ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
SALFORD CITY (1) 2

Pre-season friendly match
played on Saturday, 28 July 2018, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham were the better side for substantial periods of the game but succumbed to a headed own goal by James Jones 12 minutes from time. The Ammies had taken the lead just before the interval when Alty allowed their concentration to lapse immediately after a long injury stoppage; who scored was, at the time, a mystery to any non-City fans as the visitors had fielded all their players in unnumbered shirts.

Alty levelled the score a couple of minutes after the break. Hancock's excellent shot was pushed onto the post by the keeper who was challenged by Hulme as he went to re-gather the ball and the Alty striker netted against his former team.

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TEAM NEWS

Both sides omitted several of their established players from their squads, with the injured Densmore, Poole, Peers and Hannigan the most notable home absentees. New loan signing Brendon Daniels made his debut and trialists Downing, Bannister and Wynne all came on during the second half. With neither Piergianni nor Redshaw in the Salford squad, Alty supporters were unable to watch two men who had previouly played for their club.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Tony Thompson, 2. Andy White, 3. Connor Hampson, 4. James Jones, 5. Liam Goulding, 6. Jake Moult (c), 7. John Johnston, 8. Max Harrop, 9. Jordan Hulme, 10. Josh Hancock, 11. Brendon Daniels. Subs: 12. Sean Williams, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Ben Harrison, 16. Bay Downing, 17. Lloyd Bannister, 20. Elliot Wynne.

SALFORD CITY (All blue) 1. Max Crowcombe, 2. Scott Wiseman, 3. Ibou Torny, 4. Hus Mafuta, 5. Nathan Pond, 6. Jake Lawlor, 7. Nick Haughton, 8. Mark Shelton, 9. Rory Gaffney, 10. Danny Lloyd, 11. Trialist. Subs: Chris Neal, Sam Wright, Alex Doyle, Kamar Moncrieffe, Josh Aken, James Jones

BACKGROUND

This was Alty's final pre-season friendly.

REPORT

Salford took the field in unnumbered kit which was pretty unhelpful to the paying spectators of Altrincham.

After kicking off, Altrincham won the game's first corner in the fourth minute. Though nothing came of this it was, nevertheless, a bit more of a threat than Salford's first corner from which a shot not only cleared the bar but also the roof of a house on the far side of Golf Road (12 mins).

Hancock went close on 16 minutes, after White had got to the byline, as Alty shaded the game, winning the match's next two corners.

Shortly before half time there was a lengthy stoppage for attention to a Salford player, during which the players took a drinks break. Before Alty could regather their concentration, they conceded a sloppy goal almost immediately after the resumption of play, with Gaffney being left with the simple task of driving a shot past the exposed Thompson from a pass from his left (43 mins).

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
SALFORD CITY 1

Alty responded well to falling behind and equalised just a couple of minutes after the interval. Hancock made space and got in a fine, low shot from outside the box. The keeper pushed it onto the post and, as it rebounded towards the other side of the goal, he went to gather it, only for Hulme to nip in and lift the ball into his former employer's net from close range (48 mins).

Next, a fierce Harrop shot earned a questionable freekick for handball just outside the box, which Daniels hit well but the keeper saved the effort (58 mins).

Alty made a triple change as Richman, Williams and triaist keeper Wynne replaced Harrop, Moult and Thompson (62 mins). At the same time Salford replaced one numberless player by another.

The changes continued soon afterwards as trialists Downing and Bannister replaced Hancock and White for Altrincham (74 mins).

With Altrincham having been the better side for substantial portions of the game, it was a disappointing own goal which settled its outcome in the Ammies' favour as Jones sliced a cross from the visitors' left into his own net (78 mins).

So a generally encouraging pre-season came to an end with the next match being the league fixture at home to Leamington next Saturday.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
SALFORD CITY 2