ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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TRAFFORD (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Pre-season friendly match
played on Tuesday, 24 July 2018, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

In their penultimate pre-season friendly on Tuesday night, Altrincham narrowly overcame their near neighbours Trafford thanks to goals by Jordan Hulme and Sean Williams. In a well-contested game, Altrincham took the lead shortly before the interval when Jordan Hulme converted a nod back from the back post by trialist Bay Downing, from Connor Hampson's fine cross from the left.

But the hosts drew level after 65 minutes when Palmer drove home an excellent shot from the edge of the box. With both sides making numerous second-half changes, Altrincham settled the match twelve minutes from time when Sean Williams's deflected shot found the back of the net.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr D Brown
ATTENDANCE:
TEAM NEWS

Tom Peers was named on the original team sheet but he was replaced before kick-off by trialist Bay Downing. In fact, Altrincham included three trialists in their squad. In addition to Downing and Lloyd Bannister, who had both played for Alty previously in pre-season, a new goalkeeper, Elliot Wynne, shared second-half goalkeeping duties with Andrew Jones. Wynne had previously impressed against Altrincham when keeping goal for Abbey Hey in the Emirates FA Cup First Qualifying Round in 2017.

Trafford, managed by former Alty reserve Tom Baker, included several ex-Alty players or trialists in their squad, namely Harry Sheridan, Tom Schofield, Aaron Burns, James Coates, Darius Palma and Laurence Taylor. Another familiar face for the home team was former Shaw Lane goalkeeper Ed Wilczynski.

LINE-UPS:

TRAFFORD (All white): 1. Ed Wilczynski, 2. Harry Sheridan, 3. Aly Brown, 4. Sam Egerton, 5. Anthony Brown (c), 6. Keil O'Brien, 7. Tom Schofield (c), 8. Andy Langford, 9. Aaron Burns, 10. Matty Bryan, 11. Matty Crothers. Subs: 12. Chris Palmer, 13. James Coates (GK), 14. Darius Palma, 15. Mark Derbyshire, 16. Declan Rydings, 17. Laurence Taylor, 18. Lee Wilshaw, 19. Ross Davidson, 20. Paul Williams.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): ALTRINCHAM: 1. Tony Thompson, 2. Lloyd Bannister, 3. Connor Hampson, 4. Tom Hannigan, 5. Liam Goulding, 6. Jake Moult (c), 7. John Johnston, 8. Max Harrop, 9. Jordan Hulme, 10. Josh Hancock, 16. Bay Downing. Subs: 12. Andy White, 14. James Jones, 15. Sean Williams, GK Andrew Jones, GK Elliot Wynne.

BACKGROUND

This was Alty's second successive friendly against League Two opposition, following their 1-0 win over Macclesfield, 72 hours earlier.

REPORT

Altrincham started well and won a first minute corner before going close to opening the scoring in the fifth minute, when Hulme hit the post from a feed by Downing from the right. But, after Hampson had seen a shot saved, Trafford got into the game with a corner which Thompson failed to gather but which was cleared.

There was a stoppage after 18 minutes when Trafford's Egerton went down after seemingly twisting his ankle as Alty won a corner. The stricken player was helped off with a splint on his leg and it was suspected that he had broken his ankle. He was replaced by Wilshaw at left-back.

Trafford went close to taking the lead in the 28th minute when Alty youth player Harry Sheridan burst up the right, played a one-two, then held off a challenge to get in a shot which drifted only narrowly wide as it went across goal from the right (28 mins). Next, Bryan had a shot saved as the hosts enjoyed a good spell (36 mins).

Alty had a further escape after 39 minutes when Thompson raced out of his box to his right but Burns lobbed him only to see his effort fall wide of the back post.

Four minutes before the end of the first 45 minutes, a fine cross from the left by Hampson was nodded back from the back post by Downing to Hulme, who smartly chested the ball into the net to give Altrincham a 1-0 lead (41 mins).

Half-Time: TRAFFORD 0
ALTRINCHAM 1
The sides both made changes of personnel both at, and soon after, the start of the second half. For Alty, goalkeeper Wynne, Williams, defender White and forward Johnston all came on in place of Thompson, Harrop, Bannister and Goulding. Two minutes after the re-start, Trafford also changed their keeper with former Alty custodian James Coates coming on and fellow ex-Alty defender Darius Plama also joining the fray.

After winning three corners, as well as making more substitituions, Trafford equalised with a fine shot by Chris Palmer from the edge of the box (65 mins).

Altrincham immediately brought back Hampson for Bannister and, soon afterwards, Harrop also returned to the match as rolling substitutions continued to disrupt the flow of the game.

After Hancock had fed Johnston, JJ made space well but then shot poorly wide with his left foot (75 mins). But that miss was forgotten, three minutes later, as Williams advanced and his low shot took a slight deflection to restore Alty's lead (78 mins).

Altrincham used their third goalkeeper of the night when Andrew Jones replaced Wynne, who had made some good catches from crosses, for the final eleven minutes. Alty had a late escape as Jones headed a Derbyshire header off the line from a Palmer cross from the right (83 mins). At the other end, the final minutes saw both Hancock and Johnston go close but the game ended with a narrow 2-1 away win for Altrincham.

Full-Time: TRAFFORD 1
ALTRINCHAM 2