ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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1874 NORTHWICH (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (0) 2

Cheshire Senior Cup Round Two match
played at Winsford United FC on Tuesday, 9 January 2018, 7.45pm


SUMMARY

Both sides were much changed from their last outings for this Cheshire Senior Cup First Round tie. Towards the end of a first half which Alty largely dominated, the hosts' striker Kyle Riley was sent off for a lunge on Shaun Densmore. Altrincham made their extra man tell with John Johnston striking a superb goal from the left in the 53rd minute. Tom Peers added a second after 73 minutes to secure Alty's place in the Second Round whilst the Alty backline secured another clean sheet with keeper Tim Deasy barely troubled throughout the game.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Darren Strain
ATTENDANCE: 178
TEAM NEWS

Northwich made seven changes and Alty six from their starting elevens last weekend. For Alty, that meant that only Densmore, White, Harrison, Harrop and Johnston had started the game at Farsley last Saturday. On the bench, Phil Parkinson named four reserves plus captain Jake Moult. Over the weekend, Northwich had progressed in the FA Vase and remained in both the CSC and the league cup at kick-off, as well as having 31 league games to complete!


LINE-UPS:

1874 NORTHWICH (Green shirts and socks, black shorts): 1. Greg Hall, 2. Jack Lever, 3. Ben Woods, 4. Jack Pritchard, 5. Dan Thomas, 6. Kazim Waite-Jackson, 7. Aidan Haughton, 8. Matt Woolley, 9. Kyle Riley, 10. Jake Parker, 11. Ryan Jackson. Subs: 12. Mark Jones, 13. Taylor Kennerley. 14. Scott McGowan, 15. Lee Jackson, 16. Adam Whittock

ALTRINCHAM (Purple shirts and shorts, white socks) Purple shirts and shorts, white socks) 1. Tim DEASY, 2. Shaun DENSMORE (c), 3. Andy WHITE, 4. James JONES, 5. Ben HARRISON, 6. Laurence TAYLOR, 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Sean MILLER, 10. Max HARROP, 11. Tom PEERS. Subs: 12. Callum JONES, 14. Tom WESTALL, 15. Jake MOULT, 16. Rhain DAVIS, 20. Cameron TERRY


BACKGROUND

Mike Garnett reminded us that this was our first competitive fixture against 1874 Northwich, although we did play them in a friendly at Moss Lane on 12 October, 2013, which Alty won 2-1, the scorers being Perry and Lawrie, and the gate was 188.

We had visit Winsford United more recently, however, for a pre-season friendly on 1 August, 2017, which Alty won 4-0. Josh Hancock and Tom Peers each netted twice on that occasion.

Subject to confirmation, our last competitive visit to Winsford came on 13 October, 1998 in a UniBond League President’s Cup 1st Round replay, when we beat Winsford United 1-0, the goal being scored by Paul Ellender in front of a crowd numbering 228.


REPORT

The planned CSC match on this ground between the landlords Winsford United and Warrington Town had been postponed twenty-fours earlier, owing to a frozen pitch, but the slightly milder temperatures meant that the tenants, 1874 Northwich, were able to stage tonight's match against Altrincham. Naturally, given the shocking winter weather, the pitch was soft but otherwise in good condition, albeit rather bobbly.

Altrincham kicked off, and after a routine freekick for each side, the first shot saw Ryan Jackson fire over the bar in the fourth minute. Four minutes later, Max Harrop jinked into the 1874 box but his left foot shot drifted well wide. Next, a good Altrincham move ended as Miller was blocked in the box as he shot at goal. Miller was deployed as the central striker as he continued his rehabilitation after his lengthy injury lay-off. Peers was deployed on the right and Johnston on the left.

Next, a superb Richman ball was played into the box but the keeper dribbled it away from Johnston (11 mins). Johnston was becoming increasingly active but his next three forward movements were all halted. The game had been fairly even and entertaining in the opening stages but now Altrincham began to get on top. Firstly, Peers was halted in the box and then Harrop's effort was saved comfortably by Hall, before Miller was flagged offside after a decent build up (18 mins).

Next, Johnston tried a speculative shot which went to the keeper and Hall also stopped a Harrop shot after Taylor had done well in midfield (20 mins). A fine ball over the top of the defence from Johnston set Peers free but he was given marginally offside. Taylor again did well to feed Johnston whose run ended with a feed to Miller whose goalbound shot was pushed away by the keeper for a corner (22 mins).

Northwich got to the other end but Lever's shot struck White but then Thomas won a corner from the loose ball; this was taken low and clipped over the Alty bar by Riley. Alty responded as Peers gained Alty a corner on their right. It took a fine save from Hall to keep out Jones's well-struck close-range shot following the corner (26 mins).

A couple of minutes later, Johnston got to the byline to win another corner on the left, which Hall smothered. Alty continued on top with Deasy untroubled at the other end. Next, following White's low cross, Richman hit a shot well over the bar from a central position in the box.

But 1874's Thomas now put in a good run and this led to a corner via Jackson off Harrison (32 mins). At the other end a fine ball by Harrop found Johnston but he was halted in the box. A few minutes later it was Johnston who turned provider as his excellent ball located Peers who cleverly chested the ball past the keeper, only for a defender to prevent him from scoring (37 mins).

After Densmore had won a corner, which was cleared, 1874's Haughton got in a shot from a cross from the left but he fired over the bar at the near post (40 mins). Two minutes later and Riley clattered Densmore with a late challenge which left the Alty man needing treatment. Riley was sent off by Mr. Strain leaving Alty to face ten men for the second successive game (42 mins).

In the final minute of the 45, the ball reared up and hit Jones's hand in his own box but there were only muted appeals for a penalty. In the final moments of the three added minutes, Taylor was hurt as he went for a 50-50 ball and both he and Densmore left the pitch looking less than 100% fit.


Half-Time: 1874 NORTHWICH 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

Both Taylor and Densmore were fit to resume for the second half, before an early Richman shot went over the bar from the edge of the box (47 mins).

A fine Johnston run to the byline was let down by a poor cross but then Miller did well and won a corner. Following this, Peers netted but the flag was up for the ball apparently having gone out of play (50 mins). Alty had been pressing since the interval and next, a Johnston header went to the keeper from a Densmore ball and then a Peers shot was only held at the second attempt at the near post. But the breakthrough finally came after Taylor had fed the ball to the left. Johnston advanced and smacked an unstoppable, rising shot into the net from left of goal to make it 1-0 (53 mins).

1874 made an immediate double change as Kennerley and Whitlock replaced Ryan Jackson and Haughton (54 mins).

Not surprisingly against the ten men, Alty were dominating possession before Harrop went off and Rhain Davis came on in midfield. Davis was almost immediately upended by Kennerley, after which a mishit Densmore shot won a fortuitous corner (61 mins). From this, first Jones then Harrison had efforts blocked and another corner resulted.

Waite-Jackson was now 1874's front man but he was getting little service as a Richman shot was blocked at the other end. On 66 minutes a Peers effort almost went through the keeper's hands but he recovered before Waite-Jackson fired wide for the hosts (66 mins).

Next an excellent Miller 25-yarder was impressively tipped over the bar for a corner from a move started by Davis. Two minutes later, a Densmore shot won Alty a corner, from which Harrison volleyed well over the bar. But then, as Northwich claimed a freekick in the Alty half, play continued with a long ball which located Peers. He finished well past Hall to make it 2-0 to the visitors (73 mins).

Northwich now introduced striker McGowan for defender Woods (76 mins) but Alty continued to press as Miller won the ball but lobbed it over the bar (78 mins). Densmore was now taken off and Callum Jones replaced him at right-back (79 mins).

Two minutes later, Tom Westall, currently on dual registration with Alsager Town, came on for Johnston. There was then a surreal moment when keeper Hall dribbled all of 40 yards upfield!

A poor Peers challenge saw him Penalised (83 mins) before he himself was wrestled to the ground and Mark Jones was booked (84 mins).

As play edged near its conclusion, a Richman 25-yarder just cleared the bar but a corner was awarded, following which a Miller shot was held by Hall (90 mins). A couple of minutes of added time saw no change to the score as Altrincham completed a professional job to progress to Round Two.

Footnote: Tom Westall was booked in this match.


Full-Time: 1874 NORTHWICH 0
ALTRINCHAM 2