the energetic Hulme got to the byline and Peers netted but was given offside; it was Peers's fourth offside "goal" this season (79 mins). Next, Hulme's well struck shot was saved after a Hancock feed. The Dabbers did not give up despite their deficit and a Hughes 20 yarder now forced Thompson's first real save of the match at the cost of a corner (82 mins).

Nantwich were still trying to get forward and three minutes from the end of normal time, a Mwasile shot deflected to Thompson. In the final minute Densmore took his eye off the ball and conceded an unnecessary corner. From this, an unmarked Mullarkey headed the ball into the net to make it 4-1 (90 mins).

Three added minutes were proclaimed and after a Cooke shot had been saved at one end, Hulme turned well at the other end and was chopped down as he got into the box. The referee was spared a decision as the loose ball ran, left, to Hancock, who drove home the loose ball to make it 5-1 (90+4 mins).

It had been a convincing win for the hosts but the visitors must have been left wondering how they would have fared with a fit goalkeeper in the minutes before half-time. Nevertheless, they showed good spirit to keep going forward and deprive Alty of what would have been a fifth successive league clean sheet. Alty moved up to fourth but all the other leading clubs who played tonight also won convincingly.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 5
NANTWICH TOWN 1