ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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SOUTHPORT (1) 2
ALTRINCHAM (2) 3

Emirates FA Cup
Fourth Qualifying Round match
played on Saturday, 16 October, 2021 at 3pm

SUMMARY:

This was a clash of footballing cultures as Alty's passing game met Southport's direct tactics.

After a largely scrappy first half-hour dominated by the repeated long throws of Southport's Tharme, the hosts took a 35th minute lead when Carver headed home a Watson cross from the left (35 mins). That followed one of a series of freekicks given away by the visitors, which in this case was only temporarily cleared.

But Alty responded with two goals in eight minutes immediately before half time. Firstly, Tom Peers equalised with a good finish from a Jackson feed (41 mins). And then, with Brad Jackson off the field receiving treatment, Josh Hancock powered home a near post header from a Matty Kosylo corner fgrom the right to give Alty an interval lead (45+3 mins).

Indeed, Jackson did not appear for the second half and Mooney came on in his place. Punctuated by Southport's numerous long throws from Tharme, Alty played the early part of the second half well before Kosylo made it 3-1, following good work on the right wing from Peers and a relayed pass by Hancock (67 mins).

However, Carver got a second goal to make it 2-3 and put victory at risk (75 mins). But Altrincham got through the closing stages without too many alarms to secure a place in the Round One draw. It was their fourth game to end 3-2 or 2-3 this season.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Adam Herczeg
ATTENDANCE: 1,386
TEAM NEWS:

For this FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round match, as well as Matt Gould and Ritchie Sutton replacing the injured Tony Thompson and Toby Mullarkey, Altrincham brought in Connor Hampson (not as a keeper!), Tom Peers and Dean Furman, whilst Steven Drench and new signing Danny Whitehead were named on the seven-strong bench.

Altrincham were also, again, without the indisposed Ryan Colcough.

Southport made one change as manager Liam Watson's son, Niall, replaced Jordan Archer.

LINE-UP:

SOUTHPORT (Gold shirts, black shorts and socks): 1. Cameron Mason, 2. Charlie Oliver, 3. Jack Doyle, 5. Adam Anson (c), 6. Doug Tharme, 11. Marcus Carver, 14. Chris Doyle, 15. Josh Hmami, 16. Dylan Vassallo, 17. Niall Watson, 18. Jack Bainbridge Subs: 7. Connor Woods, 12 Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, 13. Tony McMillan, 8. Charlie Munro, 9. Jordan Archer.

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks) 21. Matt GOULD, 24. Joel SENIOR, 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 3.Connor HAMPSON, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 28. Dean FURMAN, 16. Brad JACKSON, 15. Matty KOSYLO, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 23. Tom PEERS. Subs: 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 7. Dan MOONEY, 9. Marcus DINANGA 17. Ben PRINGLE, 27. A-Jay LEITCH-SMITH, 29. Danny WHITEHEAD, 30. Steven DRENCH

BACKGROUND:

This was Altrincham's eighth successive away draw in the competition and came on the back of a midweek trek to Yeovil in which Alty had played for well over an hour with left-back Connor Hampson in goal and with a midfielder (Jake Moult) filling in at centre-back after Toby Mullarkey had been concussed.

Although the Sandgrounders were bottom of National League North they were unbeaten this season at home, after three league draws and two cup replay wins at Haig Avenue.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off and the shape of things to come was evident inside the first minute as Tharme hurled in his first, but certainly not last, long throw of the match. His second missile followed, barely a minute later.

But the tactic nearly worked as Senior had to clear a resulting header from Doyle off the line (2 mins). Alty did not help their cause by conceding two early freekicks to give the Sandgrounders further ammunition (6 mins).

Indeed, the opening stages were pretty scrappy and largely devoid of flowing football (15 mins).

At last Altrincham put together a promising move as Kosylo and Hancock combined to feed Peers whose shot was saved relatively comfortably by Cameron (16 mins).

But then Southport threatened as Hmami misdirected a header from Watson's promising cross. And when Furman lost the ball shortly afterwards, Carver's shot won a corner as it deflected off Hannigan (17 mins).

Play continued relatively uneventfully before Senior got to the edge of the box to win Altrincham's first corner. But this came to nothing (26 mins).

The long throws from Tharme continued as Southport emulated tactics last seen to this extent against Altrincham when facing Histon.

Next, a Hampson foul led to a freekick which Gould punched clear, a method used on a number of occasions by the Alty keeper durng this game as the aerial bombardment continued.

Senior and Jackson then united to feed Hancock whose mishit shot deflected to Peers but the striker scooped the ball over the bar (29 mins).

The deadlock was broken in the 32nd minute. Hmami's freekick was punched clear by Gould but the ball soon came back with a cross from the left, from Watson, which was poked home by an unmarked Carver, the former Chorley forward.

Tharme's next long throw somehow ended in the Alty net but the referee had seen some offence in the process and the goal did not stand.

Altrincham then hit Southport with two goals in eight minutes before the interval. First, Kosylo fed Jackson who chipped the ball over the backline to the advancing Peers, who clipped it past the exposed Cameron to level the score (41 mins).

Having dealt with yet another long throw, Alty suffered a blow as Jackson went down as he got forward, after a challenge by Anson. Jackson had to go off for further treatment to what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

Bu the ten men snatched the lead with the last action of the half as Kosylo's corner from the right was firmly headed home at the near post by Hancock (45+3 mins).

Half-Time: SOUTHPORT 1
ALTRINCHAM 2

As feared, Jackson was unable to appear for the second half so Mooney, himself an injury doubt for this match, came on for the winger.

As in the first half, the opening of the second was also marked by a Southport freekick and a long throw (46 mins).

But then Altrincham set a higher standard than they had shown for much of the first half. First, Hancock fed Peers whose shot, heading for the top corner, was saved impressively by Cameron Mason at the cost of a corner (48 mins).

After a second Alty corner had also come to nothing, they put together a good move via Senior, Moult and Kosylo, at the end of which Hancock shot past the upright (50 mins).

Next Peers won the ball and via Mooney, Kosylo cut in but fired wide (57 mins). His next shot struck team-mate Peers (59 mins) as Alty looked reasonably secure with their lead. However, on the hour mark, Furman became his side's first player to be booked for a foul on Hmami.

Southport now made a double swap as Buckley-Ricketts and Munro replaced Vassallo and Jack Doyle (63 mins).

Alty seemed to have secured the tie when Peers got past Anson on the right touchline and fed Hancock, who relayed the ball to his left to Kosylo who made it 3-1 (67 mins). A minute later Whitehead made his Alty debut, replacing Furman (68 mins).

Tharme's bombardment continued with two throws in succession before Densmore replaced Hampson, necessitating a move for Senior to left-back (73 mins).

Shortly aftweards Buckley-Ricketts got past Densmore and laid on a headed goal for Carver to reduce the arrears to 2-3 (75 mins).

But Archer replaced Carver eight minutes later (83 mins) before a Peers shot won Alty a corner (85 mins).

In general, Alty managed the closing stages well, including four added minutes, to secure a place in Round One and the prize money of more than £9,000.

Southport had not given Alty an easy ride with their direct approach but an Altrincham side minus several of its first-choice players through injury, illness or selection choices, had shown resilience to come through the challenge.

Full Time: SOUTHPORT 2
ALTRINCHAM 3

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