ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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GATESHEAD (2) 2
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
played on Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 7.45pm
SUMMARY:
After a very disappointing second half, Altrincham bowed out of the competition for the second year running at the hands of Gateshead, who now could look forward to a home tie against Stevenage with more than £22,000 in prize money and possible TV fees at stake in Round One.
After a quiet start, this game settled into an even contest, though Gateshead had to make an early change when Pye was replaced by Mills following a minor foul by Dinanga which caused the Gateshead man to fall awkwardly (18 mins). Things got worse for the hosts when Tinkler also had to go off injured with Hasani coming on at right-back (30 mins).
With Altrincham now looking the better side, Gateshead scored twice in as many minutes. Out of nothing, Byrne slipped over as a Mullarkey back-pass from the left was played across the front of the box, leaving a tap-in for Campbell (35 mins). And then the same scorer made it 2-0 from a routine ball up the middle which set him free (37 mins).
However, an error at the other end saw goalkeeper Langley make a mess of a Hulme shot, as his initial save only succeeded in giving Dinanga a tap-in to make it 2-1 (45 mins).
Gateshead made a further change at the break as Blackett replaced Ward, with Colclough coming on in place of Jackson eight minutes into the second half for Altrincham.
The second half was a disappointing affair with few moments of goalmouth threat at either end.
SCORERS:
- 35 mins: Adam CAMPBELL (Gateshead 1 ALTRINCHAM 0)
- 37 mins: Adam CAMPBELL (Gateshead 2 ALTRINCHAM 0)
- 45 mins: Marcus DINANGA (Gateshead 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)
REFEREE: Mr David Richardson
ATTENDANCE: 643 (58 in away section)
TEAM NEWS:
Altrincham again started without Ryan Colclough and made three changes from the original tie. Jake Cooper and Ben Pringle moved to the bench whilst Dan Malone dropped out of the squad. Ross Barrows returned in defence and striker Jordan Hulme also came in to start as did Brad Jackson. In addition, Egli Kaja returned from injury and was named on the bench.
For Gateshead, Gallagher started in place of Jarvis.
LINE-UPS:
GATESHEAD (White and black shirts, black shorts and white socks) 1. Dan Langley, 2. Robbie Tinkler, 32. Carl Magnay, 10. Greg Olley (c), 33. Luke Daley, 42. Kamil Conteh, 3. Ethan Pye, 8. Owen Bailey, 4. Dan Jarvis, 11. Adam Campbell, 12. Dan Ward, 28. Owen Gallagher. Subs: 31. James Montgomery, 41. Jevon Mills, 20. Lirak Husani, 15. Aaron Martin, 45. Abdillahie Yussuf, 9. Paul Blackett, 21. Rob Elliot
ALTRINCHAM (Dark blue shirts with yellow sash, dark blue shorts, yellow socks): 1. Oliver Byrne, 22. Ross Barrows, 5. Toby Mullarkey, 26. James Jones, 2. Eddy Jones, 10. Elliot Osborne, 8. Josh Lundstram, 17. Brad Jackson, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 9. Jordan Hulme (c), 30. Marcus Dinanga. Subs: 11. Ryan Colclough, 20. Aidan Roxburgh, 21. Matt Gould, 18. Ben Pringle, 23. Jake Cooper, 32. Zak Goodson, 33. Egli Kaja.
BACKGROUND:
This was the third meeting of the clubs in a fortnight after Alty had won the league match on Tyneside 3-1 and drawn 2-2 at home in the FA Cup to prompt this replay.
REPORT:
After an uneventful opening to the game, Altrincham slowly got on top without evidencing any real likelihood of scoring (13 mins).
Then Hulme cut in well and forced Pye to produce a good piece of defensive cover (15 mins). However, soon afterwards, Pye was injured as he seemed to fall awkwardly following a routine foul by Dinanga. The Gateshead man had to be replaced by Mills (18 mins).
Byrne was then called in action to save from Campbell, after good work from Olley, with light rain now falling (20 mins).
Next, a Tinkler shot forced Byrne into a save, low down, which he held well (21 mins). At the other end, a Conn-Clarke effort narrowly missed the far post (24 mins). The same player then cleared the bar with another shot (26 mins).
After Eddy Jones had won the ball legally off Tinkler, the Gateshead man needed treatment and had to be subbed by Hasani (30 mins).
So, with two men taken off injured and Altrincham now on top, it came as a shock that the Heed scored twice in as many minutes.
First, a Mullarkey pass across the pitch towards the keeper evaded the oncoming Byrne, who appeared to lose his footing, leaving Campbell with a simple task of walking the ball into the net from fifteen yards or so (35 mins).
Then a routine ball up the middle set Campbell free to beat Byrne and double the home lead (37 mins).
The goals boosted the home team who soon won a corner, from which Bailey's header forced an important save by Byrne. Moments later the Alty goalkeeper was again called into action to save from Ward as Alty rocked defensively (42 mins).
As half-time approached a Conn-Clarke shot elicited unanswered appeals for handball but, moments later, following an Alty overlap on the right, Langley saved a Hulme shot but contrived to knock the ball out to Dinanga who netted from close range to make it 2-1. It was the striker's fifth goal in five consecutive matches (45 mins).
So Alty went off at the break, hopeful of retrieving the game in the second half against a Gateshead side which had lost two players to injury and was about to replace a third for the second half
Half-Time: GATESHEAD 2 |
At the break another change, presumably enforced, saw Gateshead introduce Blackett for Ward and the new man soon got in a shot at goal (46 mins).
In a quiet start, Alty did win a 51st minute corner through James Jones but there was little excitement before Ryan Colclough came on for Brad Jackson in the 53rd minute.
After a foul on Gallagher by James Jones, which earned him a yellow card (55 mins), Olley's freekick hit the wall. But then a Mullarkey sliced clearance gave the Heed a corner as Alty made little impression in the second half (56 mins).
However, things improved as Conn-Clarke forced a save and then a corner by Eddy Jones was headed goalwards by Colclough, only for Langley to save it (62 mins).
Another home corner came and went before Hulme volleyed a decent chance over the bar at the other end (66 mins).
But Alty suffered a blow when, after Langley had made a save, Mullarkey was injured when he was caught late after playing a through ball. Following treatment on a badly gashed foot, he had to be subbed but no freekick was awarded for the foul on the Alty defender (69 mins).
It was Cooper who replaced his fellow centre-back, who had to be helped off the pitch and later went to hospital (71 mins). Altrincham, having lost their vice-captain Mullarkey, their captain, Jordan Hulme, also now left the game, subbed by Kaja on 74 minutes. The Albanian was returning from injury after making two impressive cameos earlier in the season.
It now fell to Osborne to assume the captaincy before Alty managed to win two corners by the 79th minute. But the hosts were still a threat as shown when Campbell shot narrowly wide (84 mins).
Another Alty corner came to naught (88 mins) before a foul on Colclough earned Conteh a caution (90 mins).
Four added minutes produced two more Altrincham corners but neither threatened a goal as Altrincham disappointingly bowed out of the FA Cup and a potential money-spinner, given the £22000+ prize money for winners in Round One plus potential TV fees for the clash at home to Stevenage which was the prize for tonight's replay victorrs.
Altrincham also foresook a £9,000 prize for this Round, picking up only about a third of that sum as the losers.
And with Mullarkey presumably out of action for a little while, Alty now face an important trio of National League matches. On Saturday, they face the long trek to bottom club Torquay United before a midweek home clash against Oldham Athletic and then an away game at Wrexham.
This Cup defeat means that Altrincham, so long hailed as FA Cup giantkillers, have only got past Round One twice in the past twenty years and have not reached the Third Round since the 1995 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.
Full Time: GATESHEAD 2 |