ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
CREWE ALEXANDRA (3) 6

Pre-season friendly match
played on Saturday, 13 July 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY:

Crewe Alexandra gave their Cheshire neighbours a footballing lesson in a match which featured no fewer than forty-three players!

Both sides fielded their stronger elevens in the first half before Alty made ten changes at the break. Crewe changed all eleven of their players just before the hour mark.

Two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half set Alex on the way to victory. The opener was a well-struck effort from left of goal by Green, which found the far corner of the net. Barely a minute later, a challenge by Densmore on Green conceded a penalty, which Kirk converted (24 mins).

Just before half-time, Crewe captain Perry Ng scored the visitors' third goal after a thunderous header by the visitors' number ten had come back off the crossbar from an Owen Dale cross.

Soon after Crewe had made a complete change of team, one of the new eleven, Finney scored with a shot which was touched but not stopped by Thompson (62 mins). Four minutes later it was 5-0 as Finney drove home a low shot. The sixth and final goal arrived nine minutes from time when Peers's mis-pass led to Finney completing his hat-trick emphatically.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Ben Speedie
ATTENDANCE: 585
TEAM NEWS:

Absentees for Altrincham included injured captain Jake Moult and the recuperating Andy White and Steven Drench. But striker Jordan Hulme made his first appearance of pre-season as did Tom Peers. Matt Chadwick was given another opportunity to prove his fitness, whilst among the trialists involved today were Zac Corbett (ex-Southport) and Jamal Crawford (ex-FCUM, Chester FC) who played the second half but Lewis Salmon (Hanley Town), who was also in the squad today, did not get on the pitch.

As well as a new trialist, Darren McKnight, two youth team graduates Dontai Gabidon and goalkeeper Ollie Culkin were named in the squad though only the former played. McKnight is a former Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Morecambe, Glossop NE, Bamber Bridge and Stalybridge Celtic midfielder.

Familiar faces in the Crewe squad were two former Alty loanees in the shape of Owen Dale and Billy Sass-Davies.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 3. Connor HAMPSON (c), 4. James JONES, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. Sean WILLIAMS, 7. Matthew CHADWICK, 8. Conor BRANSON, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Max HARROP, 11. Nathan ARNOLD.

Second half: 1. Tony THOMPSON, 3. Jamal CRAWFORD, 12. Tom PEERS, 14. John JOHNSTON, 15. Josh HANCOCK, 16. Simon RICHMAN, 16* Darren McKNIGHT, 17. Ben HARRISON (c), 18. Toby MULLARKEY, 18*. Dontai GABIDON, 19. Zac CORBETT

CREWE ALEXANDRA (All gold). The list below is as appeared on the team sheet but as Owen Dale was clearly no.11 not no.10 and a late change meant that Porter was replaced by Connor Heath, it raises doubts about some of the other numbers and IDs! 1. David Richards, 2. Perry Ng (c), 3. Harry Pickering, 4. Ryan White, 5. Olly Lancashire, 6. Eddie Nolan, 7. Tom Lowery, 8. Paul Green, 9. Chris Porter, 10. Owen Dale, 11. Charlie Kirk. Subs, all unnumbered on teamsheet: Will Jaaskelainen, Luke Offord, Josh Lundstrum, Christian Mbula (trialist), James Jones, Regan Griffiths, Oliver Finney, Paul Taylor, Shaun Miller, Callum Ainley, Travis Johnson, Billy Sass-Davies.

BACKGROUND:

This was the first pre-season game at home for Altrincham, following a 1-0 win at Whitchurch Alport.

REPORT:

On a warm afternoon, Crewe won the game's first corner in only the second minute and they were to remain on the front foot for much of the afternoon. However, after just five minutes, a foul on Arnold yielded a freekick from which Arnold's cross was headed only narrowly over the bar by Jones.

Crewe were soon passing the ball crisply and closing down Alty quickly when not in possession. The sides traded a corner apiece as the 15-minute mark approached but the visitors were generally on top.

When a Densmore clearance found an opponent, Hannigan bravely took the full force of a goalbound shot to keep the score goalless (18 mins). But, after Jones had passed the ball to a team-mate, possession was lost and, from left of goal some 20 yards out, Green hit a fine curling shot across Thompson into the far corner of the net to make it 0-1 (22 mins).

Barely a minute after the restart, Densmore's challenge on Green gave Crewe a penalty, which Kirk despatched without any problem to double the lead for the visitors (24 mins).

Just after this, Harrop was upended and, from wide right, his freekick only just cleared the crossbar (25 mins). Nevertheless, Crewe continued well on top with their tall no.10 particularly impressive.

A late challenge by Williams earned him the first yellow card of summer (36 mins). Then, after a Crewe corner, a well hit shot from outside the box by Ng was only marginally too high (38 mins).

As the interval approached, a Dale cross from the right was met by a powerful header from the no.10 which smashed against the crossbar. The loose ball was then driven into the net by Ng to make it 3-0 (44 mins).

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
CREWE ALEXANDRA 3

Alty made ten changes at the interval but Alex resumed unchanged. Only home keeper Thompson remained from the first-half home starters. Crawford played at right back with Corbett on the left of the back line, Harrison and Mullarkey being the centre-backs.

Up front Peers was supported by Hancock in the no.10 role. Gabidon and Johnston were the wingers.

After a fairly even start to the half, Lowery was played into the clear inside the box but his shot hit the outside of the upright (55 mins). Just before the hour mark, Crewe changed their entire eleven (59 mins).

Crewe added a fourth goal when Finney found himself unmarked inside the box and he netted at the second attempt (62 mins).

Alex soon threatened again as their no.20's goalbound shot hit Thompson's legs. But they soon made it 5-0 when Finney drove a low shot across Thompson from right to left (66 mins).

Altrincham's forward moves were foundering on misplaced passes as they struggled to trouble the Crewe keeper.

With nine minutes remaining, Peers, some forty yards from his own goal near the left touchline, underhit an intended pass back towards a team-mate and the ball was intercepted. Finney went on to blast the ball past Thompson to complete his hat-trick and compete the scoring at 6-0.

For Altrincham it was a disappointing afternoon to say the least. They were unable to create any real goal threat and, though Crewe took their goals well, more than one was down to lax defending by the hosts.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
CREWE ALEXANDRA 6