ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (1) 4
NUNEATON BOROUGH (0) 0

Vanarama National League North match
played on Tuesday, 30 October 2018, 7.45pm

SUMMARY

After as poor a first-half performance by Altrincham as has been witnessed at the J Davidson Stadium this season, the hosts took an unconvincing lead in the last of two added minutes before the interval. Johnston's cross from the right was converted at the back post by Owen Dale. The game was then wrapped up barely a minute after the interval when Johnston's speculative effort from the right somehow went through the hands of goalkeeper Etheridge to make it 2-0.

A fine run by Johnston, as he drifted in from the right, culminated in a fine shot into the far corner of the net from right of goal to produce a 3-0 scoreline shortly before the hour-mark. Altrincham then took their foot of the gas and allowed the visitors plenty of possession before Hancock wrapped up a 4-0 win in the final minute of added time. The win lifted Altrincham to ninth in the league with a game in hand on six of the teams above them.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Steve Copeland
ATTENDANCE: 695
TEAM NEWS

James Poole had joined Sean Williams on the injured list, whilst Ben Harrison continued his bid to regain fitness with a dual registration arrangement at our neighbours Trafford FC. So, loanee Owen Dale returned to the starting eleven.

Former Alty player, Curtis Obeng, had been the man sent off last Saturday but he started tonight's game at right-back for Nuneaton.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, 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. Max Harrop, 9. Jordan Hulme, 10. Josh Hancock, 11. Owen Dale. Subs: 12. Tom Peers, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Liam Goulding, 16. Shaun Densmore, 20. Elliot Wynne

NUNEATON BOROUGH (Blue & white striped shirts, blue shorts and socks) 1. Ross Etheridge, 2. Curtis Obeng, 3. Devon Kelly-Evans, 4. Mike Calveley, 5. Miles Addison (c), 6. Ash Carter, 7. James Wesolowski, 8. Courtney Richards, 9. Adam McGurk, 10. Dior Angus, 11. Theo Wharton. Subs: 12, Harry Panayiotou, 13. Adrain Basso, 14. Rhys Davies, 15. Shane Benjamin, 16. Kairo Mitchell.

BACKGROUND

Nuneaton arrived amidst financial uncertainty regarding their future but they had secured an excellent 2-2 draw with ten men at Stockport County 72 hours earlier.

REPORT

After the game, Nuneaton Borough reported very accurately that "There was almost no action to speak of in the first half". But duty requires the recording of what did take place...

Altrincham got the match under way, attacking the away end, in unexpected rain on a chilly evening in front of, predictably, the lowest home gate of the league season. Alty won a fifth-minute corner following an advance by Johnston but, when Nuneaton responded with a long ball over the top of the Alty defence, Tom Hannigan was caught out and ended up fouling his man just outside the Alty box. The Alty centre-back was booked (7 mins).

Play continued fairly uninspiringly as Nuneaton won a corner before Harrop was cautioned, rather harshly, for a tackle near the half-way line. It was his sixth card of the season but, as this was only the fourth in a league match, he has escaped suspension so far (17 mins). And, with the rain still falling steadily, Andy White picked up his third booking in five league outings for another foul (19 mins). So three Alty men were in the book already.

When Alty won another corner they wasted it with a failed short-corner routine (22 mins). Alty's tempo was low and there were unforced errors in their game as time dragged slowly on for the spectators. When Angus went down under a Jones challenge inside the box, it may not have been a foul but it was a little harsh to book the Boro striker for "simulation" when there had been contact of some kind (25 mins).

After a stoppage for treatment to Hulme, who had collided with keeper Etheridge, the quality of the game remained at a level which optimistically might be termed mediocre. On 35 minutes Harrop executed what could be termed a cubed shot, which summed up the quality of the fare on offer. From 30 yards out his effort went 30 yards high and 30 yards wide. But, out of nowhere, we actually witnessed the rare phenomenon ofa shot on target as Dale's 25 yarder ran comfortably to goalkeeper Etheridge.

Two Alty corners came and went to no effect before a poor challenge gave Mr Copeland the opening for the match's fifth booking but the referee curiously failed to rise to the challenge, settling for an inaappropriately mild lecture for the offender (43 mins).

Two minutes of added time were to be inflicted on the long-suffering spectators. In the latter of these, Johnston's first cross from the right was cleared but he got a second chance and his cross flew across the goalmouth where, in the centre, Hulme cleverly let the ball go to deceive Etheridge and it found its way to the incoming Dale at the back post. He netted easily from very close range, to record a goal for the third successive league game (47+2 mins). Altrincham went off for the half-time break with a lead which their first-half play had barely deserved.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
NUNEATON BOROUGH 0
Nuneaton brought on Panayiotou for Wharton at half-time but, after kicking off, the visitors fell behind scarcely a minute later. Moult fed Hulme on the left and he drifted to the right before feeding Johnston whose shot went across through Etheridge's arms into the net. It was Johnston's eighth league goal of the season to bring him level with Hulme (46 mins).

Without having played well, Alty had effcetively won the game in two minutes either side of half time.

Nuneaton responded and won three corners in quick order before Alty responded with a brace of their own.

The visitors' best effort of the game was a thirty-yarder from Richards, which Thompson beat out. Soon afterwards Altrincham got forward and Johnston's curling shot went across Etheridge into the far corner of the net. It was Johnston's eighth league goal of the season, a fine goal to bring him level with Hulme (59 mins).

After Dale had hit the side-netting, Richman came on to replace the booked Harrop (61 mins). The game was now a rather better spectacle than the poor first 45 minutes.

Midway through the half, Benjamin replaced McGurk for the visitors (67 mins). Next Peers came on for Dale (73 mins) and, two minutes later, Davies came on for the injured Carter (75 mins).

Having raised their game for twenty minutes or so, Alty now allowed Nuneaton to come at them and the visitors enjoyed plenty of possession. Even so, Johnston wasted a great chance for his hat-trick goal when Hulme cleverly played him in only for him to blast his effort over the bar (77 mins).

The visitors dominated possession for the next ten minutes or more before three minutes of added time were announced. A foul on White earned Nuneaton a booking before Hulme played in Hancock to make it 4-0, which was a margin of victory which was a little harsh on a spirited Nuneaton side for whom Kelly-Evans's enthusiatic play was a feature of the ninety minutes.

This victory lifted Altrincham into ninth place with a game in hand on six of the clubs above them.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 4
NUNEATON BOROUGH 0