ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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KING'S LYNN TOWN (0) 2
ALTRINCHAM (0) 2

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 2 November 2019, at 3pm

SUMMARY:

It took Alty till the sixth minute of added time to secure a just about deserved point on their first ever trip to Norfolk.

Following a goalless but entertaining first half, Altrincham switched to a back three at the interval and enjoyed the better of the second period. Against the run of play Lynn went ahead in the 77th minute. Gash won an aerial ball and Marriott cleverly dragged the ball back before slotting it past Thompson.

Three minutes later Alty equalised after Peers had chased a ball to the byline, where he got the better of a defender before laying the ball off for Hancock to sweep home from 15 yards or so.

However, Lynn regained the advantage in the 84th minute. Substitute Kelly did well and fed Marriott from the left. Again Marriott netted smartly with a low shot.

A minimum of five added minutes were decreed and play had just ticked over into the sixth when a Johnston freekick was bundled home, after a goalmouth melee, by Jake Moult.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Wayne Cartmel
ATTENDANCE: 888
TEAM NEWS:

Yusifu Ceesay returned to the bench after injury but Connor Hampson remained sidelined. New signing Luke Wall was also on the bench.

Meanwhile, for King's Lynn, Michael Gash was playing against Altrincham for an eighth different team!

LINE-UP:

KING'S LYNN TOWN (All blue with gold trim) 1. Alex STREET, 2. Aaron JONES, 3. Nathan FOX, 4. Ryan JARVIS, 5. Ross BARROWS, 6. Rory McAULEY, 7. Michael CLUNAN (c), 8. Jordan RICHARDS, 9. Michael GASH, 10. Adam MARRIOTT, 11. Chris HENDERSON. Subs: 12. Sonny CAREY, 14. Alfie PAYNE, 15. Ryan HAWKINS, 16. Sam KELLY, 17. Nathan STEWART

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. Sean WILLIAMS, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 11. Tom PEERS. Subs: 12. Max HARROP, 14. Simon RICHMAN, 15. Yusifu CEESAY, 16. Toby MULLARKEY, 17. Luke WALL.

BACKGROUND:

Not only was this Altrincham's first ever encounter with King's Lynn Town, it was also the club's first visit to the county of Norfolk. Although only promoted last season, King's Lynn were riding high in the National League North, occupying fifth place at kick off with 25 points from 13 matches.

Alty were in the eighteenth place with just thirteen points from twelve fixtures. This was yet another away day for Alty in a sequence which currently has them facing up to twelve away games in a total of fifteen fixtures.

REPORT:

After plenty of rain, the match kicked off in dry conditions on a damp pitch but with a stiff, gusty breeze blowing. The visitors made a shaky start as Thompson's second-minute kick straight into touch presaged several other defensive lapses.

Next Moult cleared the ball to Clunan and Alty's captain was grateful to see his opposite number stumble rather than fire at goal (4 mins). Then Thompson kicked the ball straight to Lynn's Jones and the Alty keeper had to back-pedal to tip the Lynn defender's goalbound chip over the bar for a corner (5 mins).

The catalogue of errors continued as James Jones now tried to shepherd a ball back to Thompson but the keeper failed to come and collect the ball. Marriott got the ball and it took a great tackle inside the box by Jones to stop the danger. So that was four defensive errors inside eight minutes.

It didn't get much better three minutes later when, after a Lynn freekick, Peers and Hancock got in a mix up and a needless corner was conceded.

Things finally improved in the 15th minute when a fine move involving Johnston, Hancock and Hulme ended with keeper Street having to smother the ball smartly.

Having been involved in an off the ball spat with McAuley, Hulme then deliberately ran into his opponent and went down as if poleaxed. Fortunately for Hulme, the referee chose not to book him for this behaviour which did him no credit (19 mins).

Though Alty were playing quite well now, the errors continued as the ball was now cleared to Henderson who fortunately miskicked. Soon after this, Jones, drifting across the front of the box, lost possession and it took a fine save from Thompson to keep out Hutchinson's snap shot (22 mins).

Next a home corner was won as Thompson sliced a clearance. But Alty soon threatened at the other end as a Johnston cross was pounced upon by Street just before it could reach Hulme in the goalmouth (28 mins).

Lynn now went even closer as Marriott forced Thompson into a fine one-handed save, low down (32 mins).

A trip on White saw Henderson become the game's first booking (40 mins). Then Alty wasted a great opening as Densmore fed Johnston but he miskicked the ball on the right byline (41 mins).

A ridiculous rugby tackle by Lynn's Jones, who hauled down Peers round the waist, earned him a deserved card (44 mins). Moments later Hannigan was lucky to avoid similar censure as he grabbed hold of Gash but an entertaining first half ended goalless soon afterwards.

Half-Time: KING'S LYNN TOWN 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

Alty brought on Mullarkey for Densmore at the interval and switched to a back three. Soon a well struck effort from the outside of Johnston's right boot only narrowly cleared the bar before a Henderson effort at the other end was far more off target (49 mins).

It was now King's Lynn who were making the unforced errors as Alty looked more of a threat in the second half. But there was no real chance of a goal before the hour mark when Hawkins and Kelly replaced Jarvis and Henderson for the hosts.

With Alty having the better of things, Street came out of his box to chest the ball before slicing it and an Alty corner was won in the aftermath.

Alty now made a double swap of their own as Richman and Ceesay replaced Williams and Hulme (68 mins). With Ceesay and Peers leading the attack, Alty continued to look the better side but without opening up the opposition. A yellow card was shown to White, apparently for kicking the ball away at a freekick; not the first time this season that this type of offence has got him booked (70 mins).

So, it came as a slight surprise when the hosts then took the lead. Gash won an aerial ball which came to Marriott. He cleverly dragged the ball back before slotting a low shot past Thompson (77 mins).

But three minutes later, Alty equalised. Peers chased a ball to the left byline then got past his marker as he moved goalwards along the byline. He laid the ball back for Hancock to sweep a low shot across the keeper and into the far corner from left of centre, about 15 yards out (80 mins).

Next, Alty allowed Kelly to advance on the left. He played the ball to Marriott who, again, smartly made space to guide home another well-placed, low shot to restore Lynn's lead (84 mins).

As the minutes ticked away Ceesay began to make a nuisance of himself but Lynn seemed to have wound down the clock successfully before five added minutes of time were proclaimed. Lynn won a corner and two freekicks in this added period before a Kelly foul on Johnston gave Alty a freekick on the right, some 35 yards out.

Johnston's freekick prompted a melee in the penalty area in which Moult stabbed the ball home for an equalizer (90+6 mins).

A much improved second half from Altrincham had gained them this important point as they try to claw their way up from the wrong end of the table. And it was a pleasure to see a game in which both teams were trying to play an attractive style of football in difficult conditions.

Full-Time: KING'S LYNN TOWN 2
ALTRINCHAM 2