ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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RHYL (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (0) 3

Pre-season friendly match
played on Saturday, 7 July 2018, 1pm

SUMMARY

In a low-key match played on a hot afternoon, Altrincham eased to a comfortable victory, despite fielding three under-17s and a trialist in the starting eleven and another three from the Alty Youth under-17s on the bench.

SCORERS:

REFEREE:
ATTENDANCE:
TEAM NEWS

Phil Parkinson included several members of the Altrincham FC under-17s side, with Shaun Densmore, Ben Harrison (recovering from injury), Tom Peers (playing for New Orleans Jesters in the USA), James Poole, Tony Thompson, Simon Richman and James Jones all unavailable.

Also included for the Robins was trialist Elliot Rokka (22), a Warrington-born winger, who had joined Tranmere Rovers last summer after three years at Radcliffe Borough, where he won the Evo-Stik League Young Player of the Season award.

He started out at Manchester United. After a season playing for Rio Maior in Portugal, he joined Macclesfield Town.

Another trialist, in goal, was Callum Roberts.

LINE-UPS:

RHYL: 1. Rory Crowther, 2. Jason Jeffries, 3. Tom Hartley, 4. Reece Fairhurst, 5. Max Peate, 6. Stewart Carroll, 7. Kristian Pierce, 8. James Stead, 9. Trialist [Connor Jones], 10. Mike Pritchard, 11. Aaron Pomeyie. Subs: Dave MacIntyre (Carroll), Jonathan Hill-Dunt, Danny Sullivan (Fairhurst), Oliver Buckley (Trialist), Joe Culshaw (Stead), Ben Nash (Peate)

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and socks): 1. Callum ROBERTS, 2. Billy MATTHEWS, 3. Pat SAVAGE, 4. Tom HANNIGAN, 5. Liam GOULDING, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 11. Elliot ROKKA. Subs: 12. Max HARROP, 14. Dontai GABIDON, 15. Ben ELLIOTT, 16. Cayde PRESTON, 17. Andy WHITE, 18. Connor HAMPSON, 20. Matthew JOHNSON.

BACKGROUND

For the second successive year, Altrincham had travelled to Rhyl for a pre-season game. Last year Alty had won 3-1 thanks to goals from Amis, Disney and Poole.

Because of a clash with England's World Cup quarter-final match in Russia, this fixture had been brought forward to a 1pm kick-off, on a hot afternoon in North Wales.

REPORT

Altrincham almost took an early lead when Jordan Hulme hit the post after a good run from Elliot Rokka. On a hot afternoon, punctuated by drinks breaks, the pace of the game was relatively slow after a bright start.

Apart from the planned double substitution of under-17 defenders Matthews and Savage by the exerienced White and Hampson, around the half-hour mark, there was little to get excited about.

Half-Time: RHYL 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

The break saw Rhyl bring on McIntyre and Alty change keepers as young Matthew Johnson took over in nets. Altrincham also introduced Harrop and Gabidon at the interval in place of Moult and Hancock.

Altrincham took the lead in the 57th minute with a twenty-yarder from Harrop which he struck, left-footed, across the keeper into the far corner.

Soon after the hour, teenagers Elliott and Preston replaced Hulme and Goulding for Altrincham. Within seconds Elliott had scored, firing home off the upright from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 (62 mins).

After 65 minutes Savage returned to the match in place of Williams and this was soon followed by a water-break for the players. Rhyl had chance to score after 72 minutes but Johnson blocked the effort well.

After 83 minutes Elliott netted his second, and Alty's third goal, after the lively Gabidon had won the ball. With time ticking away towards England's World Cup kick-off time the referee now curtailed the match, some six minutes early, leaving Alty comfortable winners.

Full-Time: RHYL 0
ALTRINCHAM 3