ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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GATESHEAD (1) 2
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League North match
played on Saturday, 18 January 2020 at 3pm


SUMMARY:

Altrincham could have no complaints at the outcome as their weakened team lost to a well organized Gateshead.

Without the suspended Harrop and the injured Williams, Richman and Peers, and with the recalled Walters not yet re-registered after being recalled from loan, Alty nevertheless saw plenty of the ball in the first half.

Fielding debutant loanee Josh Lundstram in midfield and with Luke Wall brought in on the left, Alty were unable to convert their possession into a clear opening after they had had a goal disallowed for offside early on.

Gateshead had not created a lot themselves before they took a fortuitous 43rd minute lead. The goal came direct from an inswinging right-wing corner by former Dover man Deverdics. As the ball dropped in the goalmouth goalkeeper Thompson failed to deal with it before it crossed the line.

Gateshead doubled their lead in the 67th minute when a cross from Nicholson from the right was hit against the near post by debutant Middlesbrough loanee Curry before rebounding back off him and into the net.

Alty never looked like recovering and scarcely troubled keeper James in the home net. Alty dropped to tenth as a result of this defeat which ended their seven-game unbeaten run.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Adam Williamson
ATTENDANCE: 967 (71 away supporters)
TEAM NEWS:

Alty were without the suspended Max Harrop and the injured Simon Richman, Tom Peers and Sean Williams. Williams was named on the bench but it was never intended that he would play any part. In addition, Lewis Walters was unable to take part as his re-registration after his loan spell at Trafford had not been completed by the league.

Josh Lundstram, signed on loan from Crewe Alexandra, started the game and youth graduate Curtis Miller was named on the bench.

For Gateshead, Curry was making his debut on loan from Middlesbrough.


LINE-UP:

GATESHEAD (White shirts and socks, black shorts): 1. Bradley James, 2. Alex Nicholson, 3. Elliot Forbes, 4. Liam Agnew, 5. Jake Cooper, 6. Mike Williamson, 7. Jordan Preston, 8. Nicky Deverdics, 9. Mitch Curry, 10. Greg Olley, 11. Scott Barlow (c). Subs: 12. Dan Cranston, 13. Sam Guthrie, 14. Connor Thomson, 15. Dominic Tear, 16. Connor Oliver.

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


BACKGROUND:

This was Alty's first visit to Gateshead since 2015, a game which ended 2-2. Both clubs had since dropped a level in the non-League pyramid.

Having beaten Gateshead 3-0 in Cheshire earlier in the season, Alty arrived at the International Stadium in seventh place, with games in hand on several of the teams above them. However, Gateshead had played the fewest games in the division. They had one game in hand on Alty and were three points and six places below the visitors in a congested league table.

The late Mike Garnett's records reveal the history of previous games between the clubs:

With the roof missing from the stand opposite the main entrance, Alty supporters were housed in a segregated section of the main stand.


REPORT:

On a cold, breezy but sunny afternoon, Alty kicked off towards the long-jump pit of the International Stadium. They started quite well and won the first corner through Johnston (4 mins). Home keeper Bradley flapped at this and then only held a Mullarkey shot at the second attempt (5 mins).

From a seventh-minute Gateshead corner, White now had to head clear off the line before a slick Alty move earned them a second corner at the other end. From this, the ball came to Wall, whose fine cross from the right was headed home by Moult but was ruled out for offside (10 mins).

Gateshead evened up the corner count at 2-2 in the 15th minute and this flag-kick ended with Agnew's 25 yarder which Thompson saved comfortably. Olley then tried to win a dubious freekick by feigning injury, leaping to his feet miraculously having failed to convince the referee (17 mins).

Alty were stringing together several multiple-passing moves but they produced no end-products as the game passed the midway point of the half.

Next, Gateshead's Barrow got in a low cross which just evaded Curry in the centre before Alty went close at the other end as Wall was just unable to convert a ball from the left at the near post (31 mins). Alty's best chance of the game arrived on 36 minutes when Wall won the ball and fed Hulme. From right of goal, Hulme badly sliced his shot, yards off the target.

After an Alty corner, Wall's effort won a second flag-kick which Gateshead hacked away (38 mins). From a Gateshead corner, Deverdics's inswinger from the right somehow evaded Thompson as it dropped in the goalmouth and found its was into the net for a fortuitous goal (43 mins).

And so it remained 1-0 at the break after a fairly even first half.


Half-Time: GATESHEAD 1
ALTRINCHAM 0

After an early Agnew foul on Lundstram, Hancock went down in the box but strong appeals for a penalty went unheeded (50 mins).

Alty's bright start to the half continued as Wall got in a testing cross which led to a corner and Wall soon won another corner with a further cross from the left (54 mins). And a third cross in as many minutes by Wall saw Hulme unable to direct his header on target and the striker needed physio attention before resuming.

Crosses from the left continued to be Alty's main threat as, this time, White delivered a ball across the box.

But, as the game passed the hour mark, Gateshead came back into it with Olley finding himself in space on the left more than once.

However, when Gateshead doubled their lead it again owed much to good fortune. A Nicholson cross from the right was met at the near post by Curry. His effort cannoned off the base of the near post and rebounded back off Curry and into the corner of the net (67 mins).

Alty were kept on the back foot until a clever Hulme dribble inside the home box threatened the home goal but the ball was cleared (75 mins).

Altrincham now made a double substitution as Hampson and Miller came on, the latter for his league debut, having progressed from the Alty youth team visa the reserves (76 mins). The players replaced were Densmore and Wall, the latter having been his side's main forward threat.

With Miller on the right and Hampson at left-back, as White moved to right-back, Tear then replaced Curry for the Heed (78 mins).

Alty seemed to lack any incision at all at this stage, with possession being regularly wasted. Oliver now replaced Agnew (82 mins). As the the minutes ticked away, the home crowd greeted a string of Gateshead passes with oles. The multiple passes culminated in a fine shot which Thompson tipped over the bar for a late home corner (89 mins).

Man of the Match Preston was replaced by Thomson (89 mins) before three added minutes were completed.

Although Gateshead's goals both owed something to good fortune there could be little argument that they deserved the points. Defeat, Alty's first in eight outings, dropped the Robins to tenth in a congested fight for the play-off places.


Full Time: GATESHEAD 2
ALTRINCHAM 0

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