ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (0) 1
MORECAMBE RESERVES (2) 2

Lancit Haulage Lancashire League Match
played on Wednesday, 12 December, 2005


LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shirts with black panels, black shorts): 1. Craig ELLISON, 2. James MARSDEN, 3. Ashley BROWN, 4. Colin McALLISTER, 5. Laurence BALL, 6. Byron JENKINS, 7. Michael BROWN, 8. Kieran KILACKY, 9. Pat McFADDEN, 10. Kwame BARNETT, 11. John MALONEY . Subs: 12. Paul MONAGHAN, 14.Alex TIESSE, 15. Michael RISK.

MORECAMBE RESERVES: S. Davies, Walmsley, Gray, J.Davies, Meekes, Helliwell, Dodgson, Smith, Lloyd, Randell (West 88), Makin (Helme 87). Unused subs: Storey, Wilkes.


REPORT

With no first-team Altrincham regulars in the side tonight, manager Neil Brown had to make five changes from the side which did so well to win at Bradford last week. Craig Ellison replaced Richard Acton in goal, James Marsden returned in place of Steve Aspinall at right-back, the Reserves' captain being fresh from his debut for the first team the previous night in a friendly at Witton. Colin McAllister returned in place of Stephen Rose in defence, whilst trialist Byron Jenkins moved into midfield for Paul Monaghan. Pat McFadden moved to a central striking position from the left, and tonight played alongside Kwame Barnett who moved up from the bench to replace Rod Thornley. Likewise John Maloney was promoted from the bench to start on the left. A newcomer on the Alty bench was England U-18 player Alex Tiesse (now aged 20), from the Ivory Coast, who had been at Millwall as a youngster and was then released by manager Dennis Wise before joining Woking from August 2004, where he made 1(+2) Conference appearances last season. On the bench, Tiesse was joined by Michael Risk, the Alty youth team defender.

Watching the match was Morecambe's caretaker manager Sammy McIlroy and he must have been pleased with the start made by his team, at least some of who were members of last season's successful Morecambe A youth side. The visitors made the early running with some confident inter-passing reflecting a side used to playing together. For their part the altered Alty line-up was taking some time to gel but Alty had an early chance when a Morecambe misheader back towards their own goal went to McFadden who lashed in a left foot shot from the edge of the box which the keeper saved well (9 mins). But Alty were generally on the back foot and had a lucky escape when keeper Ellison raced out of his box to halt the Morecambe no.9 and collided with the striker, bringing him down. Though the referee awarded Morecambe a freekick in the edge of the D, he took no action against Ellison. But Morecambe will feel that justice was done when the resulting freekick was blasted against an Alty defender and diverted past Ellison to give Morecambe a deserved lead after 14 minutes.

Alty's Kilacky was then booked for a foul after a promising Alty move had ended when Barnett was dispossessed (16 mins). Morecambe went 2-0 ahead after 17 minutes when a cross from the left skimmed off an Alty head neatly into the path of the Morecambe no. 9 just inside the box who drove the ball efficiently into the right, bottom corner of Ellison's net with the keeper flat-footed. Alty then went close when neat build-up play by Brown, Maloney and McFadden led to a shot by Barnett which went narrowly wide (23 mins). Soon aftewards Barnett did well again, getting on to a well directed freekick by Mike Brown for an effort which the keeper only parried but the Morecambe no.1 recovered to get the ball into this hands. After a header by the visitors' no.9 had flashed across goal, Alty's Ball was booked for a foul. Morecambe remained on top as they won a corner (38 mins) but just before the break Alty gave their fans something to cheer about. With two defenders in close attendance, McFadden executed as neat a turn as has been seen at Moss Lane in years to leave his two markers flat-footed and find himself free to find Ashley Brown on the left. The left-back's cross was fielded by the keeper. But Morecambe finished the half by winning another corner and at the break it looked an uphill task for Alty to retrieve anything from this game.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM RESERVES 0
MORECAMBE RESERVES 2

Fog began to descend on Moss Lane at the interval with the 20/20 End the worse affected. Alty came out for the second half and immediately showed more purpose. Indeed, from a Marsden cross from the right, the ball was nodded on by Kilacky to the incoming Ashley Brown whose fierce volley was goalbound but struck a defender (47 mins). Morecambe won a corner soon after however, but following this their no.8 shot wildly over the bar, continuing a pattern of wayward shooting by the visitors in this match. Alty went close again after 52 minutes when McFadden's close control in the box got the ball past a defender to Jenkins who advanced towards the keeper's left post but could only find the side netting with his close-range shot. Alty's improvement continued as Barnett did well to hold off a defender but the keeper came out smartly to smother the ball (54 mins). However, Ellison was soon called to make a good save from the Morecambe no.10 at the other end.

Alty now made a double switch with Barnett and Jenkins being withdrawn in faviour of Tiesse and Monaghan. McFadden continued to impress for Alty, getting to the by-line, showing great close control in the process. But Morecambe again got in a shot on target from their no.8 which Ellison saved (59 mins). The game was now much more even than the first half had been and after good work by Monaghan, Alty won a corner. The keeper missed Mike Brown's corner but the ball was cleared. Alty now made their final change, Michael Risk replacing James Marsden at right-back (64 mins). Two Alty corners followed, sandwiched by two Morecambe flag-kicks. Before the first of Alty's corners, Kilacky, already booked, was lectured sternly for a foul. Tiesse won the first corner and Monaghan's deflected shot earned the second (74 mins). Next, from a long ball, Tiesse's first time shot was saved but shortly afterwards a ball up the left channel saw the Morecambe keeper handle the ball outside his box as Tiesse chased him down. The Morecambe no.1 received a yellow card but, as with Ellison's first half foul, the offending Morecambe keeper was likewise immediately punished as Brown's freekick from left of goal went through the crowded goalmouth and straight into the net to cement the Alty revival (78 mins).

Tiesse continued to impress with McFadden up front before the latter started to suffer with what looked like cramp. Alty were now on top and pressing for an equaliser and Morecambe's anxiety was seen in the booking of their no.8 for kicking the ball away at a throw in (82 mins). Alty then created an opening but Ashley Brown elected not to shoot immediately and the chance disappeared. But then a good cross from the left by Ashley Brown just evaded Tiesse in the goalmouth before Morecambe made a switch, as no.14 replaced no.11 (86 mins). With the fog now thickening Alty continued to press but McFadden had to receive treatment for his cramp and leave the field briefly. Morecambe wound down the clock with another substitution after 90 minutes and, in added time,the no.12 was booked for kicking the ball away at a freekick. Brown struck the freekick well but the keeper made a fine save at the foot of his right post and the follow up from Alty missed the target. An equaliser would not come and ultimately Alty were unlucky not to get a point from the game. But the damage had been done in the first half.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM RESERVES 1
MORECAMBE RESERVES 2