ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

Return to News Page

TORQUAY UNITED (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM (2) 3

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 21 August, 2021 at 3pm

SUMMARY:

Against the overall run of early play Alty took a 14th minute lead. Joel Senior did well to gain possession and his cross from the right found Dinanga, who took a touch before slotting the ball home side-footed on his debut.

A bad error by veteran defender Dean Moxey then allowed Senior to get the ball and feed Connor Kirby who scored from 12 yards to make it 0-2 (20 mins).

But Alty were then disrupted when the impressive Senior had to move from the right to left-back as David Fitzpatrick suffered an injury and he had to be replaced by midfielder and fellow debutant Brad Jackson who came on at right back (31 mins). With four defenders already out injured, this was a serious blow to the visitors.

Torquay then enjoyed a protracted dominant spell before half-time but, apart from one routine save by Thompson, the Alty keeper was relatively untroubled. However, Jackson did pick up a 43rd minute booking, with Moxey also cautioned just before the interval which Alty reached still two goals to the good.

With Alty down to ten men as Mooney was off the pitch after suffering cramp, Torquay scored through what looked to be an own goal by Moult as he attempted to clear (74 mins).

However, following an Altrincham corner, the ball came out to Mullarkey who blasted it home from the edge of the box (84 mins) to make it 1-3.

Alty came through to the final whistle having secured an impressive and deserved victory at one of the title favourites.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Robert Massey-Ellis
ATTENDANCE: 2,599
TEAM NEWS:

Defenders Densmore, Digie, Hampson and White were all out injured, as Altrincham named just two debutants in their starting eleven at Plainmoor, left back David Fitzpatrick and striker Marcus Dinanga.

Matty Kosylo was missing, injured, whilst substitute Brad Jackson had not trained with a hamstring issue.

Torquay debutants were goalkeeper Mark Halstead, central defender Ali Omar, central midfielder Tom Lapslie, wingers Gabby Rogers and Keelan O'Connell, and striker Dan Holman.

LINE-UP:

TORQUAY UNITED (Yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks) : 1. Mark Halstead, 2. Ben Wynter, 4. Tom Lapslie, 5. Ali Omar, 9. Danny Wright, 10. Armani Little (c), 16. Keelan O'Connell, 17. Gabriel Rogers, 21. Dean Moxey, 30. Dan Holman, 31. Joe Lewis. Subs: 3. Dan Martin, 8. Asa Hall, 14. Chiori Johnson, 19. Klaid Lolos, 23. Martin Brzozowski

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks : 1. Tony THOMPSON, 24. Joel SENIOR, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 19. David FITZPATRICK, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 14. Connor KIRBY, 7. Dan MOONEY, 11. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 9. Marcus DINANGA. Subs: 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 16. Bradley JACKSON, 17. Ben PRINGLE, 23. Tom PEERS, 27. A-Jay LEITCH-SMITH.

BACKGROUND:

Alty started the new season by playing Torquay United having finished last season at Moss Lane against the same opponents. Alty had taken four points off the future play-off runner-ups in 2020-21, which included a 2-1 win at Plainmoor.

This time the game was not behind closed doors as some 3,000 supporters packed Plainmoor.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off but it was Holman who got in a shot for The Gulls after just ten seconds, but he was well off target.

The game started at a quick pace but there were no real alarms before a foul on Hancock by Lewis gave Alty a freekick just inside the home half. However, Colclough's freekick came to nothing (6 mins).

The referee then awarded Alty a goalkick for what was a clear Torquay corner off Kirby (9 mins)! But the home side soon did win a corner which Little took poorly, the ball going behind the goal (10 mins).

After a brief but bizarre stoppage to remove an errant orange from the pitch, play resumed (12 mins) with Torquay pressing.

But, against the run of play, Alty took a 14th minute lead. Senior did well to gain possession and his cross found Dinanga who took a touch before slotting the ball home side-footed for a goal on his debut.

Torquay's second corner, this time by Rogers, again went straight out of play behind the goal (17 mins). Next, Little's series of fouls earned him a well deserved card for clattering Jake Moult as Torquay showed a physical asoect to their game (18 mins).

Although the home side were having the better of things, a dreadful error by Moxey allowed Senior to get the ball and, from the right, he fed Kirby who scored cleanly from 12 yards to make it 0-2 (20 mins).

Following a third successive corner by Torquay which had gone directly out of play, a Mooney freekick soon led to a Colclough cross which went off Mullarkey for a home goalkick (25 mins).

But Alty were disrupted when the impressive Senior had to move to left-back because Fitzpatrick was injured and had to be replaced by Jackson who came on for his debut at right back (31 mins). With four defenders already out injured, this was a bad blow to the visitors.

Torquay then enjoyed a protracted dominant spell but, apart from one routine save by Thompson, the Alty keeper was relatively untroubled.

However, Jackson picked up a 43rd minute booking for a foul before Moxey likewise found his name in the referee's notebook in added time before the interval.

Despite three added minutes, half-time was reached with Altrincham still leading 2-0.

Half-Time: TORQUAY UNITED 0
ALTRINCHAM 2

Altrincham had a good chance to extend their lead in the 49th minute when Senior, Hancock and Colclough combined and the ball flashed across the goalmouth with Dinanga just not quite able to touch it into the net.

But, apart from that, the second half started scrappily with several stoppages, notably after the combative Danny Wright had fouled Jake Moult and injured himself in the process (54 mins). Both Wright and team-mate Holman were booked after Wright had recovered, as was Alty's Kirby after the latter two players had clashed in the aftermath of the foul on the Alty captain (57 mins).

Shortly after two corners had come and gone for Altrincham, Tom Peers replaced Dinanga (65 mins). Mullarkey and Hannigan were playing well at the back but, midway through the half, Holman did get in a header but he put it over the bar.

Another Altrincham corner was won by Moult's ball (70 mins) as the home side failed to threaten to get back into the game at this stage. However, when Mooney went down with cramp and went off, Torquay brought on Johnson and Hall for Lapslie and O'Connell (73 mins).

Before Alty could get a substitute on to replace Mooney, the Gulls took a freekick which seemed to be sliced into his own net by Moult to get the hosts back into the game (74 mins). Sutton immediatey came on for Mooney as Alty switched to a back three.

But Altrincham now created a chance to re-estabish their two-goal lead as Colclough smartly fed Peers but the keeper made a good save from close range (77 mins).

Next Omar was booked for a crude foul on Peers (81mins) before Lolos replaced Rogers for the hosts (82 mins).

Nevertheless, it was Alty who gained the next corner following a Colclough freekick. Torquay were unable to complete a clearance and the ball came out to Mullarkey who smashed it home from the edge of the box to make it 3-1 (84 mins).

Five added minutes were decreed but Thompson's comfortable save from Hall was the nearest to a home revival (90+3mins), as Alty eased to a well deserved win against many people's tip as title contenders.

Full Time: TORQUAY UNITED 1
ALTRINCHAM 3

Link to ARCHIVE INDEX