ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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ALTRINCHAM (0) 0
STOCKPORT COUNTY (2) 2
played on Saturday, 23 July 2022 at 3pm
SUMMARY:
Watched by 2,119 spectators of whom almost exactly a half came from Stockport, Altrincham lost their first home friendly of the summer. They fell behind to a twelfth-minute penalty awarded, rather harshly, for handball. Madden netted from the spot though Gould almost kept it out.
The lead was doubled by Horsfall's unmarked back-post header from a corner just ten minutes later. It looked as if Alty would be in for a drubbling at that stage but they got to half-time without further mishap.
The second half, during which Alty deployed eight substitutes, was goalless but Alty scarcely troubled Hinchliffe in the County goal throughout the afternoon. Lundstram was arguably Alty's man of the match.
SCORERS:
- 12 mins: Paddy MADDEN (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM 0 Stockport County 1)
- 22 mins: Fraser HORSFALL (ALTRINCHAM 0 Stockport County 2)
REFEREE: TBC
ATTENDANCE: 2,119 (1,056 in away end)
TEAM NEWS:
Altrincham named two separate elevens for each half but, in the end, only deployed eight of the "second eleven" during the second period. On paper, the first-half team was by far the stronger with trialist Gribbin the only non-member of the first-team squad. In contrast the second eleven included five trialists and an Academy player plus five first-team squad members.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red and white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Matt Gould, 2. Aidan Roxburgh, 3. Liam Brockbank, 5. Toby Mullarkey, 6. Lewis Baines, 8. Josh Lundstram, 4. Elliot Osborne, 10. Chris Conn-Clarke, 9. Jordan Hulme, 7. Callum Gribbin (trialist), 11. Ryan Colclough. Used subs: 1*. Oliver Byrne, 16. Jake Cooper, 12. Ben Pringle, 19. Brad Jackson, 14. Marcus Dinanga, and three trialists. Unused subs: Harlan Rodgers-Morris and two trialists
STOCKPORT COUNTY (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts): 1. Ben Hinchliffe, 31. Joe Lewis, 6. Fraser Horsfall, 15. Ryan Johnson, 2. Macauley Southam Hales, 14. Will Collar, 8. Cal Camps, 7. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 17. Ryan Rydel, 9. Paddy Madded, 19. Kyle Wootton. Subs: Keane Barragh, Ellis Farrar, Leo Tanswell-Bargas
BACKGROUND:
This was Altrincham's first pre-season home game after four away fixtures.
REPORT:
On a cloudy afternoon, Stockport kicked off defending the well-populated away end and they dominated the opening stages. An early error by Mullarkey meant that Gould had to rush out smartly to smother impending danger, after just six minutes. Next, a good run by Southam-Hales up the right ended with a low ball a cross the Alty box which went unconverted.
But Stockport took the lead in controvresial circumstances. Will Collar had just been put through and his effort was heading towards an unguarded net when Osborne did superbly to hook the ball away as he raced towards his own goal-line. Just as Alty were celebrating a narrow escape, the referee stunned the home crowd as he pointed to the spot.
A follow-up by Wootton had struck Lundstram's arm at very short range but the referee decided this warranted a spot-kick though the Alty man could not have got out of the way of the ball. Madden stepped up and scored, though Gould almost stopped it, low to his right (12 mins).
Soon afterwards, Camps hit a well-executed volley which just cleared the bar (13 mins). Alty finally threatened at the other end as Mullarkey fed Conn-Clarke and, from the right by-line, his low cross was claverly flicked towards goal by Hulme but the the effort went comfortably wide (20 mins).
So, just as the hosts looked to be getting into the game, they fell behind to a penalty awarded, rather harshly, for handball. The "offender" seemed to have little chance to evade the ball striking his arm. Madden stepped up but Gould almost saved his penalty as he dived, low, to his right but it was now 2-0 (22 mins).
County's new man from Notts County, Kyle Wootton, now headed wide (25 mins) whilst 'keeper Hinchliffe remained a spectator at the other end.
On the half-hour Alty did put together a good move, initiated by Lundstram, who was the pick of the Alty players this afternoon. But, next, Colclough's shot, from an uncharacteristic inside-right berth, was narrowly wide of the target (29 mins).
After a mistake by Roxburgh a County shot earned a corner but this came to naught and Alty went on to reach half-time with the deficit remaining two goals.
Stockport started the second half unchanged whilst Altrincham made two amendments as Byrne replaced Gould in goal and Jackson operated on the right wing in place of Gribbin who had had a disappointingly quiet first half.
After Alty had kicked off, Colclough soon fired high and wide (46 mins). But County soon threatened again as Southam-Hales once more advanced on the right and, from his cross Collar saw his effort blocked (52 mins). Byrne then made an excellent point-blank stop from another Southam-Hales cross as Wootton diverted it towards goal (52 mins).
On the hour, Alty made five changes with Colclough, Baines, Mullarkey, Conn-Clark and Hulme all replaced, by Cooper and a trialist (no.17) at centre-back, Pringle, Dinanga and another trialist (no.24) on the left-wing.
As play resumed the visitors won a cornerand then a freekick,which led to a flying save by Byrne, to his right (63 mins).
As Alty laboured even to get a shot on goal, Dinanga produced a well-struck effort but it went straight to Hinchliffe (67 mins).
At the other end, Wootton then forced another save from Byrne (70 mins), who did well in the second half.
Alty now made a further change as a trialist midfielder (no.15) replaced Osborne in midfield (75 mins). The new player looked full of running but he soon found himself in the book for a mis-timed challenge (82 mins).
After a misplaced Altrincham pass, Collar fired over the bar (84 mins). The game concluded soon after Lewis had headed wide (89 mins). Stockport were good value for their win whilst Altrincham again struggled to provide much of a goal threat throughout the ninety minutes.
Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
STOCKPORT COUNTY 2
Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 0
STOCKPORT COUNTY 2