ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) (0) 1

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 16 February 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY

On an afternoon which will probably remembered more for the rainbow shirts worn by Altrincham than for the quality of the match itself, a late goal earned Bradford (Park Avenue) a point. Alty could not complain too much at the outcome of a game in which both sides struggled to create many chances.

With Harrison, White and Waterston all sidelined by injury after last Saturday's match and with Sean Williams absent ill and Jordan Hulme suspended, Altrincham restored James Jones and Simon Richman to the starting eleven.

Altrincham took a 22nd minute lead when Hancock rounded the keeper after Joe Piggot had dispossessed Luca Havern some 40 yards from goal.

Bradford enjoyed plenty of possession without creating any real threats. But four minutes from time, Clee was allowed to get along the left byline and, though Alty half-cleared the ball, a second clearance then cannoned off East into the net to make it 1-1.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Steven Copeland
ATTENDANCE: 1,328
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham had suffered three serious injuries last time out, at FCUM, with Connor Hampson and Ben Harrison both having to go off in the first half and loanee Nathan Waterston's season being ended by a foul tackle at the very end of the game. In addition, Jordan Hulme was serving the second game of his four-match suspension. And there was further woe for manager Phil Parkinson when midfielder Sean Williams reported ill. However, James Poole was fit enough to be named on the bench after his long absence through injury.

In the New Year, Bradford had allowed three of their senior players to leave, including goalkeeper Steven Drench to Altrincham. Since then Avenue had added Hull City loanee goalkeeper, Charlie Andrew, and Romoney Crichlow-Noble (on loan from Huddersfield Town) to their squad in recent weeks and Danny East was back in contention following long-term injury. BPA had also not played for three weeks due to postponements so, they were something of an unknown quantity today despite their three previous encounters with Altrincham this season.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Rainbow shirts, purple shorts, white socks): 1. Steven Drench, 2. Shaun Densmore, 3. Connor Hampson, 4. James Jones, 5. Tom Hannigan, 6. Jake Moult (c), 7. John Johnston, 8. Simon Richman, 9. Joe Piggott, 10. Josh Hancock, 11. Max Harrop. Subs: 12. James Poole, 14. Andy White, 15. Mason Fawns, 16. Yusifu Ceesay, 20. Tony Thompson

BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) (Green shirts, black shorts, green socks): 1. Charlie Andrew, 2. Mark Ross, 3. Nicky Clee, 4. Alex Hurst, 5. Shane Killock (c), 6. Gianluca Havern, 7. Lewis Knight, 8. Conor Branson, 9. Jake Beesley, 10. Oli Johnson, 11. Jamie Spencer. Subs: 12. Ryan Toulson, 14. Macaulay Langstaff, 15. Romaney Critchlow-Noble, 16. Danny East, 17. Adam Nowakowski

BACKGROUND

BPA arrived in Altrincham without a win in their last six league games, a run extending back to Boxing Day 2018, when they had been ntop of the table. They arrived today one point and two places ahead of seventh-placed Altrincham with virtually identical goal differences.

The sides had already met three times this season, in the league, FA Tophy and FA Cup, with Alty winning all three of those matches, netting eleven times past their new keeper Steven Drench!

Today saw Altrincham marking the Football v Homophia initiative by wearing a specially designed rainbow shirt and that had attracted numerous photographers, TV cameras and reporters to the ground for kick off.

Mike Garnett reminded us that the overall record between the two clubs before kick-off was as follows...

REPORT

After Altrincham had kicked off on a bright afternoon at the J. Davidson Stadium, the first excitement arrived in the fourth minute. Richman and Hancock combined to feed Harrop whose pass led to Piggott's shot being blocked. A minute later, Jake Moult was booked for a foot-up challenge on Branson.

But it was the visitors who began to settle first, winning two corners before a Harrop effort earned Alty their first flag-kick (9 mins). There was little else to excite the crowd before a robust challenge on Hancock by Killock went punished only by a freekick and not by the booking it merited (15 mins).

More uneventful play continued until Hancock's low cross set Piggott at goal but a timely tackle blocked him in the act of shooting (19 mins). At the other end, Oli Johnson's tame shot at Drench was the first effort on target in this lacklustre match.

However, Altrincham got themselves ahead in the 22nd minute thanks to the industry of loanee striker Joe Piggott. He harried a hesitant Havern, some forty yards from goal. The Wigan loanee fed the ball to his right to Hancock, who swerved round the advancing keeper before calmly slotting the ball into the unguarded net from 12 yards or so.

Following this, after Hampson had lost the ball, a BPA effort went narrowly wide but the offside flag had been raised in any case. Next, following a foul on Harrop by Spencer, Harrop's freekick was tipped away for a corner by Andrew, BPA's new loanee keeper from Hull City (25 mins).

After another ten minutes of uneventful football, Bradford won the first of what were to be six corners in an eight-minute spell. The fourth in this sequence came from a fine tackle by Jones as Beesley, the Salford City loanee, was about to shoot.

The corner-count was slightly redresed in the first-half's two added minutes as Alty themselves earned two flag-kicks. The second of these came after the first corner had been headed by Hannigan and Jones had got in a good shot from right of goal which Andrew tipped round the post.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) 0

The quality of the game did not improve in the second half. Nine minutes into the half the otherwise quiet John Johnston got in a cross which Ross put out of play for a corner (54 mins). Five minutes later another Alty corner was earned, after which a Harrop effort went narrowly wide.

On the hour mark, Langstaff, BPA's new recruit from York, came on for Oli Johnson. Four minutes later, Altrincham gave a debut to Ceesay who slotted into the left-wing position as he replaced a disgruntled looking Johnson whose trudge off the pitch had to be hastened by encouraging words and a gentle push from Connor Hampson (64 mins).

Bradford's Beesley now got into the box but miskicked the ball before a half-volley by the lively Knight narrowly cleared the bar (69 mins). Next, referee Copeland's failure to see that Piggott had almost had his shirt removed by Havern's challenge was baffling (72 mins). Then, Alty's midfielder, Mason Fawns, signed from Curzon Ashton, became the second debutant for his side as he replaced Piggott (74 mins). Ceesay now moved up front to replace Piggott.

On 78 minutes, Critchlow-Noble and East replaced BPA's Killock and Hurst respectively. After a Clee cross had landed on the roof of Drench's net, Alty manager Phil Parkinson became vocal on the touchline. But BPA's attacking changes had their effect as Clee got up the left and along the byline. His ball into the goalmouth was half-cleared before a second attempted clearance off the line seemed to hit a BPA man and fly into the net. The goal was attributed to East (84 mins).

Hancock, who had not been booked previously in any league game this season was fortunate not to see red soon after the equaliser. Having been fouled, he reacted by aiming a boot at his prostrate opponent which prompted a minor melee. Mr Copeland produced a yellow card (85 mins).

Alty won a late corner (88 mins) which was poorly taken by Harrop before an effort from Ross was only just caught under the crsoobar by Drench (90 mins). Three added minutes were relatively uneventful except for a booking for Critchlow-Noble who foolishly kicked the ball away after being penalised.

In short, this was a game to forget. Alty's depleted squad was a factor in the home side's below par performance. Altrincham's league sequence, which had comprised seven wins in nine unbeaten matches before Christmas, has been followed by a current run of just three victories in ten games. BPA remain equally out of sorts, winless in seven league games.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1BRADFORD (PARK AVENUE) 1