ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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HEREFORD FC (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 3 November 2018, at 3pm

SUMMARY

On their third visit to Edgar Street, Altrincham deservedly maintained their unbeaten record at the ground. But it took an 89th minute equalizer from Josh Hancock to secure the point.

With the departure of Tom Peers to FCUM, the dual registration with Witton of Liam Goulding, and the injury induced absences of James Poole and Ben Harrison, the Alty bench included two new faces. They were new signing Charlie Scott and youth team winger Dontai Gabidon, who had played 90 minutes less than 48 hours earlier in the FA Youth Cup. The game was played in a gusty wind with second-half rain which made conditions difficult for both sides.

Altrincham were the better side in the early stages of this game but, as on their last away outing at Stockport, they failed to convert their possession into a meaningful shot at goal. Eight minutes into the second half, Hereford broke the deadlock. The Bulls' first serious shot at goal, from Danny Greenslade, prompted a fine save by Tony Thompson but this was at the cost of a corner. Following the corner kick, the ball was played aerially from the left to the back post, where James Roberts headed firmly home.

The goal lifted Hereford after their below-par first-half showing but Alty withstood one or two risky moments before getting forward themselves without still being able to trouble the Bulls' keeper. But, just when time seemed to have run out, a foul on Connor Hampson gave the visitors a freekick near the left touchline. Johnston's freekick landed in the crowded box and Hancock was able to slot it home from six yards.

The draw meant Alty dropped a place to tenth but, with a game in hand on most of the clubs above them, a win in that additional game would lift them into the play-off places.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Elliot Swallow
ATTENDANCE: 2,220 (93 in away section)
TEAM NEWS

The permanent departure of Tom Peers to FCUM and the temporary moves of Liam Goulding to Witton Albion and Ben Harrison to Trafford meant that manager Phil Parkinson had only fifteen fit players available who had worn an Alty shirt this season. He named the same starting eleven who had featured against Nuneaton in midweek but, on the bench, he brought in new signing Charlie Scott and youth teamer Dontai Gabidon, who had 90 minutes in his legs from Thursday night's FA Youth Cup tie, and had yet to be involved in a league match.

LINE-UPS:

HEREFORD FC (White shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Matt Yates, 2. Keiran Thomas, 3. Danny Greenslade, 4. Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, 5. Ethan Wassall, 6. Harvey Smith (c), 7. Billy Murphy, 8. Tommy O'Sullivan, 9. James Roberts, 10. George Lloyd, 11. Tom Owen-Evans. Subs: 12. Harry White, 14. Ryan Green, 15. Marlon Jackson, 16. Kyle Finn, 17. Martin Horsell.

ALTRINCHAM (All purple): 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. Dontai Gabidon, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Charlie Scott, 16. Shaun Densmore, 20. Elliot Wynne

BACKGROUND

In previous trips to Edgar Street against both incarnations of the Hereford club, neither the Bulls nor Altrincham had emerged victorious.

REPORT

After a well-organised and excellent rendition by a bugler of "The Last Post" to mark the impending Remembrance Day, Altrincham kicked off defending the end where their 93 spectators, who were in good voice, were accommodated. Altrincham started the game brightly whilst their opponents were looking hesitant. But the nearest to any goalmouth action was in the eighth minute when Jordan Hulme spotted Yates off his line and from almost 50 yards dirceted an effort at goal which only just cleared the crossbar as the keeper continued the military theme by beating a hasty retreat.

Hulme was then halted inside the Hereford box but the game now endured a fairly scrappy period during which Alty saw more of the ball. After 20 minutes the Bulls began to get a toehold in the game as a cross located new signing Roberts, from Halesowen Town, but he fluffed his lines. Hereford then wasted a freekick awarded against Harrop by fouling keeper Thompson. When Johnston was then flattened by Murphy the offender escaped without a caution (23 mins).

Another foul by Harrop went punished only by a freekick but left the midfielder walking the tightrope of a fifth league booking and suspension (24 mins).

Altrincham went on to win the match's first three corners, all gained in a ten-minute spell starting in the 29th minute. The second of this trio was earned by an excellent long ball from Moult which led to Johnston's deflected shot flying narrowly wide (38 mins).

Two successive fouls on Dale led to a booking for O'Sullivan (42 mins) and, to even things up, Jake Moult was booked after the home crowd reacted vocally to a challenge on their keeper from the second freekick (43 mins). It was Jake's first caution of the season in his eighteenth game of the campaign. Moments later a blatant foul from behind, by Lloyd on White, somehow did not move the referee even to have a word with the offender despite awarding a freekick (44 mins).

So a fairly low key first half, for which the gusty conditions were only partly to blame, saw the players leave the pitch at the interval with the game goalless. This was the first goalless first half in an Alty league game since Guiseley visited Moss Lane back in August.

Half-Time: HEREFORD FC 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

The first action of the second period saw Dale feed Hulme but, for once, Alty's joint leading scorer made a complete hash of his shot, slicing it high and wide from 12 yards (50 mins).

The hosts were looking a little more confident in the second half and when Dale tripped Thomas, the resulting freekick led to the game's first serious shot on target from wither team. But Thompson dived impressively to his right to push out Greenslade's excellent effort for a corner, the Bulls' first of the match. It was to prove pivotal as the ball was played short and the resulting cross, from the left, found the head of the unmarked Roberts towards the back post and he powered the ball past Thompson to give Hereford the lead (53 mins).

The goal lifted the home side's spirits and, soon after the restart, O'Sullivan forced a save at full length from Thompson (56 mins). Alty were now looking a little shaky as they surrendered the initiative of the game. However, after the hour mark things improved as a Hancock shot was deflected for a corner (63 mins). Hereford now made a change as Jackson replaced Owen-Evans (64 mins). After Andy White had won Alty a corner which came to nothing, Hereford won one themselves following a fine ball from Greenslade.

Just before Alty brought on Richman for Harrop (73 mins), the visitors won a corner but, again, nothing came of it. Despite having enjoyed plenty of the ball Altrincham had yet to land a shot on target. As the game drifted on, Johnston won another corner which ended in a melee with Johnston himself shooting wide, after a Moult shot had been blocked by a defender (81 mins).

Teenager Dontai Gabidon now came on for his Alty league debut, replacing Dale on the left wing (82 mins). At this stage, rain was swirling down the pitch towards the Alty goal. Next, Hereford took off their goal-scorer and brought on Harry White (87 mins). As Alty moved forward again up the left, Hampson was fouled near the touchline about 30 yards from the goal-line. Johnston's freekick landed in the box where Hancock swept it home from six yards to record a deserved equalizer (89 mins).

With rain still steadily falling, more than three added minutes were played without any change to the scoreline. So Alty consolidated their position as second in the league's form guide over the last six league games, having won four and drawn one of those fixtures, a record only bettered by a single point by Chester. But, as in the Cup match at Stockport, they had worryingly been unable to convert significant periods of possession into decent goalscoring chances.

After a midweek CSC game against Congleton Town, Alty travel to more Cheshire rivals, Chester FC, on Saturday.

Full-Time: HEREFORD FC 1
ALTRINCHAM 1