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ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (1) 4
KING'S LYNN TOWN (0) 1

Vanarama National League match
played on Tuesday, 28 September, 2021 at 7.45pm

SUMMARY:

Altrincham moved up to eighth after this entertaining match at the J. Davidson Stadium. King's Lynn played the last fifteen minutes with ten men when Denton had to go off, injured, after they had already used their substitute quota and, had Tony Thompson not made a couple of excellent first-half saves, the visitors might have gone on to take something from the evening.

But, as it was, the hosts ran out comfortable and deserved winners.

In the twelfth minute, Ryan Colcough set the ball rolling when he drifted in from the left before firing past keeper Jones from just outside the box. Despite the visitors winning the only three corners of the first half, the hosts remained 1-0 ahead at the break.

Ian Culverhouse made a double change at the interval and the Linnets, immediately from the restart, came close to equalising as Gyasi jigged past two challenges into the box. But Alty went on to regain the upper hand and soon doubled their lead. Their second goal came when pressure culminated in Jake Moult scoring with a close-range shot across the keeper (53 mins).

The fast-paced end-to-end game continued but Altrincham were now in control and they underlined their superiority with two late goals, both laid on by fine runs up the right-wing by Joel Senior. First, he laid on a close-range goal for Mooney to make it 3-0 (86 mins).

But, just a minute later, man of the match Ben Pringle lost the ball, thirty yards out, and the impressive Morias went on to blast a rising shot into the top corner of the Alty net to make it 3-1.

However, Senior then laid on a close-range goal for substitute Josh Hancock to wrap up the scoring at 4-1 (90 mins). The match was an excellent advert for National League football.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Daniel Middleton
ATTENDANCE: 1,009 (42 in away end)
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were unchanged from their victory over Notts County.

Etan Coleman was suspended for the visitors, for whom striker Gold Omotayo was out, injured.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 24. Joel SENIOR, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 29. Joe BUNNEY, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 17. Ben PRINGLE, 7. Dan MOONEY, 11. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 15. Matty KOSYLO, 9. Marcus DINANGA. Subs: 23. Tom PEERS, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 19. David FITZPATRICK, 27. A-Jay LEITCH-SMITH, 28. Dean FURMAN,

KING'S LYNN TOWN (Yellow shorts and socks, blue shorts): 1. Paul Jones. 4. Kyle McFadden, 6. Daniel Bowry, 3. Tyler Denton, 7. Michael Clunan (c), 16. Brett McGavin, 28. Zain Walker, 39. Joe Rowley, 10. Junior Morias 12. Michael Gyasi, 17. Aaron Jones. Subs: 14. Malachi Linton, 18. Munashe Sundire, 2. Luis Fernandez, 22. Russ Barrows

BACKGROUND:

This match had been postponed a fortnight earlier owing to Covid at Altrincham. The Linnets arrived in 21st position, with just one win from six outings this season, whereas Alty were buoyed by having beaten Notts County three days earlier.

Although this was The Linnets' second visit to Moss Lane, it was the first time that their supporters had had a chance to visit Altrincham and the forty-two who made the immense effort to travel from Norfolk on a damp Tuesday night were to be applauded.

After a very damp day, the heavy rain threatened for the evening did not materialise though lightish rain was to fall in the second half.

REPORT:

King's Lynn kicked off defending the away end and were soon looking lively going forward with Rowley's 20-yarder being the first shot of note, but it went wide (3 mins). Alty responded with a good run up the middle by Kosylo. He fed Mooney whose low cross from the right was met by Dinanga, who turned smartly and forced a fine block from close range by keeper Jones (5 mins).

Next, an impressive long ball from Senior located Colcough on the left but he was given offside, leading Phil Parkinson to question the linesman's decision. End to end play ensued as, next, Mooney lost the ball and Gyasi's cross only just evaded Rowley, in space, in the middle of the box (9 mins).

The lively play continued as an Alty passing move broke down and the visitors went up the other end where Morias got smartly past two challenges to the byline, right of goal to feed Gyasi.

But it was Altrincham who struck the first telling blow ehen Colclough latched on to a loose ball in the inside-left channel. He drifted in and hit a fine shot across goal into the far corner of the net from just outside the box, to make it 1-0 (12 mins).

King's Lynn showed attacking intent throughout this game and, next, a Gyasi shot deflected to Thompson. Then the tall McGavin was allowed to advance up the middle and his well-struck shot forced Thompson to dive to his left to save well (20 mins).

Alty responded with the ever more impressive Mullarkey himself racing up the centre of the pitch and feeding Mooney but the winger lost possession (22 mins). Soon, another promising Alty move foundered when Bunney slipped over in a promising position in the opposition box.

The game was being played at pace and Alty were enjoying a period of ascendancy as proceedings reached the half-hour mark.

However, the Linnets responded by winning three corners in five minutes. The first came after a fine move, at the end of which a goalbound shot from Denton was brilliantly blocked by Mullarkey for a corner (32 mins).

Next, a fine shot from Morias from a Denton feed was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Thompson for the second of the corners (35 mins). And then Gyasi got to the byline and his cross resulted in the third flag kick of the series (38 mins).

Just before half time Alty had two penalty appeals; the first saw Colclough go down far too easily in the box but the second did look like a trip on Kosylo but both went unheeded by the referee (44 mins).

It had been a very entertaining first half in which Alty were indebted to Thompson for retaining their lead.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
KING'S LYNN TOWN 0

Lynn surprisingly made a double change at the break as Barrows and Linton replaced Jones and Walker and the visitors went straight at Alty from the resumption of play, despite the hosts having kicked off the second half. Gyasi did superbly on the left, jinking past several challenges, before Clunan saw his shot blocked (46 mins).

The equally impressive Morias then got to the byline as Alty rocked but they defended resolutely.

The hosts belatedly settled into the second half when Kosylo dribbled into the box and, from left of centre, beat Jones with a fine shot into the far corner but the goal was ruled out, presumably for offside (50 mins).

Alty immediately threatened again as goalkeeper Jones was only able to parry a shot and the home side's first corner of the match materialised (52 mins).

Folowing this, a well struck shot from the industrious Pringle hit his own team-mate Dinanga. But Lynn could only half-clear the ball and Moult drove the ball home across goal, from the left of the goalmouth. So it was 2-0 which was a little harsh a margin on the enterprising visitors (53 mins).

A wild shot over the bar from Mooney soon followed before Alty made their first change with Fitzpatrick replacing Bunney at left-back, the tall defender walking gingerly off the pitch with what seemed to be a knock (57 mins).

McGavin became the game's first booking for a minor misdemeanour (59 mins) before each team made a change. Dean Furman came on for Colclough (61 mins) just before Sundire replaced McGavin for the visitors (62 mins).

A blatant trip on the advancing Mullarkey earned Gyasi a booking (64 mins) as rain was now falling on the pitch. A poor clearance by Thompson now gave Rowley the ball and the resulting cross gained a corner for Lynn off Senior (65 mins).

At the other end, Furman shot wide just before Hancock replaced Dinanga (69 mins).

A third Lynn booking soon arose when McFadden fouled Pringle (70 mins).

The visitors almost paid for an underhit back pass as Hancock smartly nipped in and rounded the keeper but his angle was so tight, left of goal, that he could only find the side netting (71 mins).

Senior now fed Mooney whose excellent cross-field ball located Kosylo and he forced a fine save feom Jones to earn a corner (73 mins). From this, Mullarkey hit the back post but the whistle had gone for a Lynn freekick.

Denton then went off the pitch, presumably injured, and the visitors had to complete the match with ten men (73 mins).

Nevertheless the Lynn heads did not drop and they remained in the game as it went into the final ten minutes, though Alty's man advantage was yielding them more possesion. After Kosylo had gone close and then Mooney had fired over the bar, a third goal finally arrived.

Senior burst up the right and laid on a tap-in for Mooney (86 mins).

However, Lynn responded well as Pringle lost the ball thirty yards from his own goal to Morias. The forward advanced and hit an unstoppable rising shot into the top corner of the net from twenty yards or more, to Thompson's left. So it was 3-1 (87 mins).

Any hopes of a very late comeback were almost immediately quashed as Senior again marauded up the right wing and again his low cross provided a team-mate with a close range chance which, this time, Hancock duly put away (90 mins).

Three minutes of added time did not alter the outcome. The final score suggests a one-sided encounter but this certainly was not the case.

Altrincham did deserve to win but Lynn were refreshingly positive and it would be lamentable if such an entertaining team were to be relegated whilst some of the more physical teams of functional giants in this division were to stay up.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 4
KING'S LYNN TOWN 1

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