ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (3) 3
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 29 September 2018, 3pm


SUMMARY

Altrincham's unhappy run in league games at Aggborough continued but their play for substantial portions of this game deserved a better outcome. They were undone, however by three poorly conceded first-half goals, the first arriving just 42 seconds after kick-off when Elliot Wynne spilt a shot which Kidderminster's Ed Williams comfortably netted from close range.

After their early setback, Alty had much the better of the middle portion of the first half and deservedly equalised after 24 minutes. Loanee Owen Dale did well on the right wing and his low cross saw Peers barged over in the box, only for the ball to run on to John Johnston who scored with a well-placed low shot, in the 24th minute.

But, ten minutes before the interval, Altrincham allowed Kidderminster's Johnson to advance and feed Bradley. From left of goal the striker hit a low shot across Wynne and into the far corner of the net.

And, in the 45th minute, the Harriers breached the centre of Altrincham's defence with Williams's threaded ball presenting Chambers with a straightforward chance which he took to make it a flattering 3-1 to the hosts at the interval.

Horsfall's foul on his opposite number, Hannigan, gave Altrincham a 53rd minute freekick, right of goal. Harrop's freekick diverted off a defender and wrong-footed the keeper to make it 3-2. The hosts held on to their lead despite James Poole's header hitting the post and very strong appeals for a penalty when Hancock went down in the box but Kidderminster full-back Vaughan's mocking "victory" finger gestures to the visiting supporters after the final whistle did no credit to his otherwise friendly club.

Altrincham dropped to fifteenth in advance of their FA Cup clash with Bradford (Park Avenue) next Saturday.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr James Bell
ATTENDANCE: 1,517
TEAM NEWS

Connor Hampson started his first game in six league matches but still wore a bandage on his injured hand. On the negative side, Simon Richman had picked up a hamstring injury in training so was not in today's squad. In addition, leading scorer Jordan Hulme was unfit to start so Tom Peers again led the attack.


LINE-UPS:

KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS (Red and white shirts, red shorts and socks): 1. Brandon HALL, 2.Lee VAUGHAN, 3. Sam AUSTIN, 4. Jimmy O'CONNOR (c), 5. Fraser HORSFALL, 6. Ryan JOHNSON, 7. Declan WEEKS, 8. Billy DANIELS, 9. Dan BRADLEY, 10. Ashley CHAMBERS, 11. Ed WILLIAMS. Subs: 12. Kane RICHARDS, 14. Joe IRONSIDE, 15. Kennedy DIGIE, 16. James BAXENDALE, 17. Tom PALMER.

ALTRINCHAM (All purple): 1. Elliot WYNNE, 2. Andy WHITE, 3. Connor HAMPSON, 4. James JONES, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 9. Tom PEERS, 10. Max HARROP, 11. Owen DALE. Subs: 12. Josh HANCOCK, 14. Jordan HULME, 15. Liam GOULDING, 16. James POOLE, 20. Tony THOMPSON.


BACKGROUND

Thirteenth-placed Altrincham were hoping to improve on their wretched run of league results at Aggborough over recent years. However, historically the record at Kidderminster is very respectable as Mike Garnett's data show:

REPORT

In bright sunshine, Kidderminster kicked off towards the corner of the ground populated by Altrincham supporters and, inside 42 seconds, they had taken the lead. Altrincham allowed Weeks to get in a shot from the edge of the box in a central position. Goalkeeper Wynne saved the shot but could not hold the ball, which ran free to Ed Williams to net straightforwardly.

Altrincham almost responded straightaway when a fine long ball by Hampson went, via Dale, to Johnston who fired wide (4 mins). Sean Williams then got in two shots which were well off target, the latter following Altrincham's first corner of the afternoon (5 mins). Another Alty corner soon followed before Wynne, perhaps unsettled by the early goal against him, allowed a low shot to bounce off his chest as he got down to save it (8 mins).

Bradley then had two efforts at Alty's goal, neither of which was on target before Sean Williams tried another 20-yarder and, this time, was only narrowly wide of the net as Altrincham enjoyed excellent vocal support (17 mins).

Indeed, Altrincham were now beginning to have the better of the game and, next, a Harrop shot earned another corner for the visitors (21 mins). Just after a decent Alty move had faltered, Dale won the ball on the right wing and got behind the defence. His low cross headed for Peers in the centre but the Alty striker was bundled over inside the box. However, before the referee had to make a spot-kick decision, the ball ran on to Johnston who scored a well-taken goal with a low shot to the keeper's left to give Altrincham a deserved equalizer (24 mins).

Alty now enjoyed a spell of dominance duiring which Weeks was booked for a foul on Harrop. Harrop was impressing in midfield but it was the Harriers who now got to the other end and gained a corner (33 mins). Against the run of play Ryan Johnson was allowed to feed Bradley to his left. The striker hit a low shot, from a fairly acute angle, across Wynne and into the far corner of the net to restore the Harriers' lead (35 mins).

In the aftermath a card was shown but seemingly it was to Harriers player.

Altrincham then spurned a clear chance to equalize for a second time in the game when White's cross located Johnston but he lifted his shot over the bar from about 15 yards (38 mins).

With the game into the 45th minute Altrincham were then opened up through the middle, allowing Ed Williams to play in Chambers for a straightforward conversion to give the interval scoreline a flattering 3-1 margin to the hosts (45 mins).


Half-Time: KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 3
ALTRINCHAM 1

The second half started with a well-struck Harrop shot from the right which goalkeeper Hall stopped. But whereas Wynne's save in the game's opening minute had rebounded perfectly for Williams to score from the loose ball, this time the ball rebounded at speed onto the nearby Peers's body and fell back to the relieved custodian (48 mins).

Soon after Wynne and Moult had almost got into difficulty playing the ball to and from each other, Johnston won Alty a corner (52 mins). Following this, Horsfall brought down Hannigan some 25 yards from goal on the Alty right. Harrop's low freekick deflected off O'Connor, wrongfooting keeper Hall and narrowing the hosts' lead to 3-2 (53 mins). Altrincham then enjoyed a good spell with Peers forcing a corner and a Dale run being halted before Sean Williams's fourth long-range shot at goal cleared the Harriers' bar (57 mins).

Altrincham now brought on Hulme and Hancock for Peers and Dale, with the Crewe loanee having had a good game for the visitors (57 mins).

A Kidderminster counter-attack earned a corner before which Sean Williams was booked for an earlier transgression (61 mins). Another home corner soon arrived which Alty scrambled clear before an Alty counter-attack ended with Williams's 20-yarder going narrowly wide (66 mins). Horsfall was now booked for a foul on White and, from Hampson's freekick, Jones blasted an effort over the bar from right of goal (69 mins).

With Altrincham on top as they searched for an equalizer, Kidderminster made two changes; Ironside replaced Bradley (71 mins) before Richards displaced Chambers (73 mins). Altrincham continued to press, with the right wing their favoured option. Next, Johnston fired narrowly over the bar (76 mins) before Hancock was brought down in the box with Alty's strong appeals for a penalty going ananswered by Mr Bell (77 mins).

Next, James Poole, who has yet to start a league game this season through injury, replaced Williams in midfield (78 mins). At the other end, Ryan Johnson headed narrowly wide but it was Alty who won the game's next corner, through Hancock's efforts (83 mins). The Harriers made their final change when Baxendale replaced Williams (88 mins).

The four minutes of added time featured the Harriers winding down the clock but, in the fourth added minute, a Hancock shot had to be saved by Hall at the cost of a corner. From this, James Poole's header hit the post and another corner was won but Altrincham could not find the equalizer that their play had deserved.

Altrincham dropped to fifteenth but there was enough in this display to suggest better times ahead if the defensive frailties, which have seen 21 goals conceded in 11 league matches, can be ironed out and if the shooting accuracy can be improved. They have the fifth most prolific attack but the third worst defence in the division at present. As for Kidderminster, they remained second and gave an efficient rather than impressive performance to retain their position in the table.


Full-Time: KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 3
ALTRINCHAM 2