ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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KING'S LYNN TOWN (0) 0
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
played on Saturday, 12 February 2022 at 3pm
SUMMARY:
It was thirteenth time lucky as Altrincham finally tasted victory in a league game after twelve winless National League matches.
Altrincham started well but lost the promising Chris Conn-Clarke to a leg injury after being fouled (12 mins). The bright forward player had to be stretchered off after treatment (15 mins).
The first half got worse when, after winning seven corners, Altrincham won a penalty, only for Dan Mooney to see his kick saved. It was the team's third penalty miss out of four this season and the second in successive games.
However, into added time before the break, Ryan Colclough scored a fine goal at the end of a good move to make it 0-1 to the visitors. The lead was retained to the end of the five added minutes of the first half.
King's Lynn were much improved in the second half, especially after the introduction of striker Gold Omatayo, but Altrincham held out and were dangerous on occasional counter-attacks.
SCORERS:
- 45(+2) mins: Ryan COLCLOUGH (King's Lynn Town 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
REFEREE: Mr Scott Simpson.
ATTENDANCE: 905
TEAM NEWS:
Altrincham announced a new signing on matchday with the arrival of centre-back Alec Mudimu (26), who has 24 caps for Zimbabwe and whose career includes spells with Stalybridge Celtic and Cefn Druids in the UK and abroad in Moldova and Turkey. Alec thus became the 41st player named in a matchday squad by Altrincham in the National League this season.
Changes to the Altrincham starting eleven saw the experienced duo of Shaun Densmore and Andy White return at right- and left-back respectively, in the absences of Jamie Morgan and fellow full-back Eddy Jones. The latter was injured, the former had travelled with the team for this match.
King's Lynn started with the same team which had earned a creditable draw in midweek, at Grimsby.
Though separated at kick-off by only two places (21st v 19th), Alty started the game 12 points ahead of the Linnets, albeit having played two more games than their hosts.
LINE-UPS:
KINGS LYNN TOWN (Blue and yellow): 1. Paul Jones, 17. Aaron Jones, 25. Harry Phipps, 30. Joshua Coulson, 22. Ross Barrows, 24. Oliver Scott, 26. Brett McGavin, 10. Theo Widdrington, 7. Michael Clunan (c) , 20. Joshua Barrett, 14. Malachi Linton. Subs: 3. Tyler Denton, 8. Jak Hickman. 19. Ken Charles, 26. Cameron Hargreaves, 9. Gold Omotayo
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1 Tony Thompson, 2. Shaun Densmore, 25. Toby Mullarkey, 14. Jake Cooper, 20. Andy White, 6. Jake Moult (C), 8. Elliot Osborne, 7. Dan Mooney, 31. Chris Conn-Clarke, 11. Ryan Colclough, 29. Jordan Hulme. Subs: 17. Ben Pringle, 33. Alec Mudimu, 27. A-Jay Leitch-Smith, 15. Matty Kosylo 32. Isaac Marriott.
BACKGROUND:
Altrincham were seeking to end a home sequence of twelve winless League games and a record of just two wins from their previous twenty-three matches in all competitions.
REPORT:
After Altrincham had kicked off they won the first corner of the game in the fourth minute, through the efforts of Jordan Hulme, after a Jake Moult pass had found him. This corner was punched out by the keeper but was worked back, via Mooney and Densmore, to Hulme, who fired over the bar (5 mins).
Following a foul on Hulme, Osborne's freekick led to another corner, won by Conn-Clarke (7 mins). Alty were showing more than their usual propensity to use the long ball and this method earned them another corner via Hulme, their third of the game in just the eighth minute, as the visitors made decidedly the better start to the fixture.
However, Altrincham suffered a serious blow when Aaron Jones's challenge on Conn-Clarke left the Alty man injured (12 min). After treatment he had to be stretchered off, in just his second appearance for the club, and he was replaced by Kosylo (15 mins). A fourth Alty corner soon followed before the hosts finally had a sight of goal but Clunan shot well wide (22 mins).
The sides now traded freekicks before Mullarkey got forward to earn corner number five, the first on the left, after 25 minutes. Despite having the upper hand, Alty were not troubling the home keeper and at the other end, neither did Linton incovenience Thompson as he fired a high shot into the car park (27 mins).
Next, an Andy White cross gained corner number six which was rapidly followed by number seven, earned by Mullarkey. This led to a penalty being awarded against Coulson for handball (32 mins). With Altrincham having seen a penalty saved last time out, Mooney took over spot-kick duties but his low effort to the keeper's left was well saved by Jones, at the cost of corner number eight (34 mins).
It was Altrincham's third penalty miss out of four spot-kicks this League season, with Colclough (v.Southend), and Osborne (v. Woking) the previous culprits, though Colclough did convert one against Dover.
Alty's cause in the first half was not aided by several needless midfield fouls but the hosts were not immune to such offences either as the game drifted towards the interval.
Five added minutes were decreed and it looked as if Altrincham's dominance was not going to be rewarded with a goal. But, after Hulme had advanced and cleverely found Colclough, the Alty winger hit a fine shot into the bottom of the net to give his side a deserved interval lead (45+2 mins).
Half-Time: KING'S LYNN TOWN 0 |
Altrincham started the second half well and, after a poor clearance by home keeper Jones, Osborne's ambitious long-range effort went well off target (47 mins).
Play was then fairly uneventful before King's Lynn, with manager Widdrington confined to the stands for this match having received a touchline ban, made the first change as striker Gold Omotayo came on for Linton. Omotayo was on his way back after injury and he was to tilt the game more towards the hosts as he dominated, in the air especially (54 mins).
However, his effect was not instantaneous as Altrincham now gained another corner (56 mins). Whilst Altrincham were scarcely troubling the home keeper, the Linnets went close as a header went narrowly wide of the back post. The hosts were now enjoying the ascendancy and, on the hour, another Lynn header went narrowly wide.
Hargreaves now replaced McGavin for KLT (65 mins) and, as the hosts continued on top at this stage, Alty put together a fine counter-attack involving Hulme, who was working hard, Kosylo and finally Mooney but it came to nothing (70 mins).
An end to end period followed in which Hulme's excellent effort narrowly cleared the bar (73 mins) before Omotayo forced a good block from Thompson (75 mins). Alty's keeper was soon in action again with a save from Barrett (77 mins).
Lynn then brought on Charles for Widdrington to give themselves two strikers (78 mins). For Alty, Hulme continued to impress with a good run before Mooney's ball almost induced an own goal from Phipps as Colclough closed in (80 mins).
At the back the experienced full-backs, Densmore and White, who had made respectively made just two and three league starts this season, were playing well and a foul on Densmore by Burrows earned the offender a yellow card (81 mins).
To counter the threat of Lynn now having two strikers on the pitch, Altrincham gave centre-back Mudimu his debut, replacing wide man Mooney (81 mins).
Next, a Lynn freekick came to nothing before Thompson had to make a routine save. Altrincham were largely on the back foot as the ninety-minute mark approached. Marriott then came on for Colclough (90 mins) before King's Lynn won two late corners in added time.
But in the fifth added minute Kosylo had a chance to wrap up the game as he was put clear but keeper Jones saved his effort.
So, Altrincham secured their first away clean-sheet of the season, their first league win in thirteen games and this put more space between themselves and the three in the relegation places. Despite the hosts' improvement in the second half, Altrincham deserved their victory.
An away trip at Boreham Wood follows in midweek, with the Hertfordshire club hopefully preoccupied with their upcoming FA Cup Fifth Round clash at Goodison Park against Everton.
Full Time: KING'S LYNN TOWN 0 |