ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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FC HALIFAX TOWN (2) 3
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Vanarama National League match
played on Monday, 28 December, 2020 at 3pm
behind closed doors

SUMMARY:

Alty went into this game in seventh place, three points and five places above the Shaymen from the same number of games. Both clubs had played more fixtures than most of their rivals so, on a PPG basis, Altrincham would be eleventh and Halifax fifteenth.

On Boxing Day, just forty-eight hours before this game, the Yorkshiremen had lost 3-1 at Hartlepool whilst Altrincham had drawn 1-1 at home to Stockport County. In form terms Altrincham had lost once in their previous seven league games, gathering 16 points in the process. Halifax had won four and lost three of their previous seven league matches.

Today's referee was Rebecca Welch (North Riding) and the first goal arrived after she had awarded Halifax a penalty for alleged handball. Summerfield hammered the spot kick into the upper reaches of the net to give his side the lead (18 mins).

On the half-hour, Alty were carved open on the Halifax right and the ball was played inside to Chadwick who scored with a firm low shot from 15 yards or so. But Alty pulled a goal back a minute later as Kosylo got to the right byline and laid the ball into the goalmouth for Hancock to convert easily from close range.

Kosylo later picked up his fifth yellow card of the league season.

Half-time was reached with the hosts still 2-1 up.

Just twenty seconds after the restart Alty conceded a third goal. Green collected a long ball on the left and fed Woods who curled the ball past Thompson.

However, substitute Dan Mooney made it 3-2, finishing smartly from a Hampson cross in the 70th minute. Despite plenty of possession Altrincham could not get an equalizer.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Ms Rebecca Welch
ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

Jake Moult returned from suspension and Ryan Colcough had sufficiently recovered from injury to be named on the bench. But Andy White, Jamie McDonald, Andy Dales, Fisayo Adarabioyo, Byron Harrison, Sean Williams and Toby Mullarkey were all still missing, after suffering injuries of varying duration.

Will Hall and Rowan Roache dropped out from the Boxing Day squad.

Jeff King returned after suspension for the hosts but fellow ex-Alty man Nyal Bell was suspended today.

LINE-UP:

FC HALIFAX TOWN (Blue) 1. Sam Johnson, 2. Jeff King, 5. Neil Byrne, 6 Tom Bradbury, 8 Kieran Green, 10 Jack Earing, 11 Danny Williams, 19 Luke Summerfield, 26 Martin Woods, 31 Niall Maher, 36 Billy Chadwick. Subs: 12 Harrison Davison-Hale, 20 Dominic Tear, 32 Neil Danns, 3 Jack Senior, 15 Gevaro Nepomuceno.

ALTRINCHAM (All yellow, blue and white sash on shirts): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 3. Connor HAMPSON, 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: 7. Dan MOONEY, 9. Jacob BLYTH, 34. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 20. Shaun DENSMORE, 30. Simon RICHMAN

BACKGROUND:

The clubs had last met in August 2016 for a 2-2 draw when both were in the National League North. Earlier that year Alty had lost 1-0 in the National League against a ten-man Halifax, with both clubs being relegated at the end of that 2015-16 season.

Alty went into this game in seventh place, three points and five places above the Shaymen for the same number of games. Both clubs had played more fixtures than most of their rivals. Indeed on a PPG basis, Altrincham would have been eleventh and Halifax fifteenth.

On Boxing Day, just forty-eight hours before this game, the Yorkshiremen had lost 3-1 at Hartlepool whilst Altrincham had drawn 1-1 at home to Stockport County. In form terms Altrincham had lost once in their previous seven games, gathering 16 points in the process. Halifax had won four and lost three of their previous seven league matches.

Snow in Altrincham on Saturday morning had not reached Halifax but the pitch at The Shay was necessarily soft and was worked on by a team of ground staff prior to kick off.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off towards the normally well-populated home end and the first shot of the game was landed by Alistair Smith from a pass from ex-Shayman, Matty Kosylo (2 mins). At the other end Green fed Chadwick whose shot was collected by Thompson.

The game's first corner was gained by the hosts when Williams's cross from the left went out off Kosylo (6 mins).

After some neat passing from Alty, which had no meaningful outcome, Halifax should have taken a 14th minute lead. The chance came when a long ball set Chadwick free. Thompson blocked his shot but it ran out to Earing who, unmarked and just outside the box, spooned his effort comfortably over the bar.

Two more Halifax corners followed. Then a foul on Williams by Kosylo on the Halifax left meant a home freekick. The resulting cross was hit well beyond the back post from where it was played low back into the Alty goalmouth. The referee deemed that an Alty player had handled the ball though it was difficult to see this in real time.

Ms Welch pointed to the spot from where Summerfield hit the ball high into Thompson's net to give the hosts a not very satisfactory lead from the visitors' point of view (18 mins).

For Alty, Tom Peers was working hard without reward as, at the other end, Halifax took their corner count to four. Kosylo won Alty the first of two corners of their own but these came to nothing (24 mins)

Following a blocked Peers shot, Town gained their fifth corner. And soon afterwards Green was given the freedom to advance unhindered up the right wing and play the ball, inside, to Chadwick who drove a fine, low shot past Thompson from about 15 yards to make it 2-0 (30 mins).

Before Alty could become despondent, they pulled a goal back, thanks to Kosylo's advance up the right to the byline. From there he played the ball insde to give Hancock a straightforward chance from close range, which he duly took with a low shot past the keeper (31 mins).

Alty were playing some good football but a foul by Kosylo led to a reaction from his opponent and team-mates which ensured that the ex-Shayman was booked on his return to Yorkshire (41 mins).

Smith was again impressing in the Alty midfield but, after another home corner had come to nothing, Hampson lost the ball and committed a blatant foul to halt Jeff King and he was duly booked (45+1 mins).

Half-Time: FC HALIFAX TOWN 2
ALTRINCHAM 1

Alty brought on Mooney for Kosylo at the interval, which was something of a surprise, and within twenty seconds of the resumption Altrincham had conceded a third goal. A long ball was well collected on the left wing by Green who advanced before feeding Woods. He curled a fine shot past Thompson's left hand to make it 3-1 (46 mins).

Almost immediately the Alty defence was all over the shop once more but this time they escaped with just a corner against them (48 mins).

Hancock now got in a shot at goal, which was comfortably saved, before Mooney made a hash of a freekick (56 mins).

On the hour Blyth came on up front to replace Peers for the visitors and two minutes later Jake Moult, just back after suspension, picked up his sixth yellow card of the season.

Alty were dominating possession yet not producing anything resembling a scoring chance at this stage. Mooney now took a freekick from 35 yards and optimistically shot at goal but his effort was easily held by Johnson (66 mins).

Former top-flight player Danns soon replaced Green for the hosts (67 mins). Shortly aftewards, Woods shot narrowly wide from 20 yards.

But then Altrincham got themselves back into the game. A deep cross from the left from Hampson was fielded near the back post by Mooney who, with a team-mate, had been left unmarked in the goalmouth. Mooney cleverly slotted the ball across the keeper from right to left to make the score 3-2 (70 mins).

Next, Colclough, returning from injury, replaced Ceesay (73 mins). But when Alty needed to press home their attacks, Halifax took the sting out of the game. Indeed, when King set up Earing, the Halifax man should have done better than lift the ball well over the bar (78 mins).

Altrincham enjoyed plenty of possession now but Colclough put a good chance narrowly wide (83 mins) before a Mooney snap-shot was saved by Johnson.

When an Alty ball struck a Halifax player the visitors appealed for handball but, unlike the hosts' first-half appeal, this one fell on deaf ears. Altrincham then forced a spell of ping-pong within the home goalmouth (89 mins) but they could not get the leveller.

In five added minutes Blyth headed a cross wide (90+2 mins) but that was as near as they got to retrieving a point. Chadwick was booked in the dying moments as Halifax hung on for a narrow win.

Full Time: FC HALIFAX TOWN 3
ALTRINCHAM 2

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