ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 9 February 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Two heavily deflected, albeit on-target, shots earned Altrincham the three points, but their afternoon was marred by first-half injuries to Connor Hampson and Ben Harrison, the latter having to be stretchered off. The game was only a minute old when Hampson went down with seemed to be a recurrence of his longstanding hand problem. Richman came on to at right-back, with White moving to the left to replace Hampson.

In a fairly mundane ninety minutes, Altrincham gave debuts to goalkeeper Steven Drench and striker Joe Piggott, whilst FCUM also had two debutants in goalkeeper Andy Fisher and defender Bob Harris.

Altrincham took a 26th minute lead when Harrop was put through against the keeper but his attempted chip was blocked. However, the ball fell for John Johnston to net with a strong shot which took a deflection on its way into the net.

FCUM missed a good chance to level just before the half-hour mark. Some seven minutes later, following a corner for the hosts, Harrison went down and had to be stretchered off with a leg injury.

As the second half progressed, Altrincham defended increasingly deeply and paid the price when FCUM equalised as Whitham headed home a Wallen cross from the left in the 77th minute. But the visitors snatched a fortuitous winner, six minutes afterwards, when White's low shot from outside the box took a heavy deflection off a defender to wrong-foot the debutant keeper.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Adam Herczeg
ATTENDANCE: 2,215
TEAM NEWS

Just two of Altrincham's five recent signings started the game; goalkeeper Steven Drench and loanee striker Joe Piggott. The other three recent arrivals at Moss Lane (Waterston, Fawns and Ceesay) were on the bench, where Sean Densmore was displaced and had to sit out the match, along with displaced goalkeeper Tony Thompson and the injured James Poole. Poole, Thompson and Densmore did all warm up on the pitch before the game started and the suspended Jordan Hulme was also at the game. Central defender Ben Harrison came in for only his second start of an injury-ravaged season in place of James Jones. Ironically, Harrison's only previous start this season had been in the reverse fixture with FC United back in August.

Facing Alty for FC United today was Tom Peers, who had joined FCUM earlier this season, whilst ex-Alty defender Chris Lynch was on the bench. There were three debutants in the United starting eleven; Bob Harris, Louis Myers and loanee goalkeeper Fisher, from Blackburn Rovers.

LINE-UPS:

FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER (Red shorts, white shorts, black socks): 1. Andy Fisher, 2. Danny Morton, 3. Bob Harris, 4. Zehn Mohammed, 5. Billy Sass-Davies, 6. Harry Winter (c), 7. Mike Donohue, 8. Dale Whitham, 9. Kurt Willoughby, 10. Louis Myers, 11. Tom Peers. Subs: 12. Chris Lynch, 13. Lloyd Allinson, 14. Chris Sharp, 15. Josh Wallen, 16. Dom McGiveron

ALTRINCHAM (All purple): 1. Steven Drench, 2. Andy White, 3. Connor Hampson, 4. Ben Harrison, 5. Tom Hannigan, 6. Jake Moult (c), 7. John Johnston, 8. Sean Williams, 9. Joe Piggott, 10. Josh Hancock, 11. Max Harrop. Subs: 12. Yusufi Ceesay, 14. Nathan Waterston, 15. James Jones, 16. Simon Richman, 17. Mason Fawns

BACKGROUND

Altrincham had had no fixture last week as they prepared to meet FC United who had beaten them at Moss Lane early in the current season. But FC were now in a worrying position in the league and also had judgement on a case of infringement of player-registration rules hanging over them.

This was Altrincham's sixth away game in their last eight league fixtures.

As Mike Garnett's data revealed, Altrincham had yet to beat FC Umited before today's game.

REPORT

After a minute's silence to mark the 61st anniversary (on 6 February) of the Manchester United air disaster, FC United had kicked off and won an early freekick before Conor Hampson went down and it was immediately clear that he had a serious problem (1 min). He seemed to have suffered a recurrence of the broken-hand injury which had sidelined him earlier in the season. He was replaced by midfielder Simon Richman, who slotted in at right-back as Andy White moved across the back line to left-back (3 mins).

FC started the better of the sides and Myers, on his debut after joining from Radcliffe, poked an early effort into the side netting (4 mins). After each side had won a corner, Alty's debutant striker, Joe Piggott, tried a smart backheel inside the goalmouth but the keeper gathered it comfortably. Wigan Athletic loanee Piggott was proving a willing and mobile front man on his debut for Altrincham (9 mins). Altrincham were beginning to grow into the game and were helped by unforced errors from FCUM.

In the 19th minute Altrincham spurned a decent chance to strike at goal as Hancock's return ball for Piggott, who had got clear of his marker, was misdirected. Decision making again cost Alty when, four minutes later, on another attack, Piggott opted to pass instead of shoot and the chance disappeared.

But the visitors did not have long to wait to take the lead. Harrop was put clear against debutant goalkeeper Fisher. The Blackburn loanee made a good block as the Alty man tried to dink the ball past him. But the ball ran back to Johnston whose well-struck, goalbound shot took a deflection which carried it into the net (26 mins).

Soon after taking the lead, Alty's own debutant keeper, Steven Drench, misdirected a clearance to an opponent but Whitham's effort was blocked and, then, two FC players got in each other's way as a goal for the hosts had seemed the likely outcome.

Despite waving play on for the challenge, the referee soon afterwards stopped play when Andy White was clattered and needed treatment to his ankle (31 mins). The hosts were pushing for a leveller and won two corners inside three minutes, between which another FCUM lunge left White damaged, again, by a foul which was awarded by the referee on this occasion.

The second of these home corners arose from a freekick on the hosts' right, from which Harrison rose to head clear but he fell awkwardly, just beyond the back post. It was soon clear that this was a serious injury (37 mins). After treatment on the byline to the right of Drench's goal, the unfortunate centre-back, who has fought a long battle to regain fitness, after a knee ligament injury terminated last season prematurely, was stretechered off the pitch. Fortunately, James Jones was on the bench and he came on to replace Harrison at centre-back (41 mins). Any plans that Phil Parkinson might have had to deploy his new signings (Ceesay, Fawns and Waterston) from the bench, later in the afternoon, obviously were now having to be re-thought.

When the corner was finally taken, after Harrison's injury, Johnston broke away upfield but delayed his pass and, consequently, Harrop was flagged offside. Another FC United corner was soon gained, which Drench punched clear (43 mins). Next, a Morton shot was blocked as the home side pressed. Not surprisingly, five minutes of added time were signalled following Alty's two injuries but the visitors retained their one-goal lead at the break.

Half-Time: FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 0
ALTRINCHAM 1

United introduced Sharp for debutant Myers at the interval. After kicking off, Altrincham very soon gained a freekick on the front edge of the opposition box, following a foul on Williams. Hancock hit the dead ball into the wall and follow-ups by Williams and Moult were, likewise, blocked (47 mins).

From a subsequent cross, Harrop's header was comfortably saved before Piggott got past his man but was penalized. A home freekick, following White's holding on Willoughby, saw Drench punch clear. As Alty enjoyed the early dominance in the half, Johnston went on a good run but let himself down with a poor pass. The winger did a lot better in the 54th minute when he got past a defender and his low cross was only just intercepted before Harrop could reach it. Johnston was soon in action again as he saw his shot saved by Fisher (57 mins).

Soon after the hour-mark, FC extended their lead in the corner count with two more flag-kicks, the second arising just after Chris Lynch had replaced debutant left back Harris for the hosts (65 mins). United were now having the better of the half as Alty tended to defend too deeply. Wallen now replaced captain Harry Winter for FCUM (70 mins). Next, Altrincham saw a Williams effort blocked before the Robins wasted a freekick, won by a foul on Harrop. Almost immediately after this, another foul on Harrop yielded a further freekick, which led to a despreate melee in the United box before the ball was cleared (74 mins).

But United finally got the reward for their persistence when Wallen's cross from the left was met by a Whitham header which looped into Drench's net, going in off his right-hand upright (77 mins).

Alty were on the backfoot now and then there was an alarm after Drench dropped the ball, having collided with a team-mate, before Altrincham's worries increased when White conceded a freekick.

In the 82nd minute Barrow loanee striker, Nathan Waterston, came on for his second appearance after playing a quarter of the game at Leamington, also as a used substitute (82 mins). From the re-start of play Altrincham regained the lead. A well-struck and goalbound shot by White, from 25 yards out, left of centre, struck centre-back Mohammed and took a major diversion into the net (83 mins).

Although FC tried to get back on level terms, Whitham's very wild shot, which hit the high roof of the stand behind the goal (88 mins) was the nearest that they came to saving the game before four added minutes were proclaimed. Then the hosts made a strong appeal for a penalty against White which Mr Herczeg declined to award. A foul on Waterston did induce the referee to blow for a foul, moments later and, as he did so, another FC player clattered the tumbling Alty striker, necessitating treatment for him. Despite the delay of at least a minute for Waterston's treatment, the referee blew the final whistle just ten seconds after the four-minute mimimum had expired.

So Altrincham completed their sixth away game in eight fixtures with a narrow win, following three recent journeys without a win. There now follows a sequence of four home games in the next five fixtures, from which Altrincham will hope to consolidate their play-off position. The injuries to defenders Hampson and Harrison are a concern but, with Simon Richman having proved himself a more than capable emergency right-back, and the equally reliable Shaun Densmore available to rejoin the squad, Altrincham will go into their fourth match of the season at home to Bradford (Park Avenue) with a degree of confidence, despite the continuing absence of the suspended Jordan Hulme.

Full-Time: FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 1
ALTRINCHAM 2