ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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SOUTHPORT (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM (0) 3

Vanarama National League North match
played on Tuesday, 7 August 2018, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham moved up to fifth place in the Vanarama National League North with this well deserved win, their first at Haig Avenue for more than 20 years. Altrincham had much the better of a goalless first half in which they won the corner count 6-1 and troubled the home keeper far more than Tony Thompson was disturbed in the Robins' goal.

The visitors took the lead five minutes after the break when Liam Goulding scored from close range after the Port keeper had been unable to hold a Brendon Daniels shot from a free-kick lay-off. But Southport equalised seven minutes later when Richards's freekick, for a dubiously awarded infringement by Jake Moult, left Thompson flat-footed in the Altrincham goal.

Port then enjoyed their best spell of the evening before Alty restored their lead with a wonderful goal by John Johnston, who finished off his advance into the box with a flicked shot across keeper Hanford, following a feed from Hancock (71 mins). Five minutes later Jordan Hulme settled the outcome when he turned well and got in a shot which Hanford fumbled into his own net, with Hancock following-up to make sure that his team-mate's effort had crossed the line. It was Hulme's goal.

After that, any Port resistance crumbled and Altrincham emerged comfortable winners.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Steven COPELAND
ATTENDANCE: 1,268
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham made one change from last Saturday's line-up, with Williams starting in place of Hancock, who came on in the second-half as a substitute.

LINE-UPS:

SOUTHPORT (Gold & black shirts, black shorts and socks) : 1. Dan Hanford, 2. Jordan Richards, 3. Stefan Mueller, 4. David Morgan, 5. Ryan Astles, 6. Josh Langley, 7. Zac Lowe, 8. David Lynch (capt), 9. Jason Gilchrist, 10. Mike Phenix, 11. Dion Charles. Subs: 12. Devarn Green, 13. Billy Priestley, 14. Zac Corbett, 15. Jack Sampson, 17. Elliot Osborne.

ALTRINCHAM (Purple shirts and shorts, white socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Andy WHITE, 3. Connor HAMPSON, 4. James JONES, 5. Liam GOULDING, 6. Jake MOULT (capt), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Max HARROP, 11. Brendon DANIELS. Subs: 12. Josh HANCOCK, 14. Tom PEERS, 15. Ben HARRISON, 16. Simon RICHMAN, 20. Elliot WYNNE.

BACKGROUND

Following their draw against Leamington, Altrincham were facing a Southport side which had lost their opening day fixture at AFC Telford United.

REPORT

After Southport had kicked off, it was to be Altrincham who were to have the better of the first half. The first of six first-half corners for the visitors arrived in the tenth minute, after which a Johnston shot went narrowly wide. And it was a fine Johnston run which gained a second corner soon afterwards. After this, Johnston's menace continued as Hanford fumbled clear a cross from the lively Alty wingman (27 mins).

Indeed, the home keeper was by some distance the busier of the two keepers and the Port number one soon had to tip a finely struck Hulme effort from 20 yards over the bar (28 mins).

As half-time approached Alty won three corners in quick succession and should have been given a seventh corner of the half but for one of several poor line-decisions by the referee who wrongly awarded a goalkick to the hosts. But the most bizarre of these contentious decisions came in added time when the linesman, within feet of the ball, indicated a goalkick for Altrincham only for the referee, many yards away, to overrule him and give Southport a corner.

So the first half ended goalless but the visitors had been the better side.

Half-Time: SOUTHPORT 0 ALTRINCHAM 0

After failing to convert their superiority into a goal in the first half, it took Altrincham just five minutes to take the lead after the interval. Alty won a freekick 25 yards out, right of centre. The freekick was laid off, short, to the left and Daniels shot firmly at goal. His deflected effort was stopped but not held by the Port keeper, Hanford. Alty centre-back Goulding was on hand, however, to hook the loose ball into the net from close range (50 mins).

Next, Moult was harshly penalised just outside the Alty penalty area in a fairly central position. Before the freekick could be taken, the giant Southport defender Ryan Astles jigged around immediately in front of goalkeeper Thompson to obstruct his view of the defensive wall and the dead ball, until the referee had words with him.

But, when Richards took the freekick, the Alty keeper took a step to his left, only to leave himself flat-footed as the ball sailed into the right-hand side of his net to level the score (57 mins).

The goal promoted Southport's best ten minutes of the game, during which they won two corners and Alty had to clear one effort off the line.

On 64 minutes, Alty made a double swap as Hancock and Richman replaced Daniels and Harrop respectively. At the same time, Phenix was replaced by Sampson for the hosts. Jordan Hulme missed the next few minutes replacing a lost contact lens in the technical area before James Jones was booked for a foul (67 mins).

Good work by Hancock saw him feed Johnson who jinked into the box, right of centre, before curling a shot with the outside of his foot which went across the keeper and into the net, just inside the far post, to make it 1-2 (71 mins). It was a fine goal.

And, just five minutes later, the contest was effectively over as Hulme gathered the ball in the middle of the goalmouth before making space well and firing at goal. Hanford failed to hold his shot and it squirmed through his hands, across the goal-line, before the incoming Hancock made sure by putting the ball into the back of the net (76 mins).

A spat between Hulme and a home defender saw the Alty man booked (81 mins). A dispirited Southport were not able to muster any serious threat in the closing stages. To add to their woes, Morgan was booked for a trip on the marauding Johnston (83 mins). Moments later Alty brought on Peers for Hulme, who left to applause and chants from the vocal visiting supporters.

Full-Time: SOUTHPORT 1 ALTRINCHAM 3