ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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HALESOWEN TOWN (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (0) 2

Emirates FA Cup Third Qualifying Round
played on Saturday, 5 October 2019, at 12.30pm

SUMMARY:

Altrincham gained their first away win of the season and a place in the Fourth Qualifying Round with this hard-earned victory. Halesowen twice hit the woodwork and Alty were also indebted to goalkeeper Thompson for a couple of important saves.

The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute when Tom Peers bundled the ball home at the near post from a cross from the right.

Eight minutes from time John Johnston made sure of the outcome with a low shot from just outside the box after the home keeper had punched away a Hemmings corner.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Thomas Kirk
ATTENDANCE: 1,235
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were unchanged and the only surprise was that the injured Ceesay was named as an absentee substitute rather than a reserve player who might have relished the experience of sitting on the bench.

The Yeltz made one change as the veteran Paul McCone replaced Jamie Ashmore in the starting eleven.

LINE-UP:

HALESOWEN TOWN (All blue): 1.Bradley Catlow, 2. Jordan Piggott, 3. James Bowen, 4. Ashley Sammons, 5. Paul McCone (c), 6. Andy Parsons, 7. Reece Hewitt, 8. Robbie Bunn, 9. Montel Ginson, 10. Luke Yates, 11.Jamie Molyneaux. Subs: 12. Jamie Ashmore, 14. Rob Evans, 15. Lewis Wright, 16. George Forsyth, 17. Josh Hawker, 18.Jamie Lucas, 19. Brendon Bunn

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 3. Andy WHITE, 4. James JONES, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 7. John JOHNSTON, 8. Simon RICHMAN, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 11. Ashley HEMMINGS. Subs: 12. Sean WILLIAMS, 14. Tom PEERS, 15. Max HARROP, 16. Toby MULLARKEY, 17. Connor HAMPSON, 20. Joel TORRANCE.

BACKGROUND:

This match had been moved to lunchtime to allow the BBC to stream the game in its entirety.

Mike Garnett's records reveal the past record in matches between Altrincham and Halesowen Town.

REPORT:

After Altrincham had kicked off, they won a freekick inside 30 seconds but Hemmings's freekick was poorly struck, way over the bar. With a good atmosphere generated by both sets of supporters in front of the BBC cameras, Halesowen won the game's first corner (9 mins).

Three minutes later Alty won their first corner which Jones headed narrowly off target but, in a fairly even start, neither side troubled the goalkeepers in the opening stages. But Alty were almost caught out in the 21st minute when White's ball to Richman was too forceful and involuntarily rebounded off the midfielder to Hewitt. He hit a superb low shot from 25 yards which came back off the base of Thompson's left-hand upright.

An Alty corner now went straight to Catlow, the giant home keeper, before Densmore was taken out by McCone on the front edge of the box. The home captain was fortunate to escape a card but, in a match of generally poor Altrincham crosses and deadballs, Hemmings's freekick was hit well over the bar from the right (29 mins).

Alty won three corners in five minutes (34-38 mins), none of which threatened a goal. And another corner soon arrived, which again went straight to Catlow (42 mins). The Yeltz were then denied a goal by a fine save from Thompson after Sammons's one-two with Piggott had forced the Alty keeper into impressive action (44 mins)

So, a fairly even first half ended but it was the home side which had looked the more incisive in front of goal.

Half-Time: HALESOWEN TOWN 0
ALTRINCHAM 0
Halesowen closed down Alty well in the opening minutes of the half to keep the visitors passing the ball laterally in their own half rather than incisively, further up the pitch. But, four minutes into the half, Alty's first real threat of a goal materialized. Hemmings got in a cross from the left and Richman volleyed it goalwards from 10 yards but the home keeper blocked his effort well.

Next, home marksman Gibson became the first man to be booked, rather harshly, for a foul on Richman in midfield (50 mins). But Alty's freekick routine broke down and the Yeltz got in a low shot from Yates, which Thompson saved comfortably (51 mins).

Alty now began to apply some pressure but were forced into a change when Hulme hobbled off to be replaced by Peers (55 mins). Hulme spent the rest of the game with an ice-pack on his right ankle in the dugout.

The game's next two corners were won by Halesowen. But Alty should have done better on 62 minutes when Densmore got forward and his low cross was sliced in front of goal by an unmarked Peers and the ball went across rather than towards goal. The visitors threatened again soon afterwards but Hemmings, from the byline, put his pass behind Peers.

For the third time in the ten minutes that he had been on the pitch, Peers again got free in the centre of the goalmouth and this time, from Johnston's feed his effort was blocked by Catlow (65 mins).

Next, Williams replaced Richman (66 mins) and, after an Alty corner had come and gone, Halesowen brought on Hawker for Hewitt (69 mins). Altrincham had looked the better side in the second half and, after Sammons had conceded a freekick by fouling Hancock, Catlow made a double save from an Alty header and a subsequent shot (71 mins).

The deadlock was finally broken as the game went into its 73rd minute. Moult's ball to Hemmings was relayed from the right and was bundled home at the second attempt by Peers at the near post.

But shortly afterwards Peers spurned a good chance to double the lead with a poor shot well over the bar from a fine ball by White (76 mins).

The Yeltz immediately responded well as a cracking 25-yarder from Robbie Bunn had to be pushed round his right post by Thompson for a corner.

It was end to end fare now as Johnston raced fully seventy yards down the pitch only for Catlow to block what would have been a memorable solo goal (77 mins). After Hannigan had been penalised, to his great annoyance, a home freekick led to Yates powering a header against the woodwork. Halesowen sustained the pressure as a Molyneaux effort was blocked.

Next, Bowen's foul on Hemmings prompted a reaction from Hemmings and both players were booked (81 mins). Soon, Peers again got in an effort at goal to win a corner on the right. Hemmings's corner was punched away by Catlow but only as far as Johnston, outside the left front edge of the box. He struck a strong low shot from there and found the net to make it 2-0 (82 mins).

After the Yeltz had introduced Forsyth for Sammons (83 mins), Alty withdrew Hemmings in favour of centre-back Mullarkey (84 mins). As time ebbed away, Hawker was booked for taking out Densmore (89 mins). The teams then exchanged a corner apiece before four added minutes commenced.

In the first of these, Forsyth was booked for a foul on Peers (90+1 mins). There was a scare for Altrincham as a back-header from Hannigan forced Thompson to a smart diving tip round his left upright. And Halesowen then wasted a glorious chance as the ball was headed down for Lucas but he lifted his shot well over the bar from close range.

So, Alty had won their first away game of the season, earned more than £11,000 in prize money and gained a place in the Fourth Qualifying Round. But on this showing it will surely not be long before Halesowen regain their Step Three status.

Full-Time HALESOWEN TOWN 0
ALTRINCHAM 2