ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
BOREHAM WOOD (0) 1

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 13 November, 2021 at 3pm

SUMMARY:

In front of 2,283 spectators, Altrincham were certainly well deserving of their point against a functional Boreham Wood. It was the home side that contributed the flair to the afternoon as they came back from behind to equalise in the 76th minute.

A goalless first half left many wondering how the visitors were the league leaders but after the break The Wood snatched a 57th minute lead when Fyfield was allowed to advance forty yards or more up the middle. As he got into the box he took advantage of a fortunate rebound to score (57 mins).

Altrincham levelled in the 76th minute with a superb strike by Hancock from outside the box after a Peers effort had been blocked.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Gareth Rhodes

ATTENDANCE: 2,283

TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham welcomed back goalkeeper Tony Thompson, a recent absentee through injury. Tom Hannigan also returned after his back spasm to restore a more familiar appearance to the defence. Missing from the squad through a combination of injuries and non-selection were Shaun Densmore, Connor Hampson, Andy White, A-jay Leitch-Smith, Brad Jackson, Ben Pringle, Dan Mooney, Connor Kirby and loanee Barry Baggley.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, blacke shorts, white socks): 1. Tony THOMPSON, 24. Joel SENIOR, 25. Toby MULLARKEY, 5. Tom HANNIGAN, 19. David FITZPATRICK, 6. Jake MOULT (c), 8. Adam PORTER, 10. Josh HANCOCK, 15. Matty KOSYLO, 11. Ryan COLCLOUGH, 9. Marcus DINANGA. Subs: 18 Kennedy DIGIE, 21. Matt GOULD, 23. Tom PEERS, 29. Daniel WHITEHEAD, 32. Tom WALKER.

BOREHAM WOOD (All pale blue): 21. Taye Ashby-Hammond, 19. Kane Smith, 12. Jamal Fyfield, 4. Mark Ricketts, 5. Will Evans, 6. David Stephens, 17. Jacob Mendy Mendy, 7. Josh Rees, 8. Gus Mafuta, 9. Scott Boden, 10. Tyrone Marsh. Subs: 14. Adrian Clifton, 13. Donnabhan Green, 11. Frankie Raymond, 15. Dennon Lewis, 20. Andrew Oluwabori.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham went into the match against the league leaders after a run of five games without a win in league and cup. And the club had been rocked in midweek by the requirement of Trafford MBC to limit the capacity of the J. Davidson Stadium pending safety concerns, which necessitated the closure of both ends of the Popular Side as well as the imposition of restrictions on the capacity of the main stand, Golf Road terrace and the away end.

Altrincham's previous encounters with Boreham Wood had produced the following statistics.

The games between the clubs can be summarised as follows:

All three of Alty's wins had been by a 1-0 margin but, last season, The Wood had won 3-2 in a game played at Broadhurst Park (FCUM) owing to the condition of the Moss Lane pitch at that time.

REPORT:

Despite the crowd capacity limitations imposed by Trafford Council, there were 2,283 spectators at the J Davidson Stadium as Boreham Wood got the game under way nearly five minutes late after a minute's silence in advance of Remembrance Sunday.

After Alty had been penalised for an early accidental handball, the resulting freekick produced a corner for the visitors off Mullarkey (2 mins). Throughout the match Boreham Wood were not afraid to concede fouls and they set the tome as they offended twice in the opening three minutes.

The visitors' keeper was the first to be tested and he spilt a speculative 25-yarder from Colclough. The ball was only half-cleared and Alty soon threatened again as Moult shot wide from a Colcough feed (6 mins).

Altrincham were having the better of the game against the league leaders who looked organised but unexceptional. However, The Wood now won a corner but this came to nothing (13 mins).

Altrincham then almost fashioned a good chance as Colclough got to the left byline to feed Hacock. But the latter was unable to get a shot away and passed the ball back to Kosylo, who was closed down on the edge of the box (20 mins).

Next, a good Alty move up the left, starting with Fitzpatrick, ended with Colclough cutting in from the left and firing a fierce 25-yarder just wide of the back post (25 mins).

Altrincham continued to play the better football but they now picked up a booking with Kosylo's unwise challenge from behind (28 mins).

Around the half-hour mark Boreham Wood enjoyed a bit more of the ball but Thompson remained virtually unoccupied in the Alty goal.

Referee Rhodes then halted Senior's progress as he got free of a foul challenge by awarding a freekick instead of permitting an advantage to be played (36 mins).

As half-time approached a cross was headed at the keeper by Moult (41 mins) before the Wood gained a corner on their left which Thompson punched clear despite being fouled and he was awarded a freekick.

Alty then won themselves a late first-half corner (44 mins) but the interval arrived with the scoresheet blank and Altrincham having been the better side.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
BOREHAM WOOD 1

Alty kicked off the second half attacking the Golf Road end. After Kosylo had got to the byline, Dinaga went down in the box but no penalty was the outcome. At the other end Mafuta bundled over Porter and went on to fire over the bar (48 mins).

Boreham now enjoyed a better spell than they had produced in the first half. They were aided by another questionable refereeing decision as the linesman flagged for offside, only for the referee to ignore him and allow play to continue during which time he spotted a foul and gave the visitors a freekick (54 mins).

Soon after Kosylo had got to the byline and had a low cross gathered by Ashby Hammond, Fyfield picked the ball up near the centre circle. He was allowed to charge up the middle into the box where an attempted one-two rebounded to him and he slotted the ball into the net (57 mins).

Boreham Wood were then caught offside, not for the first or last time, before a Moult shot earned a corner (63 mins). Soon afterwards Raymond came on for Rees for the visitors. Boreham Wood were now timewasting so Rees, having been directed to leave the pitch in the far corner, ignored the refeee and stayed on the pitch trundling across the grass directly in front of, rather than behind, the Alty goal where Tony Thompson manhandled him on his way.

A Hancock shot had to be blocked by Ashby-Hammond either side of which a Boden foul on Moult and a Stephens foul on Dinnaga gave the hosts freekicks. Stephens was booked for his transgression (68 mins).

Boreham Wood soon won two corners in succession before Tom Peers came on to replace Dinanga who had worked willingly but had been well policed by the organised Wood defence (71 mins).

Next, Mafuta used his strength to hold off a challenge from Mullarkey before his cross-goal shot kissed the far upright and rebounded to safety (72 mins). Senior now chased a lost cause and won another freekick off the visitors (73 mins) before Porter got himself cautioned for a midfield foul (74 mins).

ALtrincham then produced an impressive equaliser as Peers was blocked in the box but the ball came out to Hancock who hit a superb low shot from 25 yards into the corner of the net to the keeper's right (76 mins). Alty dominated most of the remainder of the game but could not find a winner. Peers saw a shot saved after good work from Colclough just before the visitors made a double change with Lewis and Clifton replacing Boden and Marsh (80 mins).

The next five minutes produced three home corners as Altrincham looked the far more likely winners. In this sequence Raymond was booked for a cynical foul on Colclough (83 mins).

Alty made a surprising late change as Hannigan was replaced at centre-back by Digie, with Hannigan presumably carrying a knock (85 mins). After a stoppage for treatment to Kosylo, Boreham Wood had a late flurry as Mendy shot wide and then they gained an injury-time corner (90+4 mins). But the game ended in a 1-1 draw, with a point being the least that Altrincham deserved. They dropped a place to twelfth ahead of their midweek FA Cup replay against Gateshead.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
BOREHAM WOOD 1

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