ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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SOLIHULL MOORS (2) 5
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1

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

SUMMARY:

Altrincham fell to a heavy defeat as they were left still seeking a first win after seven National League fixtures. They now lie second bottom, above only Scunthorpe United, and the Robins are now the only team without a win this season in the National League.

Having made five changes, (see below), Altrincham fell behind after twenty minutes when an unnecessary Aaron Bennett foul on Jamey Osborne gave the Moors a free-kick from 22 yards. Former Maidenhead man Kelly scored directly from the freekick to give the Moors the lead (20 mins).

Not long afterwards it could have got worse but Reid hit the post from eight yards (26 mins). Five minutes later Whelan's free header should also have found the back of the Altrincham net but he headed wide (31 mins).

But a wonderful shot off the underside of the bar by Aaron Bennett (above, right), after good work by Ryan Colclough, gave Altrincham an equaliser (36 mins). Then, as Alty enjoyed a good spell, a Josh Lundstram shot forced a fine save and gained a corner (39 mins).

However, against the immediate run of play, Maycock chipped Mee from fifteen yards to make it 2-1 (42 mins). That remained the interval score.

Then for the third successive game, Altrincham conceded just after the re-start, with Reid side-footing home after Eddy Jones had lost possession (48 mins). So, 3-1 it was.

Midway through the second half Altrincham gave new forward Zak Goodson a debut in place of Dinanga whilst Brad Jackson replaced Aaron Bennett on the right wing (66 mins).

Moments after a stoppage for changes by both sides, Altrincham again lacked concentration and Reid scored his second goal to make it 4-1 (73 mins). In added time, Reid completed his hat-trick as he back-heeled home after a corner to leave the outcome 5-1 (90+3 mins).

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Wayne Cartmel

ATTENDANCE: 1,422 (118 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

After Phil Parkinson had made six changes to his starting eleven last Monday he made another five alterations to his line-up for this game at Solihull.

Out went Jordan Hulme and Lewis Baines, who were both unable to complete the match on Monday, whilst Jake Cooper, Brad Jackson (left) and Ben Pringle moved to the bench, where new signings Zak Goodson and Dan Malone joined that trio.

Into the starting eleven came three loanees (Chris Conn-Clarke, Aaron Bennett and Eddy Jones), along with striker Marcus Dinanga and centre-back James Jones.

Loanee goalkeeper Dermot Mee was again preferred to Ollie Byrne, whilst neither Egli Kaja nor Alex Sami was involved.

So far this season, 25 players have been named in an Altrincham matchday squad in the seven fixtures to date.

Moors were without regular starters in Dallas, Sbarra and Howe.

LINE-UPS:

SOLIHULL MOORS (Yellow) 18. Louie Moulden, 2. James Clarke, 3. Ben Coker, 10. Jamey Osborne, 8. Callum Maycock, 11. Ryan Barnett, 12. Reiss McNally, 14. Josh Kelly, 15. Fiacre Kelleher, 19. Alex Reid, 20. Callum Whelan Subs: 4. Kyle Storer, 5. Callum Howe 9. Andrew Dallas, 16. Ethan Vaughan, 27. Connor Parsons

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 29. Dermot Mee, 5. Toby Mullarkey (c), 26. James Jones, 22. Ross Barrows, 2. Eddy Jones, 10. Elliot Osborne, 8. Josh Lundstram, 27. Aaron Bennett, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 11. Ryan Colclough, 30. Marcus Dinanga. Subs: 17. Brad Jackson, 18. Ben Pringle, 23. Jake Cooper, 32. Zak Goodson, 31. Dan Malone

BACKGROUND:

Altrincham arrived in the Midlands for game seven of the season and they were still seeking their first win of the 2022/23 campaign. For their part the Moors lay fifth in te table as they sought, at least, to emulate their play-off finish of last season.

REPORT:

Altrincham arrived in the Midlands still seeking a first win of the season after six attempts.

The hosts started the better side but, apart from a Reid header which went narrowly wide, Altrincham got through the first ten minutes without too many alarms.

Indeed they went close to taking the lead themselves, on 13 minutes, when Conn-Clarke, on the right, fed Dinanga but he put his effort wide of the upright.

And soon afterwards, a good turn by Lundstram led to the ball reaching Conn-Clarke, via Bennett. However, his dipping shot from a distance was no problem for the keeper (14 mins). Play soon switched and, following an Osborne foul, Coker's freekick produced a Reid header which went just wide (16 mins).

Next, a Barnett cross led to a corner conceded by Osborne but Coker's flag-kick came to nothing. However, the home side was now applying some pressure, though a Bennett foul on Jamey Osborne was an unnecessary intervention by the Alty loanee. Altrincham paid a high price as former Maidenhead man Kelly netted directly from the freekick, scoring from just over twenty yards out (20 mins).

It almost became 2-0 soon afterwards as Reid now hit the post, from eight yards or so, when he should have converted a cross, as he tried to sidefoot home (26 mins).

When Osborne slid in to a challenge on Whelan, he not only conceded another freekick but picked up a booking (27 mins). The freekick, some 35 yards out, came to naught.

On the half-hour Alty created a half-chance but Eddy Jones got in a poor shot after cutting in from the flank. The hosts then missed another good chance as Whelan put in an unchallenged header wide (31 mins).

But as things looked worrying for the visitors, Altrincham scored an equaliser. Bennett fed Colclough who got past Clarke. The ball was half cleared to Bennett who netted with a fine shot into the top corner of the net, off the underside of the crossbar (36 mins).

After Whelan had picked up a booking (38 mins) a fine shot by Lundstram forced a fine save, which gave Alty a corner, as the visitors began to enjoy a good spell. Mullarkey had started the move before Colclough had fed Lundstram from near the byline.

But just as Altrincham looked as if they might make a game of it, they conceded a second goal.

Kelly was involved in the build up before Maycock chipped the ball over Mee from about fifteen yards (42 mins). Former Stockport forward Reid was proving a handful and he soon won his side a late first-half corner which James Jones cleared to keep the interval score at 2-1.

Half-Time: SOLIHULL MOORS 2
ALTRINCHAM 1

Having conceded goals immediately after half-time in both of their last two matches, incredibly Altrincham did so again. In the 48th minute Eddy Jones lost possession and Reid went on to sidefoot home a third goal for the Moors.

And it was not to be the last time in this game that a stoppage in play was soon followed by Alty conceding a goal.

However, before then, Alty did muster a response to the Moors' third goal as, first, Bennett fed Conn-Clarke whose shot was blocked (54 mins), before Colclough and Eddy Jones combined to feed Osborne whose shot had to be cleared off the line (55 mins).

As the hour mark passed Mullarkey saw his long-range shot clear the bar (61 mins), after which Conn-Clarke sliced a cross across the face of goal.

Midway through the half, Alty made a double swap as Jackson and new signing Goodson replaced Bennett and Dinanga (66 mins). Though he had conceded twice, Mee had scarcely been tested before he made a routine save from a Barnett effort (70 mins).

At the other end James Jones headed a corner over the bar before there was another stoppage for both sides to make changes. Dallas came on for Barnett and Storer replaced Whelan for Solihull. At the same time Pringle replaced Conn-Clarke (72 mins).

And just as after the interval, Altrincham seemed to lack concentration following a pause in play as, now, Reid was allowed to score his side's fourth goal (73 mins).

Soon afterwards, Parson replaced Kelly for the Moors (75 mins). As the game went into the final ten minutes, Parsons won a corner which Mee punched poorly before Mullarkey prevented Kelleher from taking advantage of the keeper's error (82 mins).

Play drifted on with Altrincham well beaten but the hosts added a fifth during the decreed four added minutes. It came from a corner, which was not cleared, and Reid was able to backheel his hat-trick goal (90+3 mins).

Defeat dropped Alty four places to second from bottom and they are now the only club in the National League yet to win a game. Six changes last Monday then five today show that the Robins have a far from settled line-up, a situation exacerbated by the need to integrate another three new arrivals this week.

Rotation of the goalkeepers is another potentially unsetting aspect of Alty's season. The selection of Mee in goal ahead of summer signing Byrne is presumably dictated by a requirement to play the Manchester United loanee and, with an ever-changing back four, there is a wider defensive fragility. At the other end, there has yet to be a goal scored this season by an Alty striker.

Full Time: SOLIHULL MOORS 5
ALTRINCHAM 1

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