ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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LANCASTER CITY (1) 1
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1
played on Saturday, 13 July 2024 at 2pm
SUMMARY:
Altrincham's second friendly of the summer at The Giant Axe, in which they fielded two separate elevens in each half, ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Robins took an 18th minute lead through a Joe Nuttall header from a left-wing cross after trialist Sotona had got forward.
The lead was held for just six minutes before a Lancaster trialist (no.8) equalised with a low shot past Ross.
Alty had the better of the second half, hitting the woodwork twice, but there was to be no more scoring.
SCORERS:
- Joe NUTTALL (Lancaster City 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
- Trialist no.8 (Lancaster City 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
REFEREE: N/K
ATTENDANCE: N/K
TEAM NEWS:
Alty fielded two separate elevens in each half, kicking off with Ross, Baines, Kosylo and Cooper as the only starters from last year's National League games. New signings Joe Nuttall and Lucas Weaver also started, with four trialists and Academy graduate Owen German making up the remaining numbers.
The second half began with Banks, Eddy and James Jones, Osborne, Linney, Wilson and Newby from last year's league players plus new signing Tom Crawford and three trialist/Academy players.
The only members of the Alty squad for next season who did not play a part today were Max Haygarth, who was in the stands, Justin Amaluzor, Ollie Crankshaw and Isaac Marriott.
LINE-UPS:
LANCASTER CITY (Pale blue and white striped shirts, pale blue shorts and socks): The only City players who were not listed as anonymous trialists were 2. Sam Bailey (c), 4. Dylan Moonan, 6. Patrick Allington, 7. Jamie Mellen, 9. Marcus Cusani, 10. Dominic Lawson and 11. Nic Evangelinos, who all started the game.
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, white socks): FIRST HALF 1. Ethan ROSS, 2. Joe STARBUCK, 3. Damola SOTONA, 4. Lewis BAINES (c), 5. Jake COOPER, 6. Owen GERMAN, 7. Matty KOSYLO, 8. Regan GRIFFITHS, 9. Joe NUTTALL, 10. Ben MIDGLEY, 11. Lucas WEAVER.
SECOND HALF 20. Lewis FALLON(S), 21. Lewis BANKS, 14. Eddy JONES, 15. James JONES, 16. Dequane WILSON-BRAITHWAITE, 6. Elliot OSBORNE (c), 20* George WILSON, 12. Tom CRAWFORD, 18. Alex NEWBY, 22. Afernee DENISE, 19. Regan LINNEY
REPORT:
There was an early scare for an Altrincham side which is currently without a recognised reserve goalkeeper on their books, following the recent departure of Matt Gould, when an audacious forty-yard lob by a City player forced Ethan Ross to back-pedal. The Alty keeper ended up in the back of his own net and seemed to have hurt himself in the process of ensuring that the ball had just cleared his crossbar but he soon recovered (6 mins).
Lancaster were on the front foot in the opening stages as Alty's team of players unused to playing with each other took time to settle. For Alty, trialist Sotona was soon showing his pace up the left-back channel.
Soon, trialist Midgley got in an off-target shot for Alty before the hosts threatened with a ball across the face of the Alty goal which went unconverted (13 mins).
Alty were gradually getting their act together but they had not seriously threatened the home goal before they opened the scoring in the 18th minute. Sotona started the move with a speedy advance up the left before feeding Kosylo whose cross was headed in from around six yards by Nuttall, who had been left with too much space by the home defence.
The lead did not last long as Lancaster advanced on the left. The ball was laid inside to a trialist (no.8) whose low shot from the edge of the box beat the diving Ross to his right to make it one goal apiece (24 mins).
Altrincham responded well to the equaliser as the speedy Weaver surged into the box on the right and fired in a fierce shot which the keeper did well to block (25 mins).
Play had to be halted for treatment to both Starbuck and the home no.3, after a collision, but both resumed (29 mins).
The game was played throughout in a good spirit with very few stoppages for fouls. But there was an exception when Kosylo, annoyed with himself for losing possession, lunged at an opponent in midfield and earned a referee's lecture (34 mins). The resulting freekick was headed wide.
After another run by Sotona had earned a freekick, it was Lancaster who won the next corner, which was headed over the bar. Play progressed fairly evenly before a slip by Sotona allowed Lawson to force a diving save from Ross (45 mins).
Fiollowing a couple of added minutes, the half ended with the scores level.
Half-Time: LANCASTER CITY 1 |
Altrincham fielded an entirely new starting eleven which spared spectators the usual second-half ritual in pre-season games of play being repeatedly interrupted for substitutions.
Alty deployed Newby on the left and Denise on the right, with Banks and Eddy Jones getting forward from the back on the left and right respectively. The tall Wilson-Braithwaite, a trialist, was deployed alongside James Jones at the heart of defence.
The home side changed their keeper at the interval and, despite numerous anonyomous trialists being listed on their team sheet, only one was available to come on in the second half.
The second half opened fairly routinely but Alty's new midfielder from Hartlepool, Tom Crawford, was soon making an impression as his early shot was blocked (48 mins).
However, the visitors were endebted to their keeper Fallons as he saved an Evangelinos shot. Eddy Jones then blocked a shot by Cusani before the same Alty player got forward and fed George Wilson but his shot from 20 yards was sliced well off target (59 mins).
On the Alty right, Academy player Denise was showing electric pace and, when a through ball from Crawford set him in on goal, he was unfortunate to be flagged offside (62 mins).
Banks was also in evidence advancing on the right. However, there was little in the way of goalmouth action at this stage. When Eddy Jones seized on a poor goalkeeping clearance to the left pf goal, he played the ball inside to Linney whose shot was saved (66 mins).
Moments later an Alty shot was pushed onto his left post by the keeper, before the pressure continued as Denise went down in the box but the referee did not think it was a penalty and only a corner resulted (67 mins). After this flurry of activity Lancaster changed their keeper for their third custodian of the game (69 mins).
Alty were now on top with Crawford calm and assured for the visitors. Next, Banks and Denise combined with the latter laying the ball across the face of goal, a corner resulting (74 mins)
Immediately, Lancaster responded with two corners of their own in succession.
Play switched again and, for the second time, Denise went down under a challenge in the box and, again, his appeals for a penalty went unheard (78 mins)>
Alty remained on top as Linney fired low and just wide from 19 yards (80 mins) before Wilson fired well over the bar a minute later.
The pressure continued as Linney dispossessed an opponent and fed Crawford whose well-hit effort from 18 yards just cleared the bar (84 mins). Alty's pressure continued with Banks having an effort blocked by the keeper to win a corner.
There was still time for Crawford to hit a strong shot from around 23 yards which struck the crossbar with force (89 mins) but, despite Alty having the better of the second half, they had to settle for a draw in a generally entertaining game.
Full-Time: LANCASTER CITY 1 |