ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
CHESTERFIELD (0) 2
played on Monday, 29 August 2022 at 3pm
SUMMARY:
After Chesterfield had started well, Alty grew into the game which, at times, became a little feisty. Just as they had 48 hours earlier, Alty took an added -time lead before the interval. The goal came when an Osborne freekick was nodded down by Barrows for Mullarkey to sweep into the net (45+2 mins).
But again, just the same as on Saturday, Altrincham immediately conceded after the break. But it was worse this time as they actually conceded twice in five minutes. First a King freekick was headed home by Williams (46 mins) and then Tshimanga scored when he diverted a Williams header into the net following a corner (51 mins).
Altrincham struggled to impose themselves for much of the second half as a crowd of more than three thousand saw the Spireites largely in control before they wound the clock down successfully.
SCORERS:
- 45(+2) mins: Toby MULLARKEY (ALTRINCHAM 1 Chesterfield 0)
- 46 mins: Tyrone WILLIAMS (ALTRINCHAM 1 Chesterfield 1)
- 51 mins: Kabongo TSHIMANGA (ALTRINCHAM 1 Chesterfield 2)
REFEREE: Mr Paul Marsden
ATTENDANCE: 3,169 (1,256 in away section)
TEAM NEWS:
There were a surprising six changes for Altrincham, as Phil Parkinson included a rotation of both goalkeeper and lone striker amongst the amendments. Equally surprising was the absence of Kaja who had impressed in a cameo 48 hours earlier and fellow forward Sami was also excluded.
Also unusual was a start for Pringle who had been a used sub in the first five fixtures this season, cameos which in total had amounted to just 88 minutes (plus added time).
There was a debut for Ross Barrows at right-back and a season's debut start for Brad Jackson who had not played for 39 games in the National League because of injury.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 29. Dermot Mee, 5. Toby Mullarkey, 23. Jake Cooper, 6. Lewis Baines, 22. Ross Barrows, 10. Elliot Osborne, 8. Josh Lundstram, 17. Brad Jackson, 11. Ryan Colclough, 18. Ben Pringle, 9. Jordan Hulme (c). Subs: 3. Liam Brockbank, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 26. James Jones, 27. Aaron Bennett, 30. Marcus Dinanga
CHESTERFIELD (All blue): 31. Lucas Covolan, 12. Tyrone Williams, 5. James Grimes (c), 28. Ollie Banks, 26. Darren Oldaker, 3. Branden Horton, 20. Jeff King, 17. Armando Dobra, 7. Liam Mandeville, 19. Akwasi Asante, 27. Joe Quigley. Subs: 6. Laurence Maguire, 9. Kabongo Tshimanga, 10. George Cooper, 18. Jesurun Uchegbulam, 35. Mike Jones
BACKGROUND:
Altrincham welcomed Chesterfield to the J. Davidson Stadium for the sixth fixture of the season and the third game at Moss Lane. Alty were still seeking their first win but had only lost once so far this season, after securing four draws out of the preceding five games. The Spireites arrived in third place, one point behind the leaders Wealdstone following their victory over the then leaders, Barnet. So the Derbyshire side played at Altrincham after enjoying the best part of an additional day's rest compared with their hosts.
REPORT:
Watched by Alty's celebrated former captain and manager, John King, whose nephew was in the visitors' side, Altrincham lost the toss and were obliged, for the first time this season, to play the first half towards Golf Road and defend their goal in front of a packed away end.
Chesterfield started the superior side and, as early as the seventh minute, Mullarkey had to clear of the line from Mandeville after Jackson had been caught out of position on the right. The visitors soon threatened again as a low cross from the left by Horton was back-heeled towards goal by Quigley but Mee saved very comfortably (6 mins).
However, the visitors suffered an early injury blow when Asante went down off the ball and, after treatment, had to be replaced by Tshimanga (9 mins). The substitutuion came just after Pringle had been lectured for a foul on King.
The feisty King soon exacted his revenge on Pringle with a clattering tackle and the Spireites right-back likewise received a lecture (11 mins).
Altrincham's first threat at the other ended with a Colclough shot from the left which Covolan saved (12 mins). This signalled an improvement from the hosts with Hulme particularly impressing as he closed down Williams and the keeper at every opportunity.
Indeed, the Alty captain now also won a corner off Williams before Colclough's ball from the left was slightly too high for Cooper in the visitors' box (17 mins).
Play then switched as King earned his side a corner which came to nothing. Next, Ludstram became the first to see yellow for a foul on Banks (24 mins).
Akty responded by winning a corner off King from an Osborne cross and the visitors hacked this away after a bit of a melee (26 mins). The hosts were now doing well despite their much changed personnel. Indeed, a fine dribble inside the box by the hardworking Hulme now forced a decent save from Covolan (28 mins).
Several times this season Colclough has gone down easily under challenges and referees have got wise to that but here he seemed to be clearly fouled in side the box but stayed on his feet. His honesty got no response from the referee who possibly based his decsision on the player's reputation rather than on what had actually happened (30 mins).
However, Mr Marsden did give a freekick moments later when Colclough was even more clearly fouled by Oldaker.
Mee, in the Alty goal, was having a very quiet afternoon and it had been Covolan who had been the busier of the two custodians. And the Chesterfield number one was soon in action again, albeit making a routine stop after Chesterfield had allowed Jackson to get free on the right byline. The Alty winger could only turn the ball harmlessly to the keeper from a sharp angle (35 mins).
An off-target shot by Banks earned a fortuitous corner from a deflection but this came to nothing in a first half which was now providing plenty of entertainment.
After a King cross had been headed well over the bar by Quigley, Coclough soon found an opening left of goal but he opted to shoot, off-target into the side netting, when laying the ball to his right would have been a better option. Phil Parkinson held his head in his hands (40 mins).
Play switched to the other end wher Mee gathered a Quigley low cross at the second attempt before King won his side a corner. Following this, Chesterfield shouldhave scored as Williams slid in but fromclose range sliced his effort at 45 degrees instead of 90 allowing Mee to smother the ball.
When the Albanian Dobra fouled Hule he injured himself (44 mins) after some sustained treatment he hobbled to the sidelines before, surprisingly, coming back onto the pitch.
from the resulting freekick some 40 yards out, near the left touchline, Osborne's delivery was nodded down by Barrows for Mullarkey to sweep into the net from close range (45+2 mins). For the second game in 48 hours Alty had gone ahead in first-half added time.
After play resumed to complete a decreed four added minutes, Dobra sat down and had to be subbed, with Uchegbulam being his replacement (45+5 mins).
Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 |
48 hours earlier Alty had led 1-0 at the break at Boreham Wood, only to concede an equaliser straight after the break and today history repeated itself... only worse, as this time they let in two goals in the first five minutes of the second half.
The first goal arrived barely a minute after the resumption as a King freekick, from the left, was headed home by Williams (46 mins).
King then won a corner as his cross, which was drifting out of play, tempted Mee and he must have got a slight touch as a corner was awarded. Following this, Osborne lost the ball and and Hulme was pulled up for a foul. Moments later Quigley shot wide and, again, a corner resulted from a deflection.
From the left, the corner was knocked down by Williams and struck Tshimanga who diverted it home from close range to turn the game around as Chesterfield seized the lead (51 mins).
It could have got worse as Lundstram, already booked, now tripped Oldaker but he escaped with a lecture delivered to him in the company of his captain (54 mins). Moments later Conn-Clarke came on for Jackson who is still regaining match fitness after a lengthy lay-off (55 mins).
As the visitors pressed, Lundstram made a fine block and the ball rebounded to Colclough who advanced upfield but his shot from 20 yards was well saved by Covolan .
A minor infrngement by Hulme earned his a booking (59 mins) before an Osborne trip caused another interruption in play. Next, Mandeville found Tshimanga who poked the ball wide.
Osborne had a mixed day and, after he had lost possession, King fed Oldaker whose shot was shovelled out for a corner by Mee (61 mmins). Play was pretty even now as Conn-Clarke put in a testing ball towards the back post where a stretching Colclough was just unable to turn it home.
Now Bennett came on for Osborne (68 mins) before a strange injury befell Hulme who went down in pain and, after treatment, emerged with a finger strapped up, perhaps having dislocated or broken the digit (70 mins).
A barge by Banks on Lundstram now earned him a yellow card (72 mins) before Hulme sat down and, after further treatment, he had to come off in apparent pain, to be replaced by Dinanga (78 mins).
As Dinanga got free, after smarlty dispossesing Grimes, he was fouled by Horton, who was booked (81 mins). The visitors were now timewasting but the lively Uchegbulam won a corner off a shot which hit Lundstram (86 mins). Just after five added minutes had been announced, Jones replaced Tshimanga (90+1 mins). Then Covolan sat down for some treatment to disrupt play further.
Alty did then win a corner which prompted a melee (90+3 mins) with Baines who had been injured in the process, crawling off the pitch and leaving Alty down to ten men. Chesterfield saw out the closing minutes without undue alarm.
Alty had given a good account of themselves especially in the first half but once Chesterfield had got ahead it never really looked as if they would lose their grip on the game. The win lifted them to top of the league as their 1500 well-behaved spectators expresed their delight at the result.
Meanwhile Alty travel to Solihull next Saturday seeking a first win of the season at the seventh attempt.
Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 |