ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALDERSHOT TOWN (1) 2
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1

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

SUMMARY:

Altrincham were undone by an 88th minute winner from Aldershot, against the run of play, after having had the better of the second half.

In contrast, the Shots had shaded the first half but Alty will be disappointed to have fallen behind in the 43rd minute when Nouble's cross shot from the left evaded Thompson and went in just inside the far post. Alty were unable to land a shot on target in the first half, though a 25 yarder from Senior curled just inches wide.

Alty got level immediately after half time when Hancock converted a penalty, following a foul on Moult (48 mins) and should have taken the lead but were wasteful in front of goal. They paid the price in the 88th minute when substitute Kandi got the better of Ogle and drove the ball home from the edge of the box.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Jacob Miles
ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

Alty were without five injured attacking players in Gibson, Kosylo, Mooney, Piggott and the longer-term absentee Adarabioyo. So Tom Peers started up front today whilst Josh Hancock returned from injury to start.

Defenders Andy White (ankle) and Shaun Densmore (fractured wrist) also remained sidelined by injuries but Tom Hannigan returned from suspension but was only named on the bench today.

Amongst five changes, Aldershot gave keeper Hall his league debut.

LINE-UP:

ALDERSHOT TOWN (Red shorts and socks, blue shorts): 13. Ryan Hall, 6. Kodi Lyons-Foster, 15. Jermaine Anderson, 8. Josh Rees, 9. Mo Bettamer, 12. Alfie Whittingham, 20. Toby Edser, 22. Giles Phillips, 23. Killian Colombie, 30. Ricky Miller, 14. Joel Nouble. Subs: 4. Jamie Sendles-White, 10. Chike Kandi, 11. Harrison Panayiotou, 18, Reece Wylie, 35. Shadrach Ogie.

ALTRINCHAM (All grey with white and red sash on shirts): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 24. Joel SENIOR, 35. Yoan ZOUMA, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 19. Reagan OGLE, 29. Alistair SMITH, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 11. Yusifu CEESAY, 34. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 10.Josh HANCOCK, 23. Tom PEERS. Subs: 3. Connor HAMPSON, 32. James HARDY, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 28. Byron HARRISON

BACKGROUND:

After five successive defeats Altrincham had stablized their results with a win and a draw in their previous two matches. But, in Aldershot Town, they were meeting a team in form with three wins and a draw from their last five league fixtures though they were playing their first game for ten days after a Covid-induced spell of inactuon.

Although Aldershot were three places below Altrincham in the league table at kick-off, the fact that the Shots had played four fewer games meant that the hosts were actually ahead of the visitors on PPG.

REPORT:

Following Aldershot's kick-off, the first excitement of the afternoon saw Thompson rush to the byline to clear, from where he was fortunate that the Shots did not take their throw-in quickly enough to catch him out of position (4 mins).

Nouble was soon impressing as Aldershot concentrated their probing up the middle and on their left flank. And it was Nouble who soon got past Moult, but Miller's effort deflected to Bettamer, whose shot was wildly off target (6 mins).

For their part Alty were trying to get behind the hosts through their wide men, Ceesay and Colclough. However, the visitors were having difficulty in keeping the ball as Aldershot closed them down assiduously.

The game's first corner went to the hosts from a Nouble cross which Thompson had pushed over the bar (17 mins).

It now took a fine tackle inside the box by Zouma to see off Miller (24 mins) before Ceesay wasted a potential opening with a woeful cross from the right.

Aldershot were having more of the forward momentum and they won the game's next corner (28 mins). But neither keeper had been troubled before a fine 25-yard shot by Senior curled inches wide of debutant Hall's right upright (31 mins).

Next, veteran striker Miller fired well over the bar for the Shots before Ceesay went up front, swapping roles with Peers, shortly before the tall Spaniard was booked for a foul on Nouble, the Alty man having just lost possession (37 mins).

As half-time approached the game had become fairly even, only for Alty to fall behind out of nothing. Nouble had again got forward on the left and was allowed to move inside, past Moult, before hitting a shot which did not seem particularly threatening but it went across Thompson and into the net at the back post to make it 1-0 (43 mins).

Moult was not best pleased with Senior as the right-back had been caught out of position but Thompson could also not have been completely happy with his own response to the shot.

Half-Time: ALDERSHOT TOWN 1
ALTRINCHAM 0

No doubt fired up by some managerial advice at the interval, Altrincham began the second half with a good tempo. Within twenty seconds, they had won a corner on the left from which a Mullarkey header came back off the crossbar, leading to a second corner, this time on the right.

From this, the ball was worked back into the box from the right where Colombie's fractionally late challenge on Moult conceded a penalty. Hancock drove the spot-kick down the middle to level the score (48 mins).

After Aldershot had responded with a corner, Coclough fed Ceesay, whose shot was beaten away by Hall (53 mins). Alty were now on top as Colclough fired wide and then Senior got into a promising position but delivered a poor cross.

Colclough then fired narrowly wide (57 mins).

A foul on Peers brought Anderson a booking (65 mins) before Colclough's freekick induced Hall to concede an unnecessary corner. The debutant home keeper soon had another shaky minute as he missed a punch from a Senior aerial ball (66 mins).

A good Alty move then ended with Peers down in the box but strong penalty appeals were rejected. It is often difficult to get a second penalty award in a match and this seemed a case in point (68 mins).

Colclough was looking to be Alty's main threat and, next, his ball from the left saw Peers and a defender arrive at the back post but the Alty man could not find the net (69 mins). Alty looked the more likely winners at this stage and the home side's worries continued as Edser was booked for a foul on Moult (69 mins).

In the 71st minute Kandi replaced Miller up front for the Shots. Coincidentally, or otherwise, the home side's game now improved and they won a corner. Next, Panayiotou replaced Bettamer (77 mins).

But Alty continued to create half-chances, which they failed to take, as a Smith ball went right across the Aldershot goalmouth before Colclough made a hash of a presentable opening with a wild shot (78 mins).

Hardy now replaced Hancock (79 mins) with rain starting to fall heavily. After Mullarkey had been penalised, Edser put a freekick just over the bar (82 mins). Alty then wasted yet another opening as Ceesay headed very badly wide from a good Colclough cross.

Moments later that miss seemed even more costly as the hosts retook the lead. Colombie played the ball in from the left to Kandi who got past Ogle to direct a low shot, back across Thompson, to make it 2-1.The goal had arrived against the general run of play of the second half (88 mins).

Nevertheless, there was still time for an Alty freekick from a central position just outside the box. Colclough hit this firmly past the wall but Hall made a good save to push the ball away, to his left for a corner (90 mins).

Three added minutes were negotiated by Aldershot with Sendles-White replacing Nouble in this spell (90+2 mins). The final whistle confirmed that Alty would leave Hampshire with no points as their record extended to one win in the last eight fixtures and they dropped to thirteenth, (sixteenth on PPG).

Another long trip beckons on Tuesday when Altrincham visit Woking. (58 mins).

Full Time: ALDERSHOT TOWN 2
ALTRINCHAM 1

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