ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (1) 5

Pre-season friendly match
played on Saturday, 31 July, 2021 at 2.30pm

SUMMARY:

This fourth match of pre-season had been arranged by Alty director Cathal Morrison who has connections with the Essex hosts. Due to a delay in Altrincham getting to the ground from Cheshire, the kick off had to be moved back half an hour to 2.30pm.

And there was a further pre-match problem for the visitors as Ritchie Sutton dropped out of the starting eleven, with an injury experienced during the warm-up, and Dan Mooney had to be drafted hastily into the team.

Nevertheless, Altrincham dominated the early stages and it was Dan Mooney himself who fired Alty ahead in the seventh minute after Dinanga had failed to convert two earlier chances, both laid on by Brad Jackson crosses.

Jackson, who had got forward well from right-back several times, was replaced by Joel Senior in that position, ten minutes before the interval.

However, Brightlingsea had a couple of threatening spells during the first half and forced a good save from Thompson before striking the bar but Altrincham retained a 1-0 lead at the interval.

Alty made three changes at the interval as Peers, Williams and Kirby replaced Dinanga, Mullarkey and Pringle.

With Brightlingsea making a good game of it, Colclough calmed Alty nerves inthe second half with a fine goal struck from left of goal to make it 2-0 (58 mins).

The hosts seemed to run out of energy towards the end as Alty struck three further goals. Eleven minutes from time Jake Moult played in Tom Peers who took his goal well to make it 3-0. And a superb long-range strike from Sean Williams made it 4-0 after 86 minutes.

A minute later Dinanga tapped in a fifth after good work by Peers to complete a good afternoon for Altrincham whose squad remained in Essex for an evening bonding session.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: TBA
ATTENDANCE: TBA
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham fielded a strong side but Kennedy Digie and Josh Hancock were both unfit to play, as was goalkeeper Matt Gould who is recovering from the hip injury that he incurred in the opening game of pre-season. The original teamsheet had Mullarkey at right-back and Sutton at centre-back but, by kick-off, this had changed with Sutton dropping out, after apparently feeling a twinge in the warm-up, which required Mullarkey to move to centre-back and Mooney to come into the starting eleven.

Winger Brad Jackson was therefore moved to an unaccustomed right-back role. Curtis Miller was the only addition to the squad, having been out injured since the end of last season.

LINE-UP:

BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT (Black and red striped shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Chris Turner, 2. Zak Smith-Walter, 3. Billy Wales, 4. Charlie Durling, 5. Chris Ribchester, 6. Jake Thompson, 7. Max Booth, 8. Harry McDonald, 9. Jake Clowsley, 10. Dean Ager, 11. Lewis Byrne-Hewitt. Subs: Kane Gilbert, Rsfe Chapman, Jordan Barnett, Jamie Crisell, Cadell Fraser-Robinson, 19. Sean Bartlett

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 7. Brad JACKSON, 3. David FITZPATRICK, 4. Toby MULLARKEY, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 15. Daniel MOONEY, 8. Ben PRINGLE, 9. Marcus DINANGA, 10. Matty KOSYLO, 11. Ryan COLCLOUGH. Subs: 24. Joel SENIOR,16. Sean WILLIAMS, 14. Connor KIRBY, 23. Tom PEERS, 12. Curtis MILLER

BACKGROUND:

This match had been arranged by Alty director Cathal Morrison, who has a connections with the Essex club.

REPORT:

Altrincham started brightly and might have been two up inside three minutes had Marcus Dinanga been more clinical in front of goal. Two fine crosses by attacking right-back Jackson presented the striker with good chances, both of which he spurned.

However, as Altrincham continued to dominate the opening stages, Daniel Mooney curled home a shot from left of goal to put the visitors ahead (7 mins). Next, Mooney fed Kosylo whose shot was blocked (10 mins).

With Colclough continuing to impress, the hosts were kept largely on the back foot. It took a crude foul by Durling to halt Mooney but the offender escaped with a long lecture from the referee (18 mins).

Goalkeeper Turner then had to make a smart advance from his goal to thwart another Altrincham threat (18 mins). Almost immediately a ball from Colclough set Jackson advancing on goal, only for the new signing to be brought down by the keeper, who was booked (19 mins).

The one-way traffic continued with an Alty corner.

But then Brightlingsea came into the game with a vengeance. After forcing a fine save from Thompson, a follow-up by Clowsley hit the Altrincham crossbar (23 mins).

Then from a Regent freekick, Mullarkey did well to hook the ball over the bar at the cost of a corner. However, this came to nothing (27 mins).

Play then switched to the other end as a ball over the top set Dinanga free and this led to a Mooney chip which just cleared the bar (31 mins).

Now Jackson was replaced by Senior at right-back, a change presumably prompted by a knock for the departing player (34 mins).

Next, home keeper Turner had to rush from his goal to deal with an Alty through-ball. As half-time approached Brightlingsea won a corner as they enjoyed another decent spell. The half ended with Colcough down with a shoulder injury, off the pitch, but he was able to resume for the second half.

Half-Time: BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 0
ALTRINCHAM 1

Altrincham made three changes for the second half. Peers, Williams and Kirby came on for Dinanga, Mullarkey and Pringle, with Moult moving to centre-back to facilitate the changes.

After Moult had started a move which got the ball to Colclough via Kosylo, Smith-Walker had to make an important tackle (49 mins). Alty then wasted a freekick awarded after handball by Ribchester.

Coclough continued to impress as he fed Kosylo who tried to put Peers clear. Next a Kirby shot was saved comfortably by Turner (55 mins).

At the other end Byrne-Hewitt got in a good cross which Clowsley could only divert inches wide (56 mins). Any thoughts of a home team comeback were quashed as Coclough advanced on the left and hit an unstoppable shot into the top corner of the net to make it two-nil to the visitors (58 mins).

At this point Colclough was withdrawn and Curtis Miller came on for his first appearance of pre-season (59 mins). Five minutes later the hosts made three changes and Altrincham re-introduced Pringle and Mooney (64 mins).

Peers then dispossessed an opponent but was crowded out as he got forward (69 mins). A foul on Pringle gave Alty a freekick from which Kirby produced Alty's best dead-ball of the match but it drew a good save from Turner (73 mins).

Brightlingsea now made a triple change as Gilbert, Crisell and Bartlett came on. The game appeared to be drifting towards a conclusion before Alty's superior fitness had its effect with three more goals in the closing eleven minutes.

The first came after an impressive run by Senior earned a corner. Following this, a Moult step-over led to his ball for Peers who finished well (79 mins).

Dinanga then put a loose ball over the bar after Peers had forced a block by Turner (83 mins).

Next, out of the blue, a superb 35 yarder from Williams made it 4-0 (86mins). And a minute later Peers laid on a tap-in for Dinanga to complete the score at 5-0 to the visitors (87 mins).

The final score was a little harsh on Regent who, particualrly during the first half, had played well. For Altrincham it was ultimately a convincing win as they prepare for a double-header on Tuesday against a Stoke City XI and National League North Bradford (Park Avenue).

Full Time: BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 0
ALTRINCHAM 5

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