ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
WARRINGTON TOWN (0) 2

Buildbase FA Trophy Round One replay match
played on Tuesday, 19 December, 2017, 3pm


SUMMARY

Two very late defensive lapses by Altrincham allowed Warrington to snatch a dramatic 2-1 win in this Buildbase FA Trophy replay at the J Davidson Stadium. This was the third meeting between the teams this season after two dour goalless draws at Cantilever Park. This match witnessed a somewhat brighter, but still goalless, first half.

Jordan Hulme eventually broke the deadlock in the 52nd minute when he turned and half-volleyed a shot past goalkeeper McMillan following a Johnston corner.

However, the visitors made all three substitutions and went for an equalizer which they scored in the 87th minute when Goulding netted from close range when Alty keeper Thompson hesitated after initially coming for the ball. Alty had now lost the initiative and they conceded a second goal in the third added minute when McDonald slid in at the back post as Alty failed to clear a low cross from the right.

Nevertheless, there was still time for Hampson to hit the post and then for Alty to fail to convert the resulting loose ball before the final whistle sounded. So, Warrington now travel to Ebbsfleet United in the next round on 13 January.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Scott Simpson
ATTENDANCE: 453
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham made four changes from the original tie as Bembo-Leta, Jones, Harrop and Miller started in place of Densmore, Hannigan, Richman and Peers.

LINE-UPS:

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

WARRINGTON TOWN (All blue) 1. Tony McMillan, 2. Gerard Kinsella, 3. Rory McKeown, 4. Sean Williams, 5. James McCarten (c), 6. Liam Goulding, 7. Scott Bakkor, 8. Dylan Vassallo, 9. Jamie McDonald, 10. Tony Gray, 11. James Barrigan. Subs 12. Ben Ascroft, 14. Jamie Davis, 15. Stephen Milne, 16. Adam Carden, 17. Steven Jennings.


BACKGROUND

After a dour goalless game on Saturday, following an equally drab goalless league encounter, the two sides now faced the daunting prospect of winning this tie to earn a trek to Kent to play Ebbsfleet United in the next round.


REPORT

After some pre-match floodlight problems the game got underway on a cool but dry evening on a pitch still damp from the recent grim weather.

The visitors were out of the traps quickly, closing down Alty smartly all over the pitch. However, following a foul on Miller, the Alty left-winger got to the byline and won the match's first corner (4 mins). The visitors' first hint of a threat arose after a Miller mispass led to a Town ball flying across the Alty box (7 mins).

When Goulding slipped, he became the third player to slip the on wet surface so far. Although both sides were trying to get forward there was an absence of goalmouth incident before a Hulme cross was cleared for a corner on Alty's right. But it was Warrington who landed the next shot on goal as a Williams 25-yarder deflected to keeper, Thompson. At the other end, Harrop won the ball in midfield and fired in a fine 35-yarder, which McMillan only held at the second attempt (17 mins).

Next, a fine Johnston run up the middle was halted by keeper McMillan as he came out to block. Although play had been a little brighter than in last Saturday's clash, defences remained on top before Harrop made an interception and was fouled, 40 yards out on Alty’s left. Johnston's freekick bounced in the Town box and ran to the keeper as Hulme appealed vainly for a penalty, with some reason, as he was baulked (26 mins).

A Johnston cross was then spilt by McMillan and the ball ran towards the goal-line but Hulme was beaten to the loose ball by a defender (28 mins).

Alty had enjoyed the better of the last ten minutes before Johnston poked an effort wide but after its promising start the game had reverted to type with neither side unable to unlock the other's defence (40 mins). Following a Town corner on their right, Gray hooked a shot well wide. As the interval approached, Hampson won the ball and, on the left, Johnston went on to gain a corner but this came to nothing.

So, after 225 minutes of play against each other this season, spectators had yet to witness a goal.


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
WARRINGTON TOWN 0

McMillan's uncertain handling continued as he now spilt a 25-yard effort from Harrop (47 mins). And, two minutes later, Hulme won his side a corner. From this, a Poole shot gained another corner. From this one, taken by Johnston on the left, Hulme gathered the ball, left of goal, turned and half-volleyed into the net to give Alty a 1-0 lead (52 mins).

After Moult had been penalised, when he felt he had been the man fouled, Warrington's freekick hit the Alty woodwork (55 mins). On 57 minutes, Hancock came on for Miller and after a short delay for the referee to resolve a footwear problem, a Poole volley was held by McMillan from Hulme's pass. The visitors had a fortuitous chance when as Bakkor shot deflected to a team mate who could not get a shot in at goal from close range.

The visitors now also made a change as Milne replaced Barrigan (62 mins). Two Alty freekicks followed but came to nothing but the latter, taken by Hancock, hit the defensive wall and earned a corner (65 mins).

At the other end, Bembo covered well as McDonald advanced but Town gained a corner. Town soon made another change as Davis replaced Gray (69 mins).

Town were now pressing for an equalizer but on a counter attack, Johnston fired disappointingly over the bar from a Hulme feed (75 mins). With Alty on the back foot, Goulding was allowed to advance and win a corner after which Williams shot well over the bar (76 mins).

The visitors' third swap saw Jennings come on for Bakkor and the new man instantly fouled Poole (78 mins). And Poole was soon on the receiving end again as another sub, Davis clattered him and earned a booking (81 mins). Poole then put a 25-yarder narrowly wide before Kinsella won a corner off Hampson, which Alty hacked clear.

But Altrincham were allowing themselves to be put under pressure and, soon, Bembo-Leta had to concede another corner (86 mins). From this, Thompson half came for the ball before stopping and Warrington took advantage of the situation to equalize from close range through Goulding (87 mins).

The impetus was now with the visitors and when McDonald went down on the edge of the box, Alty were relieved that the referee waved play on. As play went into four announced minutes of added time, McCarten was booked for dissent, presumably about the above incident (90+1 mins).

Moult was then booked for a foul before Williams fired over. Warrington then snatched the winning goal as a low cross from the right evaded the Alty defence and McDonald slid in at the back post to make it 1-2 (90+3 mins).

With play into its sixth added minute, Hampson hit the post with a fine effort from the left and the loose ball was then cleared off the line as Bembo-Leta was unable to turn it home. So the chance of another Trophy payday had disappeared thanks to two uncharacteristic defensive lapses from Altrincham.

Footnote: Max Harrop was booked in this match.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
WARRINGTON TOWN 2