ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (2) 2
NANTWICH TOWN (3) 3

Cheshire Senior Cup
Second Round match
played on Tuesday, 14 December, 2021 at 7.45pm

SUMMARY:

Altrincham were dismissed from the Cheshire Senior Cup as Nantwich Town, second-bottom in the Northern Premier League, deservedly beat them 3-2 at the J. Davidson Stadium.

In an entertaining first half to the tie, Nantwich twice came from behind to lead 3-2 at the break.

Josh Hancock fired Alty ahead after just 35 seconds following an error by Hughes who, a few minutes later, had to be subbed with an injury.

Despite Alty's lead, the Dabbers were the better side and Cockerline deservedly levelled after 21 minutes when Gould failed to hold a Heath effort.

But then Altrincham struck again when Ben Pringle scored a fine goal, finding the top corner from outside the box (32 mins).

A fine header by substitute Stair made it 2-2 (40 mins) before the visitors snatched the lead again in first-half added time as Cockerline scored after Alty has surrendered possession (45+2 mins).

Despite bringing on Colclough, Senior and Moult in a triple change midway through the second half, Altrincham laboured and failed to find an equaliser despite almost seven minutes of added time being played.

Few Alty players emerged with any credit, Pringle being a notable exception.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: TBC
ATTENDANCE: 276
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham's starting eleven showed nine changes from last Saturday's league game with Connor Hampson and Josh Hancock the only players to start both games. Three other starters against Bromley were on the bench for this match (Kosylo, Colclough and Senior) whilst four of last Saturday's subs started here (Dinanga, Pringle, Digie and Peers). Into the starting eleven, but not involved last Saturday, were Gould, Densmore, Fitzpatrick and Whitehead, whilst Drench was drafted in on the bench.

Nantwich were without the injured foremr Alty defender Ben Harrison but they were captained by Josh Langley who had spent a brief and unhappy loan spell from Southport at Alty three seasons ago.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 21 Matthew Gould, 2 Shaun Densmore, 18 Kennedy Digie, 19 David Fitzpatrick, 3 Connor Hampson, 17 Ben Pringle, 28 Dean Furman, 29 Danny Whitehead, 23 Tom Peers, 9 Marcus Dinanga, 10 Josh Hancock (c). Subs: 6 Jake Moult, 11 Ryan Colclough, 15 Matty Kosylo, 24 Joel Senior, 30 Steven Drench.

NANTWICH TOWN (All green): 1 Andy Wycherley, 2 Prince Haywood, 3 Jamie Morgan, 4 Troy Bourne, 5 Josh Langley (c), 6 David Vaughan, 7 Carlos Montefiori, 8 Caspar Hughes, 9 Dan Cockerline, 10 Sean Cooke, 11 Connor Heath. Subs: 12 Matthew Bell, 14 Joe Mwasile, 15 Shaun Miller, 16 Joseph Malkin, 17 Joel Stair.

BACKGROUND:

As well as the management duo of Phil Parkinson and Neil Sorvel, there were several former Nantwich employees in the Alty squad for this game including Josh Hancock, Matty Kosylo and Tom Peers as well as recent loanee Matty Gould.

REPORT:

The match kicked off three minutes late which meant that anyone arriving bang on the scheduled kick-off time would not have missed the game's opening goal, netted after just 35 seconds by Josh Hancock for Altrincham against his former club. The goal came from an error by Hughes which allowed Pringle to gain posssession and feed the scorer.

Nantwich did get in a shot by Vaughan, saved by Gould (4 mins), before the unfortunate Hughes had to give way to injury and be replaced by Stair (7 mins).

The early goal did not deflate the relegation strugglers from the NPL as Heath was soon played in on goal only for Gould to block him smartly (9 mins). After a Cooke shot had disappointed, Nantwich started to get a hold on the game and were the better side before Altrincham gained a 14th minute corner through Pringle but that came to nothing.

Next, a Montefiore shot, heading for the top corner, fortunately for Alty, was deflected wide (19 mins) before a smart turn gave Cockerline a chance but he shot the wrong side of the post (20 mins). However, moments later, Cockerline made amends when, following a good run by Heath, he fired into the roof of the net, past Gould, to make it 1-1 (21 mins).

Alty were struggling to put together their trademark passing game as unfamiliar team-mates failed to find any fluidity. But, shortly after briefly finding some better form, the hosts went ahead again. This time, in a reversal of the roles which had produced the opening goal, Hancock fed Pringle who found the top corner from outside the box with a well-struck effort (32 mins).

However, Alty again failed to build on their goal and the visitors levelled for a second time on forty minutes when Hayward's cross was expertly headed into the bottom of the net by Stair from more than ten yards out.

With the game into added time, Alty were stunned by a third Dabbers goal as the impressive Cockerline clamly netted, after Alty had lost possession.

So Nantwich led 3-2 at the interval and it was a deserved lead against a lacklustre Altrincham.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
NANTWICH TOWN 3

After a very disappointing first half from his men, manager Parkinson held his fire and made no changes at the interval. In contrast with the open play of the first half the second half was proving to be more cagey.

Altrincham did win a corner (56 mins) but were again soon on the back foot and the Dabbers reached the midway point of the second half with their lead fairly comfortably intact.

Altrincham then threw on three first team regulars as Moult, Colclough and Senior replaced Whitehead, Dinanga and Furman respectively (67 mins).

Colclough was soon looking a threat, as Alty gained two corners in three minutes (77 mins). But, after the second of these had been cleared by Morgan, Cockerline went inches wide at the other end following an advance by Hayward (79 mins).

Colclough soon won another corner but Alty were not testing the visitors' keeper as the final five minutes were reached.

A surprisingly long five minutes of added time were decreed in which Peers lifted a chance over the bar from a Senior feed (90+4 mins).

Montefiore, who had had a good game, picked up the game's only yellow card (90+6 mins) but the resulting freekick came to nothing as did two late corners. So, Altrincham bowed put of the Cheshire Senior Cup in very disappointing fashion. None of the fringe players energed with much credit, with Pringle being the man of the match for the hosts.

Saturday brings another cup match, away at Notts County in the FA Trophy, as Alty seek to avoid exiting all three of their cup competitions inside litte more than a month.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 2
NANTWICH TOWN 3

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