ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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GATESHEAD (1) 1
ALTRINCHAM (2) 3

Vanarama National League match
played on Tuesday, 4 October 2022 at 7.45pm

SUMMARY:

With this 3-1 win on Tyneside, Altrincham secured their first away win of the season, a result which lifted them out of the reglegation places.

But that was only achieved after a shaky Altrincham had got off to a dreadful start, falling behind inside two minutes. Campbell won possession and found Ward, whose pass was converted by midfielder Bailey with an impressive finish. And it got no better as possession was surrendered time and again in the first ten minutes.

But then a long ball from Mullarkey was well controlled by Dinanga who fed Conn-Clarke. Though Langley's feet stopped the midfielder's first effort, Conn-Clarke equalised despite home claims for offside (12 mins).

There was a further blow for the hosts when Blackett had to be subbed by Yussuf (16 mins). Yet Altrincham remained very much second best until Dinanga scored a fine 20-yarder from an Osborne feed to make it 1-2 (32 mins).

Second-half play was unexceptional till the 70th minute when Altrincham made it 3-1 as Stoke loanee Dan Malone finished calmly after Barrows and Conn-Clarke had combined well. Alty saw out the game without too many alarms to rise to eighteenth in the table.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Aaron Bannister

ATTENDANCE: 798 (29 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

For Altrincham, Stoke City loanee Dan Malone came back in to the starting eleven for Brad Jackson, and Aaron Bennett joined the bench after his absence on international duty for Wales. For The Heed, Carl Magnay was replaced by player-manager Mike Williamson and recent loan signing from Middlesbrough, Kamil Conteh, again started.

LINE-UPS:

GATESHEAD (White and black shirts, black shorts and white socks): 1. Dan Langley (Newcastle United loanee), 2. Robbie Tinkler, 24. Mike Williamson, 10. Greg Olley (c), 33. Luke Daley, 3. Ethan Pye (Stockport County loanee), 8. Owen Bailey, 11. Adam Campbell, 42. Kamil Conteh (Middlesbrough loanee), 12. Dan Ward, 9. Paul Blackett. Subs: 4. Dan Jarvis, 21. Rob Elliot, 20. Lirak Hasani, 41. Jevon Mills (Hull City loanee), 45. Adi Yussuf.

ALTRINCHAM (All dark blue with yellow sash on shirt, blue socks): 1. Oliver Byrne, 22. Ross Barrows, 5. Toby Mullarkey (c), 23. Jake Cooper, 2. Eddy Jones, 10. Elliot Osborne, 8. Josh Lundstram, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 31. Dan Malone, 11. Ryan Colclough, 30. Marcus Dinanga. Subs: 3. Liam Brockbank, 9. Jordan Hulme, 26. James Jones, 18. Ben Pringle, 27. Aaron Bennett.

BACKGROUND:

A 310-mile round trip on a blustery Tuesday night was not the ideal fixture for an Altrincham side seeking its first away win of the season and some vital points to help them climb away from the wrong end of the National League.

REPORT:

Following a minute's silence for the Indonesian stadium disater victims, the hosts kicked off. Altrincham got off to a dreadul start, unable to retain the ball and, inside two minutes, they found themselves a goal behind. Campbell gained possession and, via Ward, the ball came to Bailey who beat the esposed Byrne to give his side the lead.

Alty continued to play poorly as the ten-minute mark was reached. But then, against the run of play, the visitors equalised.

A long ball from Mullarkey was well controlled by Dinanga who laid the ball off for Conn-Clarke. His initial effort was saved by Langley's legs but the Fleetwood loanee coolly slotted home the rebound to make it 1-1 (12 mins).

Gateshead claimed offside in the build up to the goal, to no avail.

However, the equaliser did not immediately spark any marked improvement in Altrincham's play before the hosts suffered a blow as Blackett had to be taken off, injured, with the much-travelled Yussuf coming on for his twentieth different club in the past twelve years (16 mins).

With rain now falling, Altrincham belatedly showed some better form, though Gateshead were still proving an attacking threat, especially up the Alty left flank .

Midway through the half Barrows was booked for a late challenge (28 mins) as the hosts remained the pace setters. But around the half-hour mark Altrincham put together a decent move which acted as a prelude to a second goal for the visitors. It came through Osborne's feed to Dinanga who, after taking a couple of touches, unleashed a fine twenty-yard shot into the net to make the score 1-2 (32 mins).

Gateshead went close in response before Yussuf put an effort well wide (34 mins).

Osborne continued to impress as the interval approached. Just before the break Bailey suffered an injury which saw him limp on, after treatment, to reach the interval but he was fit to reappear for the second half.

Half-Time: GATESHEAD 1
ALTRINCHAM 2

As in the first half, Altrincham started the second period shakily with the Heed gaining three early corners (54 mins).

But it was Altrincham who went the closer to scoring when a Barrows long-range shot hit the top of the cross bar from 35 yards just before the hour mark.

Play was a bit scrappy as the hour mark was passed. After a good move, inspired by Osborne had ecome to nothing, the misdfielder was booked for a tug on an opponent (67 mins). Next Gateshead made a a change with Jarvis taking over from player-manager Williamson (67 mins).

Altrincham wrapped up the result with a third goal after 70 minutes. From the deep left, Lundstram sent a long ball to Barrows. He advanced and pulled the ball back for Conn-Clarke. In turn he fed Malone who calmly slotted the ball past Langley into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.

Soon afterwards Hulme and Bennett replaced Dinanga and Conn-Clarke (74 mins).

Play now drifted to some degree before Pringle replaced Osborne (80 mins). Three minutes later Hasani came on for Gateshead, replacing Daley (83 mins).

With Alty looking comfortable, they won a late corner (88 mins), after which an excellent run by Pringle ended in a good save by Langley (89 mins).

In the five added minutes each side won a corner but the score remained 1-3 as Altrincham recorded a deserved first away win of the season, which lifted them five places up to eighteenth in a very tight league table in which just three points now cover the bottom nine clubs.

Full Time: GATESHEAD 1
ALTRINCHAM 3

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