ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (1) 5
CHORLEY (0) 3

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 13 April 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY

Shaun Densmore was the hero with two goals as Altrincham saw off a comeback from Chorley. Jordan Hulme had scored a superb solo goal to give Alty a ninth-minute lead before a pulsating second half witnessed seven more goals.

Just as in the reverse fixture at Victory Park, Altrincham had been the better side in the first half but had only Hulme's single goal to show for it. When Tom Hannigan's bullet header from a Johnston freekick made it 2-0 five minutes after the interval, it looked good for the hosts. But within a minute Chorley hit back with Meppen-Walter heading home a freekick from the right.

Alty then paid the price for bringing all their players back for a corner when Ceesay cleared a Chorley flag-kick but Alty had no one upfield to receive the ball. The ball came back and Teague lashed the ball home after a fortunate rebound in the box (69 mins).

But Densmore then put Alty 3-2 ahead when he exchanged passes with Hulme before cracking the ball past Urwin from the edge of the box (72 mins). Chorley again responded, once more from a corner, as Meppen-Walter headed home in the 79th minute.

In the 84th minute Densmore smashed home a freekick after a foul on Hulme and the icing on the cake was an 89th minute penalty. Hulme was upended after good work from Ceesay and substitute James Poole netted the penalty to make it 5-3

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Ben Speedie
ATTENDANCE: 1,597
TEAM NEWS

As expected Connor Hampson was not fit enough to be involved in this game but he did warm up energetically beforehand. Josh Hancock was a more surprising absentee so Max Harrop started in an otherwise unchanged side. On the bench, Drench returned to provide goalkeeping cover.

Billy Sass-Davies had been recalled from his loan by Crewe on the eve of the match.

For the visitors, Josh O'Keefe remained sidelined by injury but fellow Alty old boy Scott Leather and former loanee Elliot Newby both started. Andy White played but he will serve a one-match suspension on Tuesday when Brackley visit Moss Lane, following his sending-off at Telford in midweek.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, 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. Jordan Hulme, 10. Max Harrop, 11. Yusifu Ceesay. Subs: 12. Callum Dolan, 14. Simon Richman, 15. Matthew Chadwick, 16. Shaun Densmore, 20. Steven Drench.

CHORLEY (Yellow shirts and socks, black shorts) 1. Matt Urwin, 2. Steve Jordan, 3. Adam Blackman, 4. Andy Teague (c), 5. Scott Leather, 6. Courtney Meppen-Walter, 7. Alex Newby, 8. Jake Cottrell, 9. Marcus Carver, 10. Josh Wilson, 11. Elliot Newby. Subs: 12. Louis Almond, 14. Shaun Tuton, 15. Dale Whitham, 16. James Hooper, 17. Adam Anson.

BACKGROUND

Altrincham started the match in fifth place, twelve points adrift of second-placed Chorley who had played an additional game compared with the Robins. Chorley had won the reverse fixture 4-1 despite Alty having been the better side in the first half when a Max Harrop goal had given them an interval lead at Victory Park.

Mike Garnett reminds us of the historical record between the clubs.

At kick-off the visitors were unbeaten in their last seven league fixtures, having won four and drawn three of those matches, whereas Alty are also unbeaten in seven, but with a slightly better record of five wins and two draws.

REPORT

On a sunny but chilly afternoon, Altrincham kicked off, defending the Golf Road end. The first action of note was a well hit long-range shot from Chorley, which Thompson saved comfortably (5 mins).

Teague's robust follow-through then caught White, who needed treatment before continuing (7 mins). Next, referee Speedie played an excellent "advantage" when Ceesay was upended in the inside left channel. The ball had found Hulme who jinked past three defenders inside the box before firing past Urwin to open the score (9 mins).

Soon after the restart, a poor Chorley clearance allowed Densmore to shoot at goal but the keeper stopped the shot (11 mins). Alty threatened again when Harrop did well, along the left byline, and the ball was only cleared by Chorley to Williams. But the Alty midfielder got his shot all wrong and it went way off target (14 mins).

From a rare Moult misheader, Chorley gained a corner, quickly followed by a second but a foul on Densmore ended any danger (18 mins).

After Jordan had barged over Moult, Hannigan also went down for what turned into protratcted treatment to his leg. Following the resulting freekick, Ceesay found the sidenetting (23 mins).

When Ceesay was taken down by Leather, the former Alty defender was booked (25 mins). Johnston's freekick was then smothered by Urwin.

Chorley's robust play continued as Blakeman elbowed Densmore and the Alty man took exception to the treatment to an extent that the referee had words with the Alty man. Johnston's freekick then earned a corner (30 mins). This came to Williams who again shot very waywardly.

Next, the impressive pace of Ceesay gave Johnston a great opening but he put it well wide. Jordan's foul on Hulme soon produced a freekick which led to a home corner.

After this, Teague was very late in challenging White and was duly booked (40 mins). As half-time approached Chorley enjoyed a better spell, just as they had in the reverse fixture. Three added minutes witnessed another foul by Jordan before the interval arrived with Altrincham holding a deserved lead.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
CHORLEY 0

Chorley kicked off and, after slipping over, Hannigan conceded an early freekick. At the other end, a Leather foul on Harrop gave Johnston a freekick about 30 yards out left of centre. His freekick was met by a bullet header into the net by Hannigan to double Alty's lead.

But Altrincham immediately conceded at the other end. Ceesay was penalized for a challenge on Teague. From Blakeman's freekick, Meppen-Walter headed past Thompson to make it 2-1 (51 mins).

A foul on Moult now gave Johnston a freekick, from which Hulme headed wide (53 mins).

The Chorley fouls continued as Cottrell took out Harrop. On the hour mark Whitham, Chorley's longest servant, replaced Jordan.

Ceesay continued to be a thorn in Chorley's side as he chased down a ball which he had no expectation of reaching and his resulting cross won a corner (63 mins). Chorley responded by winning three corners in a row before Alty won another themselves. That came when Johnston surged forward with both Harrop and Ceesay to his left but the wingman opted to go alone.

When Chorley gained another corner, Alty yet again brought back all ten outfield players and paid the price. Ceesay cleared the ball but had no team-mate up front to locate. The ball was played back into the box where Hannigan got in a header but the ball rebounded in a crowded box to Teague who lashed it home to make the score 2-2 (69 mins).

Alty responded well. Densmore played a one-two with Hulme before lashing the ball home from the outer reaches of the box to restore Alty's lead (72 mins). After a Leather foul, Densmore again got forward but fired just over the bar.

A snap-shot from 30 yards was well hit by Meppen-Walter but Thompson did well to beat it out (76 mins). When Chorley won another corner, the ten outfield Altrincham men came back once more but failed to prevent Meppen-Walter heading home his second goal of the match to make it 3-3 (79 mins).

Another foul by Cottrell on Harrop was followed by Meppen-Walter's trip on Hulme which earned the burly Chorley man a yellow card (82 mins). Before the freekick could be taken from just outside the front of the penalty area, Alty made a double change. Richman and Poole came on for Harrop and Williams (83 mins).

Densmore then smashed the freekick into the net to make it 4-3 (84 mins).

Immediately, Chorley striker Carver was replaced by Almond and, two minutes later, Chadwick came on for Alty's Johnston.

Ceesay now, again, caused problems and found Hulme who went down under Leather's challenge and a spot kick was the outcome. After treatment, Leather hobbled off to be replaced by Tuton. Poole then took the delayed penalty and made it 5-3 before he ran to the bench to celebrate (89 mins).

Five minutes of added time were played without the score being changed. Chorley's only consolation was that title rivals Stockport County also lost. For Alty the deserved win gives them a chance to go third in the table if they can win their game in hand on Tuesday night at home to Brackley Town.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 5
CHORLEY 3