ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
SPENNYMOOR TOWN (1) 2

Vanarama National League North match
played on Tuesday, 19 February 2019, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham's play-off aspirations were struck a further blow as visitors Spennymoor Town struck twice without reply at a wet J. Davidson Stadium.

Altrincham enjoyed the majority of possession throughout the game but lacked the guile to convert it into meaningful chances. Efforts from Piggott and Johnson kissed the top of the crossbar in the second half but they were as good as it got against the well organized Moors' defence.

Spennymoor took the lead seven minutes before half-time when Altrincham stood off and allowed Anderson to fire home from just outside the box. The second half again saw the Moors happy to sit back and absorb Altrincham's largely ineffective probing before Ramshaw made it 2-0 from close range in the 63rd minute after Hancock had lost possession near half-way.

Disappointing freekicks and corners underlined Altrincham's absence of a goal-threat which means that they have now won just three of their last eleven league games. Although they remain in the play-off places, Altrincham lost ground on three of the teams above them as both AFC Telford United and Stockport County won tonight, in addition to Spennymoor's victory.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Richard Aspinall
ATTENDANCE: 696
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were again without the suspended Jordan Hulme, the injured Ben Harrison and the recuperating James Poole. Manager Phil Parkinson made three changes as Andy White, Sean Williams and Yusufi Ceesay started tonight in place of Shaun Densmore, Max Harrop and Simon Richman.

LINE-UPS:

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

SPENNYMOOR TOWN (All yellow): 1. Matthew Gould, 2. Callum Williams, 3. Stephen Brogan, 4. Jamie Chandler, 5. Scott Harrison, 6. James Curtis (c), 7. Mark Anderson, 8. Shane Henry, 9. Glen Taylor, 10. Robert Ramshaw, 11. Andrew Johnson. Subs: 12. Kris Thackray, 13. Christopher Elliott, 14. Ryan Hall, 15. Liam Agnew, 16. Adam Boyes.

BACKGROUND

Spennymoor arrived in Altrincham as the form team in the division having won their previous five league matches in a run which had seen them amass a monumental 50 points from their previous 25 games! Those games had included the reverse fixture at the Brewery Field back in August when the match ended 4-4. It was Town's first-ever visit to Altrincham although their predecessors, Spennymoor United had played a number of games at Moss Lane, the last being a 1-1 draw in 2003-04 season.

In contrast to their visitors, Altrincham were in indifferent form, having won just three of their last ten league matches and only one of their last four home fixtures in the league.

REPORT

Rain had started to fall an hour before kick off and it was to persist throughout the game, though not particularly heavily.

It was Altrincham who had the first sight of goal. Just a minute after Gould had beaten out a long range effort, Williams and White fed the ball to Piggott who also got in a decent effort. On the left, making his full debut, Ceesay now executed a smart turn but, with Alty having set the early pace, it was the visitors who gained the match's first corner (7 mins).

Despite the distance, Spennymoor had brought a decent number of vocal supporters to a ground that a club from their town had not visited for 15 seasons.

Altrincham reciprocated with their first corner, in the tenth minute, but until Piggott's low shot was routinely saved by Gould there was no hint of a real chance at either end. Another eight minutes were to pass before the next half chance, which arose when White got forward up the right but shot narrowly wide.

Things improved as Alty put together a 14-pass move which culminated in a Hancock shot being saved (20 mins). From a Hampson cross, Brogan headed out a deep cross for a corner to Alty but, as played continued, the visitors were defending in depth and, even when Piggott got in another shot, it was comfortably saved (27 mins).

The pattern of Altrincham possession and probing of an, at times, eleven-man Moors defence continued with Ceesay continuing to look lively on the Alty left as the half hour mark was reached. Next, a foul on Piggott allowed Hampson a freekick which was saved (31 mins).

Despite Altrincham's dominance of possession the match was devoid of goalmouth action at both ends. And, when Alty won a 36th minute corner it was wasted by a poor kick from Johnston.

Just after the visitors had belatedly come to life, with an Anderson shot which was well off target, Alty did not learn their lesson and almost immediately they allowed the Spennymoor no.7 time to advance and compose himself in a central position, 20 yards out. His well-placed shot beat Drench, to his left, as it went into the net just inside the upright. Alty's keeper had had nothing much to do until he now had to pick the ball out of his net (38 mins).

It almost got much worse for Alty as the game went into added time. Jones mis-passed the ball to the Moors' Anderson and, via a team-mate, the ball came to their top scorer Walker, who netted from close range. To Alty's relief the linesman's flag was raised and the goal did not stand, much to the annoyance of Walker who continued to berate the officials, even well after the half-time whistle had been blown. Indeed, a team-mate had to man-handle him away from the men in black.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
SPENNYMOOR TOWN 1

It was still raining as the second half commenced. Early on, Ceesay again showed good skill as he fed Piggott. However, the loanee striker delayed his shot and his threat was blocked off (48 mins).

After this, an impressive Johnston run ended with an overhit pass before a fine pass from Moult again put Piggott in on goal. From the right his effort bounced along the top of the crossbar to safety from the Moors' point of view (54 mins).

As in the first half, Altrincham were having the majority of the possession but the Moors were resolute in defence. Just after the hour mark, a foul in midfield by Williams earned him the game's first yellow card (61 mins).

Disaster struck in the 63rd minute when Hancock lost the ball near the halfway line and it was fed to Ramshaw who poked the ball past the advancing Drench to make it 2-0 to the team from County Durham.

Soon after an Alty corner, Altrincham brought on Harrop for Williams in midfield (66 mins). Another Alty corner was won but, again wasted, on this occasion by Harrop (71 mins). Alty's second change now saw Mason Fawns replace Hancock (72 mins). A trip on Johnston should have led to a yellow card for the offender, but did not, before the Moors' Anderson was substitued by Hall (76 mins).

Fawns then hit a freekick into the wall as Alty's deadball kicks continued to disappoint. When Fawns was fouled soon afterwards, Taylor was booked though this seemed to be for dissent (79 mins).

Next, the Moors' Johnson was replaced by Agnew and, for Altrincham, Richman came on for Harrop whose game had lasted only fifteen minutes; presumably he was injured (81 mins). Man of the match Hannigan then covered well after an error by Hampson.

With three minutes of normal time remaining, Alty again hit the top of the Moors' crossbar, this time through a deflected cross shot from Johnston. There was time for each side to take a corner, between which episodes Adam Boyes replaced Taylor for the visitors (89 mins).

The biggest cheer of the night predictably came as referee Aspinall fell over in the 90th minute but there was little else to cheer the home supporters as their stuttering New Year form continued. They did not play badly but lacked sufficient tempo and guile to break down a resolute Spennymoor team.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
SPENNYMOOR TOWN 2