ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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SOLIHULL MOORS (1) 4
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League match
played on Monday, 3 May, 2021 at 3pm
behind closed doors

SUMMARY:

Despite hitting the woodwork twice in the first half, Alty trailed 1-0 at the interval as they fielded a side showing nine changes from their last outing, 48 hours earlier.

Alty might have scored an early goal as a Hancock shot had a shot well saved by Boot (6 mins). Next, Ceesay went even closer three minutes later as his shot beat Boot at the near post only for him to see the ball come back off the upright.

But Solihull enjoyed more of the ball and in the 16th minute there was an almighty scramble in the Alty box before the ball was cleared.

However, Williams was the second Alty player to hit the woodwork when his 25-yard effort came back off the cross bar (25 mins).

Alty fell behind in the 39th minute when an indifferent corner from the right was headed on at the near post and Thompson had an easy task to slot the ball home near the back post.

The second half, played in worsening wind and rain, was something of a disaster for Altrincham who were on the back foot for most of it.

It started to go wrong when Shaun Densmore, with no opponent near him, looped a bizarre header from the corner of the six-yard box into the far corner of his own net (57 mins).

It became 3-0 when Sbarra got clear to lay on a goal for Hudlin who poked the ball through Gould's legs as he raced out of his box (66 mins).

Two minutes from time Aston Villa loanee Archer added a fourth. Making nine changes always had the potential to back-fire and so it did.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Lewis Smith

ATTENDANCE: Behind closed doors.
TEAM NEWS:

As he had promised to do over the weekend, Phil Parkinson made multiple changes for today's game. Joel Senior and Toby Mullarkey were the only survivors from the starting eleven from the previous Saturday. As a consequence, today's line up comprised one of the highest numerical aggregates of Alty shirt numbers ever, 228!

It had taken till game 38 of the league season for former Spennymoor keeper Matt Gould to make his National League debut after joining Altrincham last summer.

Shaun Densmore returned after missing 12 games with a broken arm whilst substitute Fisayo Adarabioyo had missed the last 27 league fixtures after an injury.

The nine changes also forced positional alterations as Senior started on the left with midfielder Richman coming in at right-back. Piggott got the nod up front with Peers on the right and Ceesay deployed on the left.

After no appearances in the last eight matches, Zouma partnered Mullarkey at centre-back.

LINE-UP:

SOLIHULL MOORS (Yellow shirts and socks, blue shorts): 1. Ryan Boot, 3. Jordan Cranston, 4. Kyle Storer (c), 7. Joe Sbarra, 15. Callum Maycock, 17.Jordan Piggott, 18. James Ball, 21. Ben Usher-Shipway, 26. Justin Donawa, 27. Kyle Hudlin 31. Jordan Thompson. Subs: 24. Mitch Hancox, 8. Stephen Gleeson, 9. Adam Rooney, 25. Cameron Archer, 30. Alex Addai,

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white panel, black shorts, white socks): 21. Matthew GOULD, 8. Sean WILLIAMS, 9. Joe PIGGOTT, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 11. Yusifu CEESAY, 23. Tom PEERS, 24. Joel SENIOR, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 30. Simon RICHMAN, 32. James HARDY, 35. Yoan ZOUMA Subs: 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 12. Curtis MILLER, 20. Shaun DENSMORE, 26. Fisayo ADARABIOYO, 36. Connor KIRBY

BACKGROUND:

Neither team was in good form. In Alty's case they had not won in five but came into this match after a creditable draw with play-off aspitrants Notts County 48 hours earlier.

Whilst Solihull had lost three out of their last four games they had won four of their previous five home fixtures.

REPORT:

In wet and windy conditions which were to worsen throughout the game, Alty kicked off and started well. After two freekickc in their own half, Hancock burst into the left of the Moors' box but his low shot was held, low down, at full length by Boot (6 mins).

Ceesay then had to be stopped in the penalty area but the hosts responded as Ball advanced on the left and his cut back eluded Gould, with Mullarkey having to make an important clearance (8 mins).

Then after Donawa had lost the ball, Piggott and Hardy got the ball to Ceesay who, insoide the box, beat Boot at his near post only for the ball to rebound out to safety for the hosts (9 mins).

After their close escape a Solihull cross from Cranston on the left was poorly headed wide by Donawa. Soon aftewards Alty survived an almighty goalmouth scramble as Usher-shipway's ball from the left hit the back of Gould before a poke at goal hit a prostrate Mullarkey on the upper arm before being hacked away. A follow up from Sbarra cleared the bar comfortably (16 mins).

Despite the adverse conditions, the opening spell was proving to be entertaining. The next five minutes were less so but saw Solihull in the ascendant, albeit without creating a clear chance, before a Donawa effort yielded a corner (23 mins).

But it was Altrincham who now struck the woodwork for the second time in the game. This time it was a Williams shot from 25 yards, from Hardy's pass, which cannoned back off the centre of the Moors' crossbar (25 mins).

Richman was then both penalised and harshly booked for a challenge on Sbarra when he appeared to have got the ball first (27 mins).

Next a Ball shot from twenty yards was not held at the first attempt by Gould who, making his first start after such a long spell being unused, was not surprisingly a little jittery throughout the afternoon.

Alty'sfourth presentable chance of the afternoon came Hardy's way but his turn was followed by too hasty a shot from 15 yards when he had time for a more composed finish from left of goal (29 mins).

The Moors gained an undeserved corner when a fou, not given, forced Richman into a misjudged back pass (30 mins). A second corner followed to no effect.

The hosts continued to have more of the possession and some five minutes later won another corner (38 ins). This was taken poorly but was nodded on from the near post and found Thompson unmarked towards the back of the goalouth. He had a simpe task to steer the ball home for a 1-0 lead (39 mins).

As half time approached a Hancock effort was deflected narrowly wide but nothing came of this nor of a further corner in the two added minutes before half-time.

So Alty trailed at the break despite having created the better chances.

Half-Time: SOLIHULL MOORS 1
ALTRINCHAM 0

For the second half Densmore replaced the booked Richman at right-back and Archer came on for Solihull's Usher-Shipway.

As in the first half Alty started quite well, with Ceesay earning an early corner off Boot (47 mins).

The rain and wind were getting worse but, if anything, were now behind Altrincham. An uneventful spell followed before a most bizarre own goal put Alty two down.

Following a home freekick 35 yards out on the right, Densmore, beyond the back post just outside the angle of the six-yard box on the Alty right, went for an uncontested header but, facing his own goal he succeeeded only in looping a header into the far corner of Gould's net. For a striker it would have been an impressive finish (57 mins).

Immediately Adarabioyo came on for Piggott who had spent another frustrating hour without a clear sight of goal (59 mins)

Williams, one of the few Alty players to impress in this game, now saw his shot from just outside the box, well saved by Boot (61 mins). The second goal had otherwise knocked the stuffing out of Alty and the home side now dominated possession and territory.

Alty responded by making a change in midfield as Hardy gave way to Kirby (64 mins) before Sbarra made a hash of a good chance, the ball running to Gould.

But moments later, Sbarra played in the 6ft 7inch Hudlin. Gould raced out of his box only for Hudlin to slip the ball through his legs to make it 3-0 midway through the half (66 mins).

On 71 minutes Hancox replaced Sbarra before a rare Alty incursion saw Senior surge forward and interchange passes with Hancock and then Peers before the ball ran to Boot (74 mins).

Next, Densmore was fortunate only to see a yellow card for a lunge which injured Cranston, who had to be subbed by Rooney (82 mins)

Immediately Rooney had a good chance but Gould saved from point-blank range (83 mins).

Solihull continued comfortably in control and wrapped up the afternoon with a fourth goal in the 88th minute when Archer, an Aston Villa loanee, was played into the box and scored past the exposed Gould (88 mins).

so, Alty's gamble on making nine changes for the management to assess the fringe players came back to haunt them and extended their run without a win to six games, including five defeats.

It was a salutary day for all four promoted clubs as they all lost today with a combined goal aggregate of 1-15!

Full Time: SOLIHULL MOORS 4
ALTRINCHAM 0

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