ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (3) 3
ALFRETON TOWN (0) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 13 October 2018, 3pm

SUMMARY

After some impressive play had got Altrincham 3-0 ahead inside 24 minutes, the second half was a far less entertaining spectacle as the visitors attempted to get back into the game.

Alty had not scored a first-half goal at home in the league in five previous attempts this season but in this match they were 2-0 up inside nine minutes.

As the game was about to go into its third minute Jordan Hulme looked anxiously to the linesman as he latched onto a pass and, with no flag raised, he advanced and put in a low cross from right of goal which loanee Owen Dale converted at the back post to make it 1-0.

Five minutes later it was 2-0 as Dale found Harrop who scored from the edge of the box.

With the visitors offering nothing in the way of an attacking threat, the score became 3-0 when Dale and Harrop combined to prompt a shot from Hulme which found the back of the net from the edge of the box.

The second half was a disjointed affair with numerous petty fouls and bookings. Somehow Alty picked up four of them, most of them questionable. Alfreton got a goal back after 61 minutes when Peniket got the better of substitute Goulding as they chased a through ball, before beating Thompson with a low shot into the far corner.

Alty defended well after that and emerged deserved winners.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Adam Williamson
ATTENDANCE: 1,123
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham started with the same starting eleven who faced Bradford (Park Avenue) in last Saturday's FA Cup tie.

Facing them were ex-Robins, Jordan Sinnott and, making his Reds' debut, Craig Hobson.

LINE-UPS:

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

ALFRETON TOWN (All blue): 1. Sam Ramsbottom, 2. Joshua Clackstone, 3. Josh Wilde, 4. Thomas Platt, 5. Josh Gowling, 6. David Shiels (c), 7. Jordan Sinnott, 8. James Clifton, 9. Craig Hobson, 10. Richard Peniket, 11. Robby Johnson. Subs: 12. Curtis Bateson, 13. Thomas Nicholson, 14. Martin Riley, 15. Danny Clarke, 16. Callum Chettle.

BACKGROUND

This was Altrincham's sixth attempt to win a home league match this season, having only gathered two points from their previous five fixtures at the J. Davidson Stadium. And they had yet to score a first-half goal this season in a home league match.

The match was played in a gusty wind but the pitch was to play well despite the rain of the previous two days.

REPORT

Altrincham attacked the sparsely populated away end and they began the game very brightly. Johnston had got to the byline and Hulme had already been seen off in the penalty area before Altrincham made an early breakthrough. The clock was approaching its third minute when Hulme looked over to the assistant referee, whose flag remained unraised, before latching onto a through ball on the right side of the pitch, thirty-five yards out. He advanced before putting in a low ball across the goalmouth. Owen Dale timed his run to arrive at the back post with perfect timing to sweep the ball into the upper part of the net (3 mins).

Alty continued to dominate as Harrop did well on the left and, via Johnston, the ball came to Hulme. His rasping shot from right of goal was well beaten out by Ramsbottom at the cost of a corner.

The respite for Alfreton was brief as a good passing move by Altrincham ended with Dale feeding Harrop, who fired home from the edge of the box to double the lead (9 mins).

The hosts threatened again as a snap shot by Hulme had to be smartly saved by Ramsbottom, with another corner the outcome (12 mins). The pressure continued as Hampson got to the byline before Williams fired wide (17 mins).

Alfreton finally roused themselves when good work by ex-Halifax man, Peniket, led to a corner for the visitors. But any hopes of a revival were premature as Altrincham netted a third time. Dale and Harrop exchanged passes on the left before the Crewe loanee fed Hulme who lashed home a goal from 15 yards.

Two more Alfreton corners straddled the half-hour mark but neither caused any serious threat to the Alty goal. The game had now gone a bit flat as Alty held their comfortable lead. Now, as the afternoon turned dull, the lights came on. Shortly before the interval Dale won Alty a corner before Alfreton got in their first serious shot when Wilde did well and Johnson's shot had to be pushed out for a corner by Thompson (44 mins).

Two added minutes witnessed a Peniket header over the bar before the interval whistle sounded.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3
ALFRETON TOWN 0

ALfreton kicked off but almost immediately put the ball into touch. A limping Jones soon had to be replaced by Goulding, whilst Alfreton opted for Bateson in place of Clackstone (51 mins).

An effort by Platt from 25 yards cleared the bar before Alfreton made a further change as Chettle replaced Hobson (58 mins). Platt's foul on Harrop earned him a lecture but, soon afterwards, Alfreton got a toehold in the game. Hampson had advanced upfield but possession was lost and the ball was played along the vacant inside right channel. Goulding and Peniket turned to chase it towards the Alty penalty area but the bounce did not help the Alty man and Peniket got free. He drove a low shot across Thompson, the ball entering the net inside the far post, to make it 3-1 (61 mins).

Immediately, Poole replaced Harrop for Altrincham (62 mins). Having concentrated their attacks on the left wing in the first half, Altrincham did likewise on the right in this half.

Hulme then managed to get himself booked for the sixth time this season (69 mins). But when Dale was booked three minutes later, he had seemed to be the victim rather than the agressor in a challenge. Dale was immediately replaced by Hancock (73 mins).

At the same time, Clarke replaced Johnson for the visitors. The referee's book came out again in the 77th minute when Williams was fouled and Clarke was cautioned. And moments later Johnston found himself in the referee's book having moments earlier been clearly held by Wilde without any sanction from the referee (79 mins).

The disjointed play improved a little as a Poole shot was beaten out and then a Hancock shot was deflected for a corner (81 mins).

Poole, like Dale, then found himself booked for a challenge in which he seemed to be the victim rather than the offender (83 mins). And the book came out yet again soon afterwards when Gowling's blatant trip on Poole was deserving of a caution (86 mins).

Altrincham played out four added minutes with some shrewd game management. Two corners were won and taken short to help the clock tick away. The final action of the game was when Hulme harried Ramsbottom whose hurried kick clear went to Johnston near halfway on the right. The wingman instantly fired the ball back but his 55 yard effort just missed the target.

Alty's win took them up two places to thirteenth, whilst Alfreton rued a fourth successive league defeat.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 3
ALFRETON TOWN 1