ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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YEOVIL TOWN (0) 2
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 13 February, 2021 at 3pm
behind closed doors

SUMMARY:

Altrincham could have no complaints after a poor performance in Somerset.

In a first half virtually devoid of goal threats, Yeovil looked to have taken a 44th minute lead when a cross from the right by Knowles was headed into the netby Quigley. But the referee ruled the goal out, presumably for climbing by the goalscorer, though the offence was far from clear.

So half-time was reached with a goalless scoresheet.

If the first half had been reasonably even, the second half was decidely more one-sided in favour of the hosts. Yeovil deservedly took the lead after 66 minutes. Hancock lost possession near half way and, from the right, Skendi got forward before the ball was played left and substitute Murphy netted from the front corner of the box.

Fellow substitute Chris Dagnall wrapped up the game in the 81st minute with a back-post header after more good work from Skendi. Alty created little in the way of goal threat and gave an error-strewn performance which belied their recent form.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Paul Marsden
ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

Jake Moult returned from suspension and resumed the captaincy but were without the injured Dan Mooney. His counterpart, Lee Collins, was still suspended as was Worthington. Yeovil were also without the injured Lee

Tom Peers replaced Byron Harrison as the lone striker in the starting line-up whilst Ritchie Sutton, injured last time out, was named on the bench today with Toby Mullarkey reverting to a centre-back role.

LINE-UP:

YEOVIL TOWN (Green and white): 1. Adam Smith, 3. Carl Dickinson (c), 10. Jimmy Smith, 18. Albi Skendi, 19. Joe Quigley, 21. Tom Knowles, 24. Josh Neufville, 26. Max Hunt, 27. Alex Bradley, 33. Reuben Reid, 35. Billy Sass-Davies. Subs: 14. Michael Kelly, 7. Matthew Worthington, 9. Rhys Murphy, 39. Chris Dagnall, 31. Max Evans.

ALTRINCHAM (All yellow): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 2. Andy WHITE, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 24. Joel SENIOR, 29. Alistair SMITH, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 15. Matty KOSYLO, 34. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 23. Tom PEERS. Subs: 9. Joe PIGGOTT, 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 11. Yusifu CEESAY, 28. Byron HARRISON, 30. Simon RICHMAN.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham were visiting their Somerset rivals for the first time in more than twenty years.

The historical record at kick off was::

Both sides had started the season poorly but Altrincham had recovered the better and had 13 more points from three more fixtures than The Glovers had completed and The Robins were thirteen places higher in the table.

REPORT:

On a cold and breezy afternoon at Huish Park, Yeovil kicked off looking for a fourth successive home win, though they had lost their two most recent league fixtures, which had been away from home. For their part, Alty were looking to bounce back after a home defeat by Wrexham in midweek.

The Glovers conceded two early freekicks but were seeing more of the ball than the visitors in the opening stages though doing little with it of note.

The first hint of anything better came with White's foul on Bradley, which gave Dickinson a freekick but this went to Thompson without alarm for the visitors (5 mins).

The game's first corner went Yeovil's way (12 mins) but there was precious little to excite the customers on the streaming service. From a punch under pressure by Thompson, a second Yeovil corner immediately followed.

For Alty, Colclough put a freekick over the bar (14 mins) before the same Alty man won his side's first corner, won off former Alty loanee, Billy Sass-Davies (18 mins).

Play meandered on with neither side creating anything remotely like a goalscoring chance. A Bradley shot slightly relieved the tedium by earning a corner off a deflection (28 mins).

Neufville then got himself booked for a foul before Hancock got in a shot which Smith saved comfortably. This effort, nevertheless, constituted the attacking high point of the game so far for Altrincham (31 mins).

Play was then interrupted by three injury stoppages, all of which involved Alty players. First Kosylo and Jimmy Smith collided and both needed attention. Next a poor tackle by the robust Dickinson felled Peers, who needed attention from the physio. The Yeovil captain was booked for his challenge.

And, moments later, a clash of heads between Bradley and the unfortunate Peers necessitated further intervention from the physio (36 mins).

As play continued uneventfully towards the interval, Yeovil finally put together a move worthy of the name. Knowles on the right put in a cross, for which Quigley rose and headed the ball into the net. To the surprise of many the goal was disallowed, presumably for climbing on the back of a defender thought this was not really clear (44 mins).

Three added minutes produced nothing of note beforre the interval but the half had ended with the hosts on top.

Half-Time: YEOVIL TOWN 0
ALTRINCHAM 0

Alty kicked off the second half. Five minutes in, Thompson kicked the ball out to an opponent, Knowles, but his shot at goal was wild (50 mins).

Neither side seemed capable of anything remotely fluent in their play and Altrincham's customary efficiency in finding their teammates seemed to have deserted them with mis-passes abounding.

Bradley became the third home player to be booked (57 mins) before each team made a change as Murphy replaced Quigley for Yeovil and Kosylo gave way to Ceesay (59 mins).

Ceesay's first act of note was to get himself booked for a foul (63 mins) just before Piggott replaced Peers up front (64 mins).

And, barely a minute later, the deadlock was broken as Hancock lost the ball to Skendi on the Yeovil right. Skendi advanced and the ball found its way, left, to Murphy at the front corner of the box, left of goal from where he scored to put Yeovil ahead (66 mins).

Although Alty showed some degree of response, winning a corner soon afterwards, they did not threaten the home defemce in which ex-Alty loanee Sass-Davies was having a fine home debut.

On 74 minutes the veteran striker Dagnall replaced Reid. Senior now won a freekick but Hancock's effort from 22 yards hit the wall and his follow-up went wide (76 mins).

With the hosts now on top, White was booked as he clipped the heels of Knowles (80 mins). Following the freekick for this offence the ball was half-cleared and Skendi advanced on the right. Bradley's aerial cross then evaded an Alty head and fell for Dagnall to head home, unchallenged, at the back post to double the Yeovil lead (81 mins).

Soon aftewards, a pass from Senior did allow Piggott to get in a shot which was only the second of the match that keeper Adam Smith had to deal with from Altrincham (83 mins). Alty's flatering performance continued as Thompson again kicked the ball upfield only to find it going to an opponent, Knowles. A corner resulted, from which a Sass-Davies header had to be cleared off the line by White (85 mins).

Former Stockport man Warburton, on loan from Northampton Town, belatedly came on for Yeovil's Jimmy Smith (87 mins) before Alty won a late but unproductive corner (90 mins). Five added minutes were negotiated by Yeovil without alarm as they secured their fourth successive home win and condemned Alty to a second defeat in a week.

With many games postponed today due to frozen pitches, Alty remained sixth in the table despite their defeat. Having played more games than any other team, their true position on PPG is twelfth.

Full Time: YEOVIL TOWN 0
ALTRINCHAM 2

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