ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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CURZON ASHTON (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (2) 6

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 23 February 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Altrincham recorded their biggest away win since a 6-0 victory at Hinckley United in April 2013 but on this occasion it could easily have been double figures for the visitors. There was little sign of what was to come in the opening stages; Alty had started quite brightly in the opening minutes before the hosts upped their game, with former Robin, Sean Miller, looking sharp.

But, on the half-hour, Altrincham took the lead when a short corner was taken by Johnston to Ceesay, who returned the ball to JJ. Johnston drifted inside before hitting a fine shot into the net from outside the box.

If that goal was impressive, even more so was Sean Williams's effort from more than 20 yards which flew in off the inside of the upright just six minutes later.

Two minutes after the interval loanee striker Joe Piggott beat the advancing keeper to net the third goal, after Tom Hannigan had done well to win the ball in the air near halfway. Three minutes later it was 0-4 as Johnston found Ceesay and he converted the chance. Despite a triple substitution by the hosts (and a double one by Alty), the score became 0-5 after 54 minutes, when Piggott netted through the keeper's legs.

Curzon by now were in disarray and a triple substitution did not alter things markedly. Altrincham spurned several more chances as they carved open the Curzon defence almost at will. But Piggott completed his hat-trick in the 72nd minute when he chased a seemingly lost cause but managed to poke the ball past the keeper to make it 0-6.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Adam Williamson
ATTENDANCE: 506
TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were again without the suspended Jordan Hulme, and also the injured Ben Harrison, Max Harrop and James Poole. There were two surprises on the team sheet. Tony Thompson returned in goal with recent signing Steven Drench on the bench and, joining him on the substitutes' roster, was new signing Callum Dolan, a young midfielder formerly with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Stockport Town. After the game, manager Phil Parkinson conformed that Drench had a minor knee problem.

LINE-UPS:

CURZON ASHTON (Blue shirts and shorts, white socks): 1. Cameron Mason, 2. Oliver Thornley, 3. Cameron McJannet, 4. Jonathan Hunt (c), 5. Daniel Shaw, 6. Ryan Brooke, 7. Oliver Crankshaw, 8. Sean Miller, 9. Lewis Reilly, 10. John McAtea, 11. Luke Wall. Subs: 12. Chris Rowney, 14. Luke Merrill, 15. Reece Deakin, 16. Ryan Shenton, 17. George Danaher.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Tony Thompson, 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. Yusifu Ceesay. Subs: 12. Callum Dolan, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Mason Fawns, 16. Shaun Densmore, 20. Steven Drench.

BACKGROUND

Curzon had been on an unbeaten run until last weekend whereas Altrincham arrived at the Tameside Stadium in indifferent form, having gleaned just three wins from their past eleven fixtures. Curzon had won the reverse fixture 2-0 in September 2018.

Mike Garnett provides the record in previous matches between the two clubs:

For Alty, Mason Fawns was named in the squad against his former club and, curiously, his name was printed in both of the team-lists in the matchday programme! Conversely, two ex-Alty men faced their previous employers as both Sean Miller and Ryan Brooke started in the Nash's midfield.

REPORT

On an unseasonably mild February afternoon, Altrincham kicked off and won the game's first corner in the third minute. This was taken short by Johnston to Ceesay with Johnston hammering the return pass into the sidenetting from left of goal.

After their quiet start, Curzon came to life as McAtee fired a fierce shot at Thompson which the keeper could only beat upwards but also, fortunately, to his left, where it went for a corner (5 mins). From just under the crossbar, Thompson just managed to claw away an effort from the corner but, as Alty struggled to clear their lines, two more home corners arrived in quick succession.

Twice in this early part of the afternoon, kicks by Thompson to a team-mate had had to be rapidly played back to the keeper as Curzon closed their men down. At this stage Alty's build ups were measured and meticulous rather than thrusting and dangerous but then a fine ball from Williams to Johnston earned the visitors a corner, quickly followed by another, the visitors' third of the afternoon.

Play went through a fairly quiet spell before a Johnston shot was saved routinely by Mason (18 mins). After treatment for Hannigan following a clash of heads with Reilly, the match continued uneventfully with no real threat of a goal at either end. Former Alty midfielder Sean Miller was looking lively in the home midfield.

Next, a Johnston cross went across the goalmouth and earned Alty a 29th minute corner on their left. Once again Johnston took it short to Ceesay but, this time, the move paid off. Ceesay returned the ball to Johnston who moved inside after taking the corner and fired a fine shot across the keeper into the far side of the net to make it 1-0 to the visitors (30 mins).

Just after a Jones mispass had halted an Alty advance, the visitors won the ball back through White. He advanced, and moved inside, before Ceesay relayed the ball to Williams. From some twenty yards, Williams took aim and a fine shot crashed onto the net off the inside of the keeper's left upright (36 mins). It was hard to believe that this was the midfielder's first competitive goal for Alty on his 61st appearance!

A Crankshaw effort deflected off White for a home corner (40 mins) as The Nash's indifferent home form continued; they lay 19th in the home form table printed in the matchday programme, having gleaned the majority of their points away from home as, indeed, have Alty though less markedly so.

As the interval approached a fine ball from Hancock got Ceesay forward but his cross was diverted for a goalkick. Two minutes of added time left Altrincham with their 2-0 lead intact at the interval.

Half-Time: CURZON ASHTON 0
ALTRINCHAM 2

After Curzon had kicked off Altrincham had an early scare as Thompson kicked the ball to an opponent but the ball was cleared to the keeper's relief. Phil Parkinson was not amused. However, his mood immediately changed as Hannigan won an aerial duel just inside his own half and Piggott was set free, running at goal. As the goalkeeper came out to confront him, Piggott slipped the ball past him, though Mason did get something on the ball as it continued into the net to make it 0-3 (47 mins).

As a chorus of "Feed the Pig [Piggott] and he will score" rang out from the Alty supporters on the terrace, there was soon more cause for joy as a Johnston feed to Ceesay saw the Blackpool loanee slot the ball home to make it 4-0 (50 mins). After Thompson had again kicked the ball to an opponent, this time Crankshaw, at the other end, the home defence parted again. Piggott chased a seemingly lost cause towards the byline but beat the keeper to it and poked it into the net from the left to make it 0-5 (54 mins).

Curzon threw caution to the wind and made a triple substitution with Alty making a double change at the same time. So five men went off and five came on; Shenton, Deakin and Rowney replaced Wall, McAtee and Crankshaw for Curzon, whilst Densmore and Richman came on for Altrincham's Hampson and Moult (55 mins).

On the hour mark, Ceesay should have made it 6-0 as Hancock's fine ball again split the fragile home back-line. When Shenton barged over Richman from behind it was surprising not to see a card brandished (63 mins). Then Ceesay missed a sitter, losing his footing in front of goal, after Piggott and Johnston had combined well (63 mins).

After an Alty corner had been cleared, a foul on Densmore saw his former Alty team-mate, Ryan Brooke, cautioned (65 mins). When the referee then awarded another freekick to Alty for a foul by Brooke, this time on Hancock, Williams got himself needlessly booked, presumably for dissent (68 mins).

Next Andy White spurned yet another Alty chance as he got into the box but dragged his left-foot shot wide. The visitors' chances continued as Richman hit the post with a shot from the edge of the box (70 mins). Finally, Altrincham did get a sixth goal with a low shot at the keeper which went through his hands, before also going through his legs, into the net. It completed a hat-trick for Piggott (72 mins).

Immediately, Dolan came on for his debut in midfield, replacing Hancock (72 mins). Soon afterwards, a good Alty move ended when Johnston's shot hit Piggott but then an impressive dribble by Johnston again carved open the hosts but the keeper made a good save (76 mins).

As the Alty fans ran through their songbook, referencing stalwarts from the past such as Mark Maddox and Gary Talbot, Thompson got the ball to Johnston who again forced a save from Mason, at the cost of a corner (81 mins). The chances kept coming against a demoralised Curzon with Johnston's corner now being met by a superb volley from Williams which Mason did well to tip over the bar for another corner.

Curzon belatedly got forward before Miller was tripped just outside the box and Richman received a lecture. Miller hit the freekick into the wall (85 mins). Four minutes later a similar situation arose at the other end as Piggott was tripped by Shaw, twenty yards out. After Shaw had been booked, Johnston's freekick crashed against the crossbar (90 mins).

Ceesay won a corner in added time and a Johnston 25 yarder cleared the bar before Brooke miscued a header well wide in the final meaningful action of the game.

This was a scoreline which no one had expected and Curzon's defensive collapse was a worrying feature for them. It could quite easily have been double figures for a rampant Altrincham, who netted six goals even in the absence of their talismanic striker Jordan Hulme. Given Piggott's hat-trick it will be interesting to see who starts up front against Chester next Saturday.

Full-Time: CURZON ASHTON 0
ALTRINCHAM 6