ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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FARSLEY CELTIC (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1

EvoStik Premier match
played on Saturday, 6 January 2018, 3pm


SUMMARY

After Altrincham had enjoyed some pressure which featured a sequence of corners, Farsley came into the match before the interval. Alty also started the second half brightly but, just after the hour-mark, Farsley striker Cockerline committed a very late challenge on Tom Hannigan. After consulting her linesman, referee Helen Conley showed the offender a red card.

Four minutes later, Hulme put Alty ahead when he impressively rounded the keeper before calmly netting. It was the seventh consecutive league match in which he has scored.

In the closing stages the home side pushed forward but Altrincham defended solidly to retain their lead against the ten men.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Ms Helen Conley
ATTENDANCE: 380
TEAM NEWS

After rotating his squad on New Year's Day, Phil Parkinson restored Tom Hannigan and Shaun Densmore to the starting eleven but Connor Hampson was out with a groin strain. So, White moved to left-back in his place.

Farsley had Lewis Turner suspended for this game.


LINE-UPS:

FARSLEY CELTIC (Blue) 1. Graeme McKibbin, 2. Kurt Harris, 3. Isaac Baldwin, 4. Chris Atkinson, 5. Daniel Ellis (c), 6. Ben Atkinson, 7. Ryan Watson, 8. Nathan Turner, 9. Dan Cockerline, 10. Nathan Cartman, 11. Cameron Murray. Subs: 12. Paul Walker, 14. Luke Parkin, 15. Adam Clayton, 16. Mark Bett, 13. Kyle Trenerry (GK).

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 3. Andy WHITE, 4. Tom HANNIGAN, 5. Ben HARRISON, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Max HARROP, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. James POOLE, 11. Josh HANCOCK. Subs: 12. Tom PEERS, 14. Simon RICHMAN, 15. Sean MILLER, 16. James JONES, 20. Tim DEASY.


BACKGROUND

This was Alty's first daylight visit to the Throstle Nest as Alty's only previous visit to Farsley came in 2007 for a Tuesday evening 1-1 draw in which Damian Reeves both scored and was sent off, whilst playing for Celtic. Financial problems caused Farsley Celtic Football Club, founded in 1908, to re-group as Farsley AFC in 2010 but they were later (2015) allowed to return to their previous Farsley Celtic name.

Altrincham's record against the original Farsley Celtic is kindly provided by Mike Garnett...

When Farsley Celtic played at the J. Davidson Stadium earlier this season, Alty had run out 6-0 winners, thanks to goals from Hancock (2), Peers, Johnston, Hulme and Hannigan. However, Farsley's impressive 4-2 victory over Shaw Lane on New Year's Day indicated that this return fixture would be a much more even contest.


REPORT

On a bright but cold afternoon, Alty won the toss and elected to change ends so that the low sun would not trouble keeper Thompson.

After a Murray effort had been blocked at source, Ben Atkinson won the game's first corner off White, but Densmore cleared this (4 mins). Alty's first corner, won by Johnston, arrived threee minutes later and, when it was taken, short, it prompted a second corner.

Although this came to nothing, Altrincham now enjoyed a good spell with Johnston gaining another flag-kick in the eleventh minute. Following this, there was a melee in the box during which a Hulme shot hit the home keeper from close range.

At the other end, a Harris shot went just wide (13 mins) before Moult fed Poole, who forced a good block by keeper McKibbin which gave Alty a corner. This was half cleared and Poole's resulting shot had to be well saved, at the cost of another corner. The pressure continued as Hancock gained yet another corner, quickly followed by Harrop who won a fourth successive corner, off Ben Atkinson (16 mins).

Next, Johnston was halted on the byline and, a couple of minutes later, the influential Poole located Hancock whose shot went just wide (19 mins).

Alty remained on top as Moult shot over the bar from the left from Johnston's feed.

A defensive error then allowed Hulme a close-range effort, which was saved but yet another corner was won, which went from Poole to the keeper (27 mins).

Howevr, then, a fine Baldwin run got the Farsley no.3 into the Alty box and this prompted an improvement in the home side's fortunes. After Harrison had hacked clear, a Farsley corner followed and another two were soon gained (29 mins).

Farsley were on top now and the impressive Baldwin again did well but Cockerline fired the resulting shot well over the bar (32 mins).

Alty responded with a Poole cross which landed on the roof of the net, from a White feed, before Hancock, who was finding space well, cut in but lofted his shot well over the bar.

Moments later, Ben Atkinson's tackle was late on Poole, on halfway, and the Celtic man was booked (36 mins).

McKibbin now did well to collect a Hulme header after a good move and cross from the Alty left, involving Hancock and White (39 mins).

After a superb Poole ball had located Hancock, Poole had a shot saved before McKibbin was again in action as he smothered the ball at Hulme's feet and stayed down for treatment (41 mins).

In the 45th minute, Harrop was fouled and Murray was booked for kicking the ball away. A minute later, Poole was booked when he was judged to have blocked an opponent near half way.

So, the half ended goalless but Altrincham had been the better side and McKibbin the far busier keeper.


Half-Time: FARSLEY CELTIC 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

With the floodlights on, Alty kicked off and almost scored when a Johnston header landed on the roof of the net from Hancock's cross (46 mins). Alty's bright start continued as a Hancock 20-yarder was saved and then Harrop got into the box and Hulme earned a corner on the left (49 mins).

With Alty's travelling support in good voice, helping to make this comfortably Farsley's biggest home gate of the season, Hulme now fired wide from 18 yards (57 mins). Next, a fine Alty move ended with Hancock's effort running to the keeper. It had been all Alty so far this half (60 mins).

A minute later Hannigan was caught, very late, by Cockerline after the Alty man had made a clearance (61 mins). The referee spoke to the linesman before producing a red card. It had been a very late rather than violent challenge.

Neverthless, it was the ten men who threatened next as a shot went to Thompson but Alty countered and Hulme was put clear by Poole. The Alty top scorer ran at goal from left-centre, took the ball round the keeper and calmly netted from right of centre to make it 1-0 (65 mins).

Following the red card, Hannigan, the victim of Cockerline's aggression, was senselessly booed by a section of the home fans. Alty patiently kept the ball away from the ten men but did not threaten again until the 73rd minute when Hancock's shot had to be saved after a fine long ball to him, from Hannigan.

Each side now made a change as Farsley's Walker replaced Ben Atkinson and Tom Peers came on for Johnston, for Alty (75 mins). Two minutes later Jones replaced Hannigan who thereby retained his record of Altrincham not conceding a league goal whilst he had been on the pitch since the match at Whitby last October. At the same time, Richman came on in midfield for Harrop (77 mins).

Although Hulme now won a corner, Alty did not press home their one-man advantage. The hosts made another change when Parkin replaced Murray (81 mins).

A further corner was won by Hulme (85 mins) but then another mazy run into the box by Baldwin saw him glide past three Alty men but he shot just wide (86 mins). Farsley were now in search of a late equalizer and Ellis was pushed forward to aid the cause as the game went into an unnanounced period of added time.

In the third added minute Hulme stupidly kicked the ball away when given offside and, for the second match running, picked up a needless yellow card for the same offence (90+3 mins). But when a striker nets for seven consecutive league games, as Hulme has done, perhaps he can be forgiven!

Altrincham remain eight points clear of second-placed Grantham, with Shaw Lane 11 points adrift but with four matches in hand, following another postponement for the Barnsley club.


Full-Time: FARSLEY CELTIC 0
ALTRINCHAM 1