ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

Return to News Page

WOKING (1) 3
ALTRINCHAM (1) 2

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 30 October, 2021 at 3pm

SUMMARY:

Having faced Solihull Moors on Tuesday without twelve first-teamers, Altrincham faced Woking without thirteen of their first-team squad! In fact if you included the long-term injured midfielder Connor Kirby, the total was fourteeen.

After Woking had had the better of a pretty scrappy opening to the game, a smart turn and feed by Hancock set up Peers for an excellent finish to give Alty the lead against the run of play (19 mins).

But for the third time in a week, Altrincham failed to hold a lead. A fine ball from Ince played in Kretzschmar to slot the ball under Gould to make it 1-1 (39 mins). And it remained level at the interval.

Alty fell behind after 64 minutes when Casey fed Effiong who curled the ball past Gould to make it 2-1.

But two minutes later Walker set Hancock running and he fired an excellent shot past the keeper to make it 2-2 (66 mins).

However, a misheader by Fitzpatrick went to Woking and the ball was worked to Campbell who made it 3-2 (78 mins).

And it ended in a third defeat in a week with a second yellow for Pringle the final blow.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Sunny Gil

ATTENDANCE: 2,985 (91 from Altrincham)

TEAM NEWS:

After playing in midweek, Dean Furman was out today with Ben Pringle coming in to replace him in the starting line-up, meaning that a third reserve, Niall Butchart joined Kwame Osigwe and Sean Higgins on the bench. The other two subs were Shaun Densmore and goalkeeper coach Steven Drench.

Excluding Connor Kirby, whose broken leg looks to have ended his loan stay prematurely, there were thirteen Altrincham absentees, (through a mixture of injury and Covid protocols). They were were Hampson, White, Thompson, Digie, Leitch-Smith, Dinanga, Mooney, Jackson, Mullarkey, Whitehead, Colclough, Kosylo and Furman.

LINE-UP:

WOKING (Red, white and black): 13. Craig Ross, 2. Kyran Lofthouse, 3. Josh Casey (c), 4 Tom Champion, 6. Moussa Diarra, 8. Solomon Nwabuokei, 9. Inih Effiong, 10. Max Kretzschmar, 16. Louie Annesley, 19. Tahvon Campbell, 24. Rohan Ince. Subs: 11. Tyreke Johnson, 17. Tarryn Allarkhia, 18. Jordan Maguire-Drew, 21. Tommy Block, 22. Kane Thompson-Sommers.

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and blue shirts, blue shorts, yellow socks): 21. Matt GOULD, 24. Joel SENIOR, 4. Ritchie SUTTON, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 19. David FITZPATRICK, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 17. Ben PRINGLE, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 23. Tom PEERS, 32. Tom WALKER, 31. Barry BAGGLEY. Subs: 30. Steven DRENCH, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 33. Sean HIGGINS, 34. Kwame OSIGWE, 36. Niall BUTCHART.

BACKGROUND:

Having faced Solihull Moors on Tuesday without twelve first-teamers, Altrincham faces Woking without thirteen of their recent first-team squad!

Updated data from the late Mike Garnett's records reveal the balance of previous success in matches between these sides, before today, rested with Woking.

REPORT:

Altrincham elected to change ends so Woking kicked off towards the home end. Referee Gil made a baffling deicision to award a first-minute freekick to the hosts for handball against Hancock who had been fouled in the process by Effiong.

Woking continued on the front foot with an early corner (3 mins). Although Gould missed a punch fron the corner the referee awarded Alty a freekick for a perceived offence against another player.

The early stages were very scrappy with Woking looking to exploit their height advantage with a fairly direct style of pay. The nondescript standard of play, in which Woking were on the front foot, ended in the 19th minute as, against the run of play, Altrincham seized the lead.

The goal came after Walker fed Hancock who turned smartly before feeding Peers whose well struck shot bounced in front of Ross and beat the keeper (19 mins). It was the third game running that Alty had taken the lead but they had lost the previous two.

The goal perked up Altrincham a little but the hosts won the next corner (24 mins) before the visitors had a better spell around the half-hour mark. However, it remained a mundane affair before Ince produced a fine pass to Kretzschmar who slid the ball under the advancing Gould to make it 1-1 (39 mins).

Moments later Effiong was deservedly booked for a flagrant dive in the Altrincham box as Gould came out to meet him (40 mins).

At the other end Ross made a hash of Peers shot from a Moult pass but, after he had fumbled the ball, it was booted clear (42 mins). In added time Pringle got booked for a foul on Effiong (45+1 mins).

Half-Time: WOKING 1
ALTRINCHAM 1

As in the first half, Woking started the better after the break and won an early corner before Effiong stabbed a shot over the bar as Gould stayed on his line (51 mins).

Alty got into the half with a corner, won by Hancock. Though new loanees Walker and Baggley were working hard and tackling back well, Alty did not have the incision up the flanks which the absent Colclough, Mooney and Kosylo can produce.

But as Altrincham enjoyed a good period of play, Casey found Effiong who put Woking 2-1 ahead (64 mins).

Phil Parkinson responded by bringing on his only experieced outfield player, Shaun Densmore, who replaced Barry Baggley (65 mins). And moments later it was 2-2 as Walker fed Hancock who advanced to fire past Ross (66 mins).

But Woking responded by applying some pressure. Indeed, it took a fine save from Gould, with his legs, to keep out Effiong at the cost of a corner (71 mins).

Gould's counterpart Ross had another shaky moment soon afterwards when a Peers shot almost went through his grasp into the net (73 mins). Altrincham were still in the game as a Fitzpatrick effort won a corner (76 mins).

But it was a mis-header from Fitzpatrick which was to cost Alty a third goal as possession was lost and Effiong laid on a goal for Campbell (78 mins).

Woking brought on Thompson-Sommers for Ince (81 mins) before Pringle rode his luck, committing a foul but escaping a second card (81 mins).

However Altrincham did well in the closing stages, winning three corners in a two minute spell either side of the ninety minute mark.

Goalkeeper Ross was booked by Mr Gil for timewasting as Woking hung on (90+3 mins) but then the already booked Pringle ignored his earlier narrow escape by again fouling an opponent and this got him his marching orders with a second yellow card (90+5mins).

So for the third time in a week, Altrincham had scored first but ultimately lost. Once again their patched up side had put in a decent shift but had lacked the manpower to play their usual game against a Woking side which ended its own run of defeats albeit in a less than totally convincing manner.

Full Time: WOKING 3
ALTRINCHAM 2

Link to ARCHIVE INDEX