ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


Return to News Page


BROMLEY (3) 3
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 27 February, 2021 at 3pm
behind closed doors


SUMMARY:

Altrincham faced Bromley seeking to end a run of four successive defeats. But they fell behind in the fifth minute when Michael Cheek netted from Bingham's pass.

However, Altrincham then saw a lot of the ball and finally levelled after 36 minutes when Jake Moult converted a low Connor Hampson cross from the left. But less than two minutes later, a Bromley corner from the right was headed in at the back post by Kizzi as he climbed over Ceesay.

It got even worse a further two minutes on when the referee awarded Bromley a penalty from an apparent push in the box and Cheek drove his spot-kick down the middle to make it 3-1 (41 mins). So Alty trailed by two at the break, a margin which flattered the hosts at that stage.

Despite plenty of possession Altrincham never looked like retrieving the game in the second half with Cousins a virtual spectator. At the other end, Bromley threatened to add to their lead, which ultimately they fully merited, having forced several saves out of Thompson.

The match ended with Bromley's Bush sent off in added time for felling Alistair Smith as Alty waited to take a freekick (90+2 mins).

Alty dropped to eleventh in the table, sixteenth on PPG.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Sunny Gill
ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

For Altrincham, Hampson replaced the injured White at the back and Sutton returned in place of Mullarkey to play alongside Hannigan at centre-back. There was a debut for new signing Hardy as Peers dropped to the bench.

There was also a welcome return to the bench for Sean Williams after his long injury lay-off. However Altrincham were badly lacking in the forward area as Josh Hancock, Ryan Colclough and Dan Mooney remained unavailable through injury, whilst recent signing Joe Piggott was not in the squad today and the status of Fisayo Adarabioyo remains unclear, the striker not having featured in any of the last fourteen league games.

Bromley were unchanged from their midweek game.


LINE-UP:

BROMLEY (All white): 1. Mark Cousins, 4. Billy Bingham, 2. Joe Kizzi, 7. Luke Coulson, 8. Frankie Raymond, 9. Michael Cheek, 24. Jack Bridge, 16. Liam Trotter, 6. Jack Holland, 11. Courtney Duffus, 5. Chris Bush. Subs: 10. James Alabi, 14. Kory Roberts, 18. Ben Williamson, 20. Jude Arthurs, 23. Charlie Wakefield

ALTRINCHAM (All yellow with blue and white sash on shirts): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 24. Joel SENIOR, 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 3. Connor HAMPSON, 29. Alistair SMITH, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 15. Matty KOSYLO, 11. Yusifu CEESAY, 32. James HARDY, 28. Byron HARRISON. Subs: 23. Tom PEERS, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 20. Shaun DENSMORE, 30. Simon RICHMAN, 25. Toby MULLARKEY.


BACKGROUND:

Following a run of one defeat in ten fixtures, Altrincham had hit the buffers recently and had lost their previous four games going into this match.

They started the game two points and two places ahead of Bromley but had played three more fixtures.

ALty had won 3-1 on their only previous visit to Hayes Lane, five seasons ago.


REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off and enjoyed a decent start but conceded a goal inside five minutes from Bromley's first shot of the afternoon. Coulson, Bridge and Bingham worked the ball from the right to Cheek, who turned smartly and drove a shot across Thompson from the seven yards (5 mins).

But the visitors had a great chance to level the score in the tenth minute when Kosylo was played into the box, right of goal, but he blasted his shot miles over the bar. However, the Robins had the encouragement of plenty of possession, which included Moult shooting wide but culminated in an eighteenth-minute corner from a Smith shot.

Alty continued to have the better of things as Ceesay was felled on the front of the "D". But Ceesay's freekick was very poor, hit low into the wall without much venom (22 mins).

After Bromley's Duffus had headed a cross over the bar (28 mins) Ceesay again disappointed with a weak shot which went wide (30 mins).

For Bromley, Duffus got into the box and it needed a block from Thompson to keep his effort out and a corner soon followed (32 mins). Soon afterwards, a promising Alty move ended when Smith trod on the ball from Ceesay's feed but, at last, Altrincham got level with a good move on the left.

Kosylo fed Hampson, who was having a good game. From the left byline Hampson's low cross was turned smartly into the net by Moult from the centre of the goalmouth (36 mins).

It then all went wrong for Altrincham as they conceded twice in the next five minutes.

Firstly they failed to defend a right-wing corner although, as Kizzi headed home at the back post, he appeared to be climbing over Ceesay's back (38 mins).

Two minutes later a Bromley man went down in the box and Mr Gill pointed to the spot though it was unclear who had committed the push which justified the referee's decision. Cheek took the penalty, hitting it down the middle as Thompson went to his left. So, at 3-1, the score was harsh on an Altrincham side which, arguably, had been playing the better football.

However, the hosts showed much more idea that the visitors in front of goal and it took a fine tip over the bar by Thompson to keep out Coulson's impressive 25-yard lob (43 mins). Three added minutes did not alter the score before the interval.


Half-Time: BROMLEY 3
ALTRINCHAM 1

The second half started with Altrincham again enjoying plenty of possession but an early corner came to nothing (48 mins). However, they were not converting oossession into penetration before they suffered a blow when the hitherto excellent Hampson had to go off injured. He was replaced at left-back by Shaun Densmore (58 mins).

The visitors continued to see more of the ball but Bromley had no alarms in defence as the hour mark passed.

Indeed it was Bromley who went the closer to scoring as a freekick by Bush was tipped away by Thompson for a corner (62 mins).

In the 65th minute, Harrison was replaced by Peers; the big striker has yet to score or play more than 74 minutes in any of his eight appearances for the club.

It was Bromley who looked more likely to add a third goal than Alty to get back in the game as a Cheek shot on the counter-attack was not held by Thompson and went for a corner (73 mins). From the corner Cheek headed wide when he should have done better.

Duffus then went down in the box but no penalty was awarded before a spat involving Coulson and Kosylo saw both men booked, in the Alty man's case for the ninth time in a league match this season (75 mins).

Mullarkey now replaced Hardy in midfield (76 mins) before Bromley shot wide (78 mins). Alty's ineffectual shooting manifested itself again in the 82nd minute when a Senior cross elicited a weak shot from Ceesay which Kizzi cleared.

The Ravens made a double change as Williamson replaced Coulson, and Wakefield came on for Bridge (82 mins). Four minutes later Cheek was replaced by Alabi.

Following a Kizzi foul on Smith there was a melee, in the aftermath of which four bookings were made; Smith and Sutton for Alty and Duffus and Bingham for the hosts (89 mins).

Five added minutes were decreed but more than seven ensued, chiefly because, as Kosylo waited to take a freekick, Alistair Smith went to ground inside the box. Mr Gill consulted his assistant and the outcome was a straight red card for Bush (90+2 ins).

But the ten men had no trouble holding out for the final few minutes which confirmed Alty's fifth successive defeat as they dropped to eleventh in the table, sixteenth on PPG.

A promising mid-season is threatening to turn into a disappointing second half of the campaign as Altrincham continue to enjoy plenty of possession in games but are creating few scoring chances and converting even fewer.


Full Time: BROMLEY 3
ALTRINCHAM 1