ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


Return to News Page


ALTRINCHAM (1) 2
CHESTER FC (0) 1

Buildbase FA Trophy Third Round match
played on Saturday, 19 December, 2020 at 3pm
played at Chester FC, behind closed doors


SUMMARY:

After a fairly even first half, a superb long range shot from Joel Senior put Alty one up in the third minute of first-half added time. It was the right-back's first goal for the club.

However, Chester started the second half on the front foot and equalised in the 49th minute from Glendon's smart turn and firm shot, which beat Thompson low, to his left.

But a fine run up the middle by Kosylo led to Peers getting free to dink the ball past the advancing keeper, Gray to make it 2-1 to Alty in the 55th minute.

Altrincham showed good organization to keep Chester at arm's length and see out a deserved but narrow victory.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Adam Herczeg who was the referee for the promotion play-off final at Boston earlier this year.
ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

Alty made two injury-enforced changes as new loan signing Harrison Holgate replaced Ritchie Sutton and Tom Peers came in for Ryan Colclough. In fact, unavailable for Altrincham through injury were no fewer than eight players; Jamie McDonald, Ryan Colclough, Andy Dales, Fisayo Adarabioyo, Byron Harrison, Sean Williams, Toby Mullarkey and Dan Mooney but Connor Hampson was fit enough to be named on the bench after his lay-off.

Ex-Alty man John Johnston was restored to the Chester starting eleven after being "benched" for the midweek round of the FA Trophy which preceded this tie. New Chester signing Josh Askew was named on the bench for this tie.


LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white chest panel, black shorts, white socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Andy WHITE, 35. Harrison HOLGATE, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 24. Joel SENIOR, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 29. Alistair SMITH, 15. Matty KOSYLO, 23. Tom PEERS, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 11. Yusifu CEESAY. Subs: 3. Connor HAMPSON, 16. Lewis SALMON, 20. Shaun DENSMORE, 21. Matthew GOULD, 14. Will HALL, 33. George HOWARTH, 30. Simon RICHMAN.

CHESTER FC (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Louis Gray, 2. Kevin Roberts, 3. Jamie Morgan, 4. Declan Weeks, 5. Danny Livesey, 6. Simon Grand, 7. John Johnston, 8. George Glendon (c), 9. Danny Elliott, 10. Anthony Dudley, 11. Brad Jackson. Subs: 12. Luke Clark, 14. George Waring, 15. Will Goodwin, 16. Paddy Lacey, 17. Josh Askew, 18. Brad Bauress, 10. Lloyd Marsh-Hughes.


BACKGROUND:

Once again a soggy week at Altrincham had rendered the Moss Lane pitch potentially unplayabale so, on the eve of this tie, the home draw for Altrincham became a match played at Chester. Although spectators were allowed to attend games in the Chester area, the short timescale for the match arrangements meant that the tie went ahead behind closed doors.

The sides had last met over the summer when Altrincham had beaten Chester in the National League North play-off eliminator tie at the J. Davidson Stadium.


REPORT:

Chester kicked off on a breezy but, initially, dry afternoon at the Deva Stadium and Johnston soon got to the left-wing byline but an Alty goalkick was the outcome.

But there was greater danger at the other end as Ceesay, likewise, reached the left byline and slid the ball into the goalmouth where Peers, under pressure, could only find the side-netting (3 mins).

A crude challenge by Morgan on Moult should have prompted a yellow card but merely elicited a lecture (8 mins) as Altrincham began to get a foothold in the proceedings. Indeed the visitors now won two corners. The first, by Kosylo, came out to Smith who had a shot blocked by keeper Gray's legs. The Chester keeper then batted away the second flag-kick (15 mins).

Chester responded as Jackson got forward to earn his side a corner, which came to nothing (17 mins).

Play was halted for treatment to Thompson after he had fallen awkwardly collecting an aerial ball. Though Gould readied himself to come on, Thompson recovered and resumed between the sticks (23 mins).

As Chester enjoyed a decent spell, Alty's debutant loanee Holgate was booked for a foul which was certainly no worse than the one by Morgan earlier, which escaped such punishment (25 mins).

Play continued without any clear chances before Smith fed Ceesay whose low cross was smothered by Gray (32 mins). Soon afterwards, a freekick from Kosylo yielded a corner which was unproductive (34 mins).

Rain now started to fall and soon intensfied as Altrincham continued to have slightly the better of things. Not longer after a Kosylo shot had let to a corner which came to nothing, Peers was twice in quick succession halted as he attempted to drive into the box (45 mins).

Chester's Morgan fired in a shot which went narrowly wide from the edge of the box but, after three added minutes had been decreed, Senior got forward and drove home a superb strike from just outside the front corner of the box, right of goal (45+3 mins).


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
CHESTER 0

After a half-time talk from Bernard Morley, who was without his co-manager "Jonno" today through illness, the hosts started the second half impressively. Just four minutes into the half Dudley collected the ball just outside the box , turned smartly and drove a low shot past Thompson's left hand to level the scores (49 mins).

Chester continued in the ascendancy and won a corner, needlessly conceded by a mix up between Moult and Thompson (53 mins). But on the counter-attack after the corner, Kosylo surged up the middle and as he was challenged about 25 yards out, the ball broke forward for Peers to dink it cleverly past the advancing goalkeeper and restore Alty's lead (55 mins).

Moments later it almost became 3-1 as Senior put in a dangerous low ball acorss the goalmouth (57 mins). A decisive moment came when Thompson blocked a point-blank header from a Chester corner on the hour mark.

Alty brought on Richman for Smith in the 64th minute before a multi-pass move ended with a wild shot from Senior (67 mins). Next, Goodwin replaced Elliott for Chester (69 mins).

Five minutes later, debutant Askew came on, on the left wing, for Morgan (74 mins). Another three minutes later came the hosts' third change with Waring replacing Johnston.

Chester won three corners in five minutes as they pressed for an equaliser but Altrincham defended solidly (86 mins). Shaun Densmore replaced Hancock in the 89th minute before four added minutes were played out with no change to the scoreline. So, Altrincham secured a sixth win in seven matches to advance to the next round of the FA Trophy.


Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
CHESTER FC 1