ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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CHORLEY (0) 4
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 12 January 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham slumped to their heaviest defeat of the season at Victory Park, despite having led at the interval. The Robins had taken a deserved 23rd minute lead when Max Harrop arrived at the back post to slot the ball home, after a John Johnston shot had been parried by keeper Urwin.

Chorley came out on the front foot for the second half and, after winning five corners inside the opening five minutes, levelled in the 55th minute. The Alty defence parted too easily to allow Chorley to advance up the inside left channel with Alex Newby scoring from a Carver pass.

Ten minutes later, Chorley went ahead when Carver's speculative lofted ball to the right of the box was dispatched into the roof of the net by Alex Newby.

Chorley's third goal arrived in the 84th minute and was a disaster for the Alty defence. A miscued "up and under" from Chorley dropped on the front edge of the Alty box and two defenders failed to get either of their heads onto it. Instead, it fell for Alex Newby to score with a well-struck low shot into the bottom corner to Thompson's right.

And the final nail in the coffin arrived deep into added time when Meppen-Walter scored with a free header from a right-wing corner. On a day when the BT Sport cameras were recording highlights of the game, this second-half performance was not what Altrincham wanted to show to the nation's TV viewers.

Chorley are now six points clear at the top whilst Alty remain seventh.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Thomas Parsons
ATTENDANCE: 1,675
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham started with the same eleven that started at Boston last Saturday. With James Poole having joined Elliot Wynne and Liam Goulding in being loaned to another club, and loanee Josh Langley having moved on to Guiseley, Alty's only named substitute today with more than ten league starts this season was Sean Williams.

Former Altrincham players Scott Leather and Josh O'Keefe were in the Magpies' line-up, as well as former loanee Elliot Newby.

LINE-UPS:

CHORLEY (Black and white stripes, black shorts and socks): 1. Matt Urwin, 2. Matt Challoner, 3. Adam Blakeman, 4. Andrew Teague (c), 5. Scott Leather, 6. Courtney Meppen-Walter, 7. Alex Newby, 8. Josh O'Keefe, 9. Marcus Carver, 10. Josh Wilson, 11. Elliot Newby. Subs: 12. Jake Cottrell, 14. James Hooper, 15. Lewis Baines, 16. Dale Whitham, 21. Dan Eccles

ALTRINCHAM (Purple): 1. Tony Thompson, 2. Andy White, 3. Connor Hampson, 4. James Jones, 5. Tom Hannigan, 6. Jake Moult (c), 7. John Johnston, 8. Simon Richman, 9. Jordan Hulme, 10. Josh Hancock, 11. Max Harrop. Subs: 12. Kallum Mantack, 14. Sean Williams, 15. Chris Sang, 16. Shaun Densmore, 17. Ben Harrison.

BACKGROUND

Top of the table Chorley were the only team Altrincham had not faced in the league this season owing to the postponement of their planned clash due to cup involvements. But a fine win at Boston last time out had boosted confidence for Altrincham after a run of five games without a victory before that.

REPORT

On a dull afternoon, Altrincham kicked off in front of a crowd swelled by good and vocal representation from Cheshire. The opening stages of the match were fairly nondescript. The first shot of any nature was one by Carver which ran easily to Thompson after eight and a bit minutes of uneventfulness.

Things improved as Hannigan found Harrop, who fed Hancock, whose well-struck shot forced Urwin to knock the ball upwards and towards his own goal line, only for Leather to clear off the line (10 mins).

Altrincham then almost gifted Chorley a goal when an awful, high back-pass to Thompson forced the goalkeeper to execute a swift turn, only to slip on the soft surface. He regained his feet and made sure the ball went just outside the upright, slipping over again in the process, as a corner was conceded (13 mins).

There was soon another scare for Alty as, from the corner, a Chorley header had to be cleared off the Altrincham line (14 mins). Play now switched to the other end as a counter-attack led to a Hancock effort, which he lifted over the bar.

Chorley had commited a number of fouls in the opening stages and when Hulme was felled by Meppen-Walter, the Chorley man was cautioned (16 mins). After some neat football had won Alty a corner, O'Keefe's third foul of the afternoon saw the ex-Alty midfielder lucky to escape with no more than a lecture (19 mins).

From the resulting freekick, Hancock's superbly struck 25-yarder hit the top of the crossbar with Urwin beaten. Alty continued on top and got their reward after 23 minutes. A good move culminated in Johnston's goalbound shot being beaten out by Urwin. The loose ball ran towards the back post where Harrop arrived to despatch the ball into the net and give his side a lead that they deserved at this stage.

Next, Challoner tripped Harrop and got a lecture before it needed a fine Jones tackle on Carver, inside the Alty box, to reduce the Magpies' goal threat to no more than a corner-kick (28 mins).

Another fine tackle by Jones, this time on Elliot Newby, again inside the Alty box, signalled that the hosts were now enjoying a better spell. But when Chorley next got a pot at goal, Carver shot well wide (35 mins).

Alty then created some panic in the Chorley box with the ball coming out to Richman whose well-hit effort just cleared the bar (37 mins).

This very watchable first-half continued as a Blakeman shot deflected wide off a team-mate and then Leather was allowed to advance up the middle before firing just wide (42 mins).

A trip by Johnston on Blakeman earned him a yellow card (44 mins) before two added minutes failed to change the score before half-time.

Half-Time: CHORLEY 0
ALTRINCHAM 1

Chorley kicked off and Harrop's attempted headed clearance yielded an early corner. It was to be the first of four in succession with a fifth following in the 50th minute. But Alty, with all eleven back, defended these well. However, their resistance was soon broken when an advance, up the Chorley inside-left channel, was allowed to develop and ended with Wilson feeding Alex Newby who comfortably beat Thompson (55 mins).

A fine run and cross from Johnston threatened to restore Alty's lead soon afterwards but it was Chorley who were now enjoying the forward momentum overall. They took the lead in the 64th minute when Carver hooked a speculative ball from left to right across the box. Alty failed to pick up Josh Wilson who netted with a rising shot from right of centre.

Chorley were now on top and, when Richman tripped an opponent near halfway, he became the second of the visitors to see a yellow card (70 mins). At this point Cottrell replaced O'Keefe for Chorley. Alty now got forward again and Hancock won a corner from which a Hannigan header was blocked in the box (72 mins).

Thompson almost paid the price for a casual attempt to kick the ball to a team-mate with a Chorley forward getting a touch on the ball but he was unable to control it. Altrincham's first change of personnel saw Mantack replace Johnston, with the latter's yellow card perhaps a factor in the withdrawal of one of Alty's liveliest attacking threats (76 mins). When, soon after this, Carver caught Moult, late, the Chorley man was booked (77 mins).

Next, an excellent shot from Elliot Newby drew a fine save from Thompson who diverted the ball over the bar for a corner (79 mins). Following an Alty corner at the other end, Alty brought on Chris Sant and Sean Williams for Simon Richman and Max Harrop (82 mins).

Mantack soon impressed as he beat his man but his cross came to nothing. Chorley then settled the match for sure as they scored a third goal in almost farcical circumstances. An "up and under" aimlessly drifted from the left towards the centre, just outside the Alty penalty area. Two defenders went to head it and neither managed to make any contact. The ball dropped conveniently to Alex Newby who hit his shot into the bottom corner from about 18 yards (85 mins).

Immediately Chorley made another change as Hooper replaced Wilson (86 mins). Rain was now sweeping down the pitch as Chorley gained an 88th minute corner. After three added minutes had been decreed, Alty won a corner before Chorley went down to the other end and reciprocated. From their corner, on the right, Meppen Walter was allowed a free header to make it 4-1 to the Magpies ((0=3 mins). The margin of victory was perhaps harsh on Altrincham but they had been udone by a below-par second half and some weak defending.

Next up they face the improving and in-form Southport who hit five goals themselves today!

Full-Time: CHORLEY 4
ALTRINCHAM 1