ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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NOTTS COUNTY (0) 3
ALTRINCHAM (0) 0

Vanarama National League match
played on Saturday, 7 May 2022 at 3pm


SUMMARY:

After a reasonably even opening quarter of an hour, Notts County began to get on top and Richardson hit the bar with a shot following a half-cleared corner (21 mins). But Alty weathered a difficult spell and, indeed, Marriott should have done better with a chance laid on by Mullarkey (38 mins).

But, just before the interval, a Wootton header struck the bar for the hosts. Half-time was reached, therefore, with the score remaining goalless.

Inside a minute of the second half Altrincham conceded a penalty for a foul. Roberts converted the spot kick (47 mins).

A fine volley by Wootton made it 2-0 (75 mins) before Rodrigues headed home a Richardson ball to make it 3-0 (84 mins). So a disappointing second half for Altrincham ended with a very comfortable win for the Magpies.


SCORERS:


REFEREE: Mr Greg Rollason


ATTENDANCE: 6,581


TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were without forwards Colclough, Hulme, Hancock and Kosylo and brught into the squad a number of fringe players and very recent signings. They changed to a back three centre-back formation for this game.


LINE-UPS:

NOTTS COUNTY (Black & white stripes, black shorts, white socks) 1. Sam Slocombe, 2. Richard Brindley, 6. Jim O'Brien, 9. Kyle Wootton (c), 10. Callum Roberts, 16. Dion Kelly-Evans, 18. Matty Palmer, 20. Ruben Rodrigues, 23. Adam Chicksen, 24. Alex Lacey, 26. Jayden Richardson. Subs: 4. Kyle Cameron, 5. Connell Rawlinson, 14. Ed Francis, 19. Elisha Sam, 27. Zak Brunt

ALTRINCHAM (Yellow shirts and socks and blue shorts) 1. Tony Thompson (c), 23. Harry Perritt, 24. Kyle Ferguson, 14. Jake Cooper, 25. Toby Mullarkey, 28. Eddy Jones, 17. Ben Pringle, 8. Elliot Osborne, 32. Isaac Marriott, 7. Dan Mooney, 26. Kole Hall. Subs: 3. Connor Hampson, 6. Jake Moult, 19. Jamie Morgan, 21. Matt Gould, 34. Hayden Campbell


BACKGROUND:

With Notts County more or less certain of a play-off place, and Altrincham assured of a mid-table finish and arriving without four regular forwards, a home win looked on the cards.


REPORT:

The hosts won an early corner (2 mins) but the opening stages were fairly even. Indeed an impressive Alty twelve-pass move in the sixth minute only ended with Pringle being muscled off the ball.

Next, following a freekick awarded after a foul on Marriott, Perritt shot wide as the game continued to be an open affair (8 mins). And when Mooney looked to be geting clear, the referee halted play to allow the injured Wootton to be treated after he had come off worse from Thompson's punch clear (12 mins).

After Perritt had fed Mooney, who fired over the bar, Kelly-Evans was likewise aiming too high at the other end (15 mins). Soon afterwards, Alty were relieved when Perritt's shoulder barge on Chicksen did not induce the referee to award a spot-kick (18 mins).

But as the game reached the 20th minute the hosts began to get on top, winning two corners. Thompson saved an effort from the first corner, though offside was flagged. And then after Alty had headed clear the second corner, the ball ran to Richardson whose well struck shot hit the crossbar (21 mins).

Notts then went close again as O'Brien fired narrowly wide before Kelly hit the side-netting (23 mins). The pressure continued as O'Brien shot at Thompson (24 mins). With Alty on the back foot, a Wootton header went to Thompson (31 mins).

Thompson then saved well from O'Brien but the offside flag was up again (33 mins). Having weathered a torrid ten minutes or more, Alty got back into the game with two corners in quick order. And they wasted a good chance when when Osborne fed Mullarkey, whose lay off gave Marriott a chance but he mishit the effort (38 mins).

Next County threatened once more but Rodrigues now shot wide and, as added time started, Mooney fired narrowly over the bar (45 mins). But a fairly entertaining and open first half ended with Roberts's cross being met by a Wootton header which struck the Alty crossbar for the second time in the first half.

But Altrincham had got to the break with the game goalless.


Half-Time: NOTTS COUNTY 0
ALTRINCHAM 0


The decisive moment of the game happened inside 45 seconds of the second half as the referee awarded the hosts a penalty for an alleged foul. Roberts sent Thompson the wrong way from the spot to make it 1-0 (47 mins).

The goal unsurprisingly left Alty on the back foot and Mullarkey soon became the first player to be booked as he tugged back Chicksen (54 mins). But, on the hour, Palmer joined him in the book for a foul on Marriott.

Alty made a change a little later as Morgan came on for Perritt at the back (62 mins). An Osborne freekick then had to be saved smartly by Slocombe (64 mins) before Cameron replaced Kelly (65 mins).

The changes continued as Campbell replaced Hall (70 mins), shortly after a home corner had ended in an offside decision. Soon afterwards, as Alty appealed for a foul on Mooney, Notts got upfield and a cross from the right was volleyed into the net, acrobatically, by Wootton to make it 2-0 to the Magpies (75 mins).

Francis now replaced O'Brien (76 mins) before a promising Alty moved foundered as Pringle's low cross went behind Campbell (79 mins). Alty's final change saw Moult replace Marriott (80 mins).

Notts County wrapped up what had become a comfortable win with a third goal as Rodrigues's downward header from a Richardson ball from the right beat Thompson (84 mins). Campbell then tried an audacious lob from way out but his effort was over the bar. Four added minutes did not change the final score.

A much-changed Altrincham lacking four of its more potent forwards and featuring a number of fringe players had given a decent account of themselves in the first half but the second half was a much less impressive showing. Indeed the 3-0 defeat made the tally in away games against the top six read: six defeats, one goal scored and twenty-one conceded, underlining the gulf between mid-table respectability and the play-off places.


Full Time: NOTTS COUNTY 3
ALTRINCHAM 0