ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM (1) 4
WEALDSTONE (0) 2

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 23 April 2022 at 3pm

SUMMARY:

A gusty wind was a contributory factor to an entertaining game at the J. Davidson Stadium in which Alty got themselves 4-0 up before spending the last twenty minutes on the back foot as the Stones's triple substitution gave them the upper hand.

Alty took an eighth-minute lead after a poor clearance by Wickens went to an Alty man. The ball was fed, left, to Colclough whose rasping cross-shot was smartly diverted into the net by an alert Kosylo. However, Thompson was the busier keeper in the first half as Alty played into a tricky wind.

It took just 32 seconds of the second half for Altrincham to double their lead when Kosylo's well-hit 25 yarder went through the hands of Wickens and into the net.

It was soon 3-0 as another long-range effort from Marriott hit the back of the net from 25 yards (52 mins). And the match seemed to be all over four minutes later as Mooney scored from just outside the box.

On the hour the Stones made a triple substitution and, after good skills from Dyer, a Cooper effort was diverted into his own net by Mullarkey to make it 4-1 ten minutes later. Umerah's stooping header from a freekick made it 4-2 after 77 minutes as the visitors pushed forward till the final whistle.

The Alty defence held out to record a 4-2 win.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Scott Simpson

ATTENDANCE: 1,657
TEAM NEWS:

Jordan Hulme had been injured in the previous game so, in his absence, Josh Hancock started up front. At the back Harry Perritt dropped out as Andy White returned at right-back.

Wealdstone were unchanged from their last match and they strted the game just a point and one place behind Alty from one additional game played.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): 1. Tony Thompson (c), 20. Andy White, 25. Toby Mullarkey, 24. Kyle Ferguson, 28. Eddy Jones, 8. Elliot Osborne, 32. Isaac Marriott, 7. Dan Mooney, 15. Matty Kosylo, 11. Ryan Colclough, 10. Josh Hancock. Subs: 2. Shaun Densmore, 6. Jake Moult, 14. Jake Cooper, 17. Ben Pringle, 26. Kole Hall.

WEALDSTONE (All blue) 1. George Wickens, 2. Jack Cook, 14. Connor McAvoy, 6. Jerome Okimo (c), 17. Nik Tavares, 22. Aaron Henry, 7. Nathan Ferguson, 23. Jaydn Mundle-Smith, 20. Medy Elito, 10. Rhys Browne, 9. Josh Umerah. Subs: 11. David Sesay, 19. Charles Clayden, 24. Charlie Cooper, 25. Jamie Mascoll, 18. Alex Dyer.

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham had lost the reverse fixture 1-0 in September 2021, the only goal of that match being a penalty in the eleventh added minute. The game had been marred by a broken leg suffered by Alty loanee midfielder Connor Kirby.

REPORT:

Altrincham kicked off towards the away end on a sunny afternoon which had become increasingly blustery during the day. The gusty wind blew towards Thompson's goal.

Colclough earned the game's first corner, as the game started fairly evenly and uneventfully. Then goalkeeper Wickens's poorly hit, low clearance went to Osborne in the Alty midfield and was played left to Colclough. He fired in a rasping low cross-shot which an alert Kosylo diverted smartly into the net to give Alty an early lead (8 mins).

Wealdstone almost equalised just two minutes later. Again it was a goalkeeping error, this time by Alty's Thompson. He came out of his box to head clear but, in the windy conditions, he misjudged his header and the ball skimmed off his head and went behind him. This allowed Umerah, left of goal, a clear sight of the empty net but to Thompson's credit, he made an impressive retreat to get back and block the striker's goalbound shot, at the cost of a corner (10 mins).

After a very wild shot from Colclough (12 mins) Marriott impressively got to the right byline before his effort ran to Wickens. As the players contended with the gusty wind, a Wealdstone shot ran comfortably to Thompson (20 mins) before Colclough cut in and executed an impressive chip shot from 18 yards which Wickens did well to tip over the bar for a corner (21 mins).

But just as Alty had got on top, Wealdstone won a corner from Mundle-Smith's low drive across the goalmouth (28 mins). The Stones also won the game's next corner (34 mins) and Alty were not helping their cause by giving away a number of cheap freekicks with Colclough picking up a card for one such misdemeanour (37 mins).

Next, as Wealdstone went forward, Browne hit a shot which the wind carried not only over the Golf Road terrace roof but onto the top of the tiled roof of a house beyond and from there it bounced over the ridge tiles into the property's back yard (40 mins)!

Moments later Wealdstone's Ferguson also cleared the terrace roof with a shot as the visitors struggled, at times, to deal with the strong wind behind them in the first half.

As half-time approached, Colclough fired an effort across goal from the right which won a corner. But the visitors posed a later threat as Thompson's punch of a Taveres cross went up in the air and prompted a goalmouth melee but Alty's lead remained intact at the break.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1
WEALDSTONE 0

It took Alty just 32 seconds to double their lead after Wealdstone had kicked off the second half. Kosylo's 25 yarder was struck towards keeper Wickens but, in a standing position, the ball went through the keeper's hand and into the net (46 mins).

Wealdstone reponded with a corner but Umerah headed this wide (50 mins). Alty then scored a third goal as Marriott's 25-yarder arrowed into the net to the keeper's right (52 mins). The visitors' Tavares got himself booked in the aftermath (53 mins) and team-mate Elito soon followed him into the book (55 mins). The eventful second-half continued as Mooney fired home into the corner of the net from the edge of the box to make it 4-0 (56 mins)

So, in successive games, Alty had been four-nil down (at Wrexham) and now 4-0 up.

After the goal, Jake Moult came on for Kosylo and he assumed the captaincy from Thompson (57 mins). Wealdstone took more drastic action, making a triple substitution as Cooper, Clayden and Dyer replaced Nathan Ferguson and the booked duo of Taveres and Elito (60 mins).

Another unproductive Alty corner came and went (61 mins) before Wealdstone suffered a further blow when Dyer got himself booked for dissent (66 mins). But then Browne then sparked a revival as he skilfully got into the box. His effort was blocked but Cooper's follow-up was goalbound before Mullarkey diverted it into the net as he attempted to clear, making it 4-1 (70 mins).

Alty now brought on Hall for his home debut and he replaced Marriott (71 mins). Hall went up front allowing Hancock to drop to a more accustomed no.10 role. Alty then won a corner which, again, came to nothing before Kyle Ferguson held an opponent and was duly booked (76 mins). From the resulting freekick, curled in from the right by Henry, a stooping Umerah headed past Thompson to make it 4-2 (77 mins).

Alty were now looking a bit shaky as Wealdstone went on to dominate the closing stages. Alty did, however, get forward in the 80th minute when Hancock did well but, via Mooney, Coclough headed wide.

Wealdstone won two corners in the last seven minutes as they penned Alty back. Four added minutes were negotiated as Altrincham retained their 4-2 lead, though the last kick of the game, a fine freekick by Henry from 28 yards, forced a fine save from Thompson. It had proved an entertaining game, especially in the second half, with the unpredictable wind adding to the sense of jeopardy for the two defences.

The win took Alty onto fifty points but left them in fifteenth place.

Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 4
WEALDSTONE 2

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