ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
Return to News Page
ALTRINCHAM (0) 1
OLDHAM ATHLETIC (0) 0
played on Tuesday, 25 October 2022 at 7.45pm
SUMMARY:
Altrincham deservedly took the points against a disappointing Oldham side who started quite brightly but faded badly in the second half.
Shots were at a premium in the first half but Altrincham's second-half dominance got its reward after 72 minutes when Colclough and Conn-Clarke combined for the Fleetwood loanee to curl a superb curling shot from twenty-plus yards into the upper reaches of the Oldham net.
Watched by Joe Royle, the Latics were booed at the end by a section of the 1,606 travelling supporters in a magnificent midweek gate of 3,553. The win lifted Altrincham to fifteenth in the National League.
SCORERS:
- 72 mins: Chris CONN-CLARKE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Oldham Athletic 0)
REFEREE: Mr Ed Duckworth
ATTENDANCE: 3,553 (1,606 in away end)
TEAM NEWS:
Altrincham started with the same eleven and same players on the bench who had been named at Torquay the previous Saturday. Oldham brought in Couto for Gardner but were otherwise unchanged from the previous weekend, which had seen a 2-0 victory over Yeovil for recently appointed manager Dave Unsworth.
Alty were again without injured vice-captain Toby Mullarkey, as well as longer-term injured players Kosylo, Baines and Marriott.
LINE-UPS:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Oliver Byrne, 22. Ross Barrows, 23. Jake Cooper, 26. James Jones, 2. Eddy Jones, 10. Elliot Osborne, 8. Josh Lundstram, 11. Ryan Colclough, 16. Chris Conn-Clarke, 9. Jordan Hulme (c), 30. Marcus Dinanga. Subs: 21. Matt Gould, 17. Brad Jackson, 18. Ben Pringle, 31. Dan Malone, 33. Egli Kaja.
OLDHAM ATHLETIC (Blue shirts and socks, white shorts): 19. Magnus Norman, 2. Jordan Clarke, 3. Zaine Francis-Angol, 24. David Okagbue, 14. Nathan Sheron, 6. Lois Maynard, 21. Oscar Threlkeld, 33. Benny Couto, 17. John Rooney, 18. Ben Tollitt, 20. Mike Fondop-Talum. Subs: 1. Jayson Leutwiler, 16. Charlie Cooper, 34. Harry Vaughan, 23. Charlie Willens, 25. Conor Carty
BACKGROUND:
Although this was the ninth time that the clubs had met competitively, including four home matches in Altrincham, this was the Latics first visit to Moss Lane for a competitive match though friendlies had been played there in 1922 and 1968.
Oldham had yet to win away from home in the league and they had their celebrated former manager Joe Royle in attendance. Meanwhile there were also some Alty heroes watching the match in the shape of Gary Scott, Robbie Lawton and Eddie Hussin from the 2005 promotion side.
There was a magnificent attendance for a weekday evening match between two clubs in the lower half of the National League.
REPORT:
Oldham Athletic kicked off towards the Golf Road end and they started quite brightly, roared on by more than 1600 visiting supporters. In just the third minute Altrincham were opened up by a ball over the top and were pleased to se Tollitt's lob over the advancing Byrne land on the roof of the net rather than in it.
The sides were trding pacey forward movements but without troubling either goalkeeper seriously at this stage. Alty's best early effort saw Coclough cut in from the right but his shot from 30 yards was comfortably saved by Norman (8 mins)
When Angol was beaten by a smart turn from Coclough, the defender tripped the Alty man to concede a freekick just outside the box. Conn-Clarke's well flighted curling freekick was met by Dinanga's head but he could only nod wide of the far post (12 mins).
After a fairly even opening Altrincham began to get the upper hand without ever threatening to score before Oldham responded with a shot which Byrne collected as he crossed the byline to conceded a corner, which the Alty keeper was to punch well clear (21 mins).
Colclough and Conn-Clarke were looling lively and Hulme was also working hard as Alty got forward. It was from another Conn-Clarke cross that Hulme was just unable to get his head on the ball as it drifetd across the penalty area (26 mins).
Alty then won a corner from which James Jones's near-post header went over the bar (28 mins). Jones and Cooper had steady games in the centre of the home defence.
Alty continued to look threatening without any end-product. The nearest to a goal came on 32 minutes when a diagonal ball forard from Coclough, left of goal, was met my a stretching Dinanga but he was only able to direct it into the side netting.
Rain was now falling on many of the away fans in the uncovered end as Colclough embarked on a fine run, only to be fouled by Threlkeld, who was booked (36 mins). Nevertheless, Alty continued to get forward and won a corner just as one added minute was announced. But this corner came to nothing, leaving the half goalless despite Altrincham having had the better of things.
Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM 0 |
Altrincham started the second half well and, soon, a well-struck Lundstarm shot from the edge of the box was blocked. Oldham then had to replace Threlkeld who went down with a leg injury and Carty came on in his place (50 mins).
An Alty freekick and a corner came and went (55 mins) before Eddy Jones got into the box and was barged over though the referee was probably within his rights to view it as a shoulder charge. Next a well-struck Barrows effort unfortunately hit Conn-Clarke in the goalmouth. Oldham then belatedly got forward but Tollitt's effort was too high (59 mins).
It was all Alty as the hour mark passed, though they were not getting too many clear sights of goal. They now brought on Kaja for Hulme and as one no.33 came on another went off as Oldham subbed Couto for Vaughan (63 mins). Colcough now assumed the captain's role for Alty.
Kaja soon made his mark with a good run on the right but his pull-back was behind his team mates in the goalmouth (66 mins).
A needless foul by Conn-Clarke now gave Oldham some respite, at the other end, but Byrne caught the dead-ball kick confidently.
The defining moment of the match arrived in the 72nd minute when Lundstram, aho had a good game and was to be named Man of the Match, fed Conn-Clarke who exchanged passes with Colclough before curling a fine 22 yard shot into the upper reaches of the Oldham goal at the near post to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Afterwards, when a cross came into the Alty box Clarke and Eddy Jones both went for a header and collided in the air, the ball coming off one or other player's head onto the Alty crossbar. But the Oldham man was the worse hurt of the two players by the clash of heads and, after treatment, Wellens had to replace the stricken Oldham defender (78 mins).
The away supporters were now somehat subdued as they saw that their team had been second-best for most of the second half.
The best that Oldham could muster in added time was a scuffed shot by Vaughan, which ran to to Byrne, from a cross from the left (90+3 mins).
Altrincham were the deserved winners and a section of the away support showed its unhapiness at its team's performance with a chorus of boos at the final whistle.
Alty meanwhile moved up to fifteenth as they extended their unbeaten run to four games in the league ahead of their away trip to Wrexham on Saturday.
Full Time: ALTRINCHAM 1 |