ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (1) 2
HYDE UNITED RESERVES (0) 0

Lancashire League Cup Match
played on Wednesday, 24 January 2007 at 7.45pm


LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Richard ACTON, 2. Keith WEDGE (capt), 3. Andy SCOTT, 4. Gary TALBOT, 5. Stephen ROSE, 6. John MALONEY, 7. Justin BOWLER, 8. Lee MANNION, 9. Pat McFADDEN, 10. Peter THOMSON, 11. Rod THORNLEY. Subs: 12. Laurence BALL, 14. Aaron EDWARDS, 15. Astley MULHOLLAND, 16. Adam WALKER.


REPORT

On a cold night, Alty kicked off on a pitch which had stood up well to the incessant rain of the last month or more. Altrincham showed numerous changes from their last league match ten days ago as seven members of the first-team squad were drafted in, along with a trialist, Andy Scott. Andy has played against Alty's first team on numerous occasions for the likes of Stalybridge, Leigh and Southport but most recently he played against us in a pre-season friendly for Kidsgrove Athletic. So, Keith Wedge, Justin Bowler and Lee Mannion were the only players to retain their starting places from the last game but, this time, Bowler started on the right wing, with Rod Thornley on the left as Pat McFadden and Peter Thomson were paired up front. Former Youth player Adam Walker came in, on the bench.

John Maloney was victim of an early foul, following which Alty won a corner, which they wasted with a short-corner routine that did not work (3 mins). An excellent run up the middle from Mannion was ended with a trip which gave Alty a freekick from 25 yards out. A rehearsed routine involving McFadden, Thomson and Thornley ended with Thornley's shot clipping the outside of the post (8 mins). Maloney now had to leave the pitch for treatment to a bleeding nose but he resumed with a plugged nostril. Hyde were less fortunate as their number seven went down injured and had to be substituted by their no.12 after just 13 minutes.

Both sides were passing the ball about well in an evenly contested and entertaining start to the match. After 21 minutes Bowler burst forward to the right of goal but his shot went comfortably to the keeper. Soon afterwards an excellent reverse pass from Thornley allowed Scott to make a cross from the left which Bowler got to, but an offence was given against him (24 mins). The hard-working Thornley then produced a well-struck 25-yarder which the keeper held. At the other end, Hyde's number ten went close, placing a shot narrowly wide of Acton's left post after the ball had been deflected to him off a team-mate (27 mins).

Alty's next chance came when McFadden's smart backheel set up Bowler but his low shot went wide of the near post. Then McFadden again did well, on the right, but from his cross Thomson headed disappointingly wide (31 mins). Then McFadden got clear from Thomson's good pass but the ball got under the young striker's feet and the chance went unconverted (33 mins). But McFadden soon showed both strength and close ball control as he escaped the attention of two players, near the left touchline just inside the Alty half. Via Bowler, the ball came to Mannion whose excellent pass forward found the advancing McFadden but his effort was blocked .

Altrincham got ahead after 39 minutes from a well-constructed move. Mannion, Thomson, Bowler and Wedge were all involved before McFadden fed Bowler. He surged forward past a defender and got towards the by-line, right of goal. His cross-shot was parried and as the Hyde keeper and a defender attempted to clear the ball, it broke loose to McFadden who converted a simple knock-in from a matter of feet to make it 1-0 (39 mins). But almost immediately Hyde could have levelled when an Alty defender diverted the ball across the box from the Hyde left to their no.12 but he shot across goal and narrowly wide of the target (43 mins). There was time before the break for Thomson to feed Thornley for an excellent cross from the left and then, just before the interval, Thornley again did well, finding McFadden for a shot which went wide (45 mins).


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM RESERVES 1
HYDE UNITED RESERVES 0

Alty won an early corner, as they had done in the first half and this one was almost turned in by Thomson from Bowler's kick from the right. But after 50 minutes, as Bowler's curling left-footed freekick from the right touchline, 35 yards out, drifted across the goalmouth, Thornley ran across the box and distracted the keeper sufficiently for the ball to bounce into the far corner of the net to make it 2-0. Thornley was soon involved again when the Hyde keeper's kicked clearance came to him 35 yards out. Rod headed straight for goal, only to be tripped on the edge of the box. Thomson's freekick went just wide of the keeper's left post. After this early pressure, Hyde responded and their no.8 had the ball in the net soon afterwards but the flag had gone up for offside beforehand.

The game continued to flow in entertaining fashion as Alty won another corner when a McFadden shot was deflected. The home side was generally on top at this stage but, from a freekick, Hyde's number ten fired narrowly wide (58 mins). Then, after Rose had tidied up well at the back for Alty, the Robins made a double substitution as Mulholland and Ball came on for Wedge and Thornley, with Ball taking over the captain's armband (60 mins). Hyde now enjoyed a good spell until, after 67 minutes, Thomson put Mulholland clear but the striker fired his shot against the outside of the keeper's left post. Aaron Edwards became the home side's final substitute when he replaced John Maloney in midfield (68 mins).

Hyde's number 5 was then played in by the number eleven and forced a good block from Acton. Then the Hyde no.9 won a corner but this came to nothing (74 mins). Thomson had a chance to make it 3-0 after 79 minutes when the Hyde keeper's clearance went to McFadden. Pat found Justin Bowler, whose well-hit cross seemed destined for Thomson's head but the big man somehow missed the ball. Soon afterwards, another excellent ball from Mannion found Mulholland and his cross won Altrincham a corner on the right. Although this produced nothing, soon afterwards an excellent passing move ended with another good run from Bowler who won a freekick 25 yards out. From this, Thomson's firm shot was parried away and a corner followed. At this point Hyde's number 8 gave way to no.15 (81 mins).

As the game approached the ninetieth minute the Tigers' no.15 was presented with a good chance, as the Hyde numbers 11 and 9 fed him from the left, but his shot was underpowered and ran to Acton. Then, the pass of the night came from the always composed Stephen Rose who swept the ball 60 yards forward, diagonally to Bowler on the left, but the winger's right foot shot went comfortably wide (90 mins).

Into injury time Hyde continued to press and Acton saved well from the number nine's thirty-yard effort but play ended with Alty's two-goal lead intact. It was good to see so many of the first-team squad come through the night successfully as many of them had not seen much action recently. Justin Bowler had probably his best game in an Alty shirt whilst Rod Thornley also impressed and trialist Andy Scott gave a solid performance. However, one worrying note was that striker Pat McFadden ended the match hobbling badly with what looked like a groin injury.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM RESERVES 2
HYDE UNITED RESERVES 0