ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES (1) 2
KNUTSFORD FC (0) 0

Cheshire League Premier match
played at Egerton Sports Club, Knutsford
on Saturday, 2 February 2019, at 3pm


SUMMARY

An Altrincham Reserves' team, including five first-team squad members in its starting eleven, overcame Knutsford 2-0. Altrincham led at half-time thanks to a close-range goal from Ben Elliott after a Gabidon shot came out to him in the 18th minute.

Soon after the interval, an impressive freekick from Max Harrop, awarded for a foul on him, found the top corner of the net. Later, the visitors hit the post twice in as many second-half minutes but Alty's win keeps them top of the Cheshire League.


SCORERS:


TEAM NEWS

As Altrincham's first team were without a game owing to their planned opponents, Spennymoor Town, being involved in an FA Trophy tie, (which was, ironically, itself postponed), the entire first-team squad was present for this Reserves game. Five players who had been on the pitch for at least one first-team game this season were named in the Reserves' starting line-up today.

The five first-team squad members in the starting eleven were Shaun Densmore, Sean Williams, Kallum Mantack, Max Harrop and Dontai Gabidon.


LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shorts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Andrew JONES, 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 3. Matthew COOK, 4. Sean WILLIAMS, 17. Tom CLARKE, 6. Callum JONES (c), 7. Kallum MANTACK, 8. Max HARROP, 9. Ben ELLIOTT, 10. Neil MONAGHAN, 11. Dontai GABIDON. Subs: 12. Jack RYAN, 14. Damola SOTONA, Ryan BARRY, Harry SHERIDAN.

KNUTSFORD FC (All blue) A/Z Order: Aaron Clayton, Thomas Jackson, Steven Jenyons, Nathan Okome, George Riley, Callum Spencer, Rob Spillsbury, Milan Thompson, Bradley West, Joel Wilbraham, Ben Wood. Subs: Sam Croft, Ollie Jones, Matthew Schofield


BACKGROUND

The artificial pitch at Egerton Sports Club meant that this match proceeded when virtually all the local grass-pitched fixtures had had to be postponed.


REPORT

Altrincham started the brighter of the two teams and gained a couple of early corners. But the first shot of note came from Knutsford's lively number nine, which Jones saved comfortably in the tenth minute. Six minutes later Gabidon's well-struck effort warmed the hands of the Knutsford keeper. Moments later a superb turn and shot by Monaghan saw the ball fly into the visitors' net, only to be ruled out for offside. But with Altrincham maintaining the forward momentum, they took an eighteenth-minute lead.

The goal came when Gabidon fired in a shot from the left which the keeper did well to beat out. The ball fell for Elliott who, from the six-yard line, hit a rising shot into the net past a despairing defender on the goal-line (18 mins).

The sides then swapped corner-kicks, between which Alty's Clarke was booked for a sliding tackle.

As half-time approached a Sean Williams effort was narrowly off target.


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 1
KNUTSFORD FC 0

At the interval Alty brought on Sotona, a former Manchester United youngster, on the left wing in place of Gabidon.

Following a foul on Harrop outside the front of the Knutsford penalty area, Harrop got up to strike an impressive freekick into the keeper's top left-hand corner and make the score 2-0 (51 mins).

The visitors made a change on 56 minutes (no.15 for no.10). Soon afterwards, following a throw-in on the left, the Knutsford no.4 hit a fine shot which came back off Jones's left upright (58 mins). And, barely a minute later, the same upright was struck again. This time the Knutsford no.8 was put clear, only for Jones to make a good block. The loose ball ran to the substitute (no.15), whose effort struck the woodwork.

Having survived those two scares, Altrincham threatened when Mantack fed Elliott, only for the visitors' keeper to block his effort (64 mins). Following a Knutsford substitution, Alty brought on Jack Ryan for Monaghan (67 mins).

An excellent 22-yard shot by Williams was then palmed away for a corner but the lively central striker for Knutsford (no.9) responded as the visitors won themselves a flag-kick.

On 75 minutes Mantack blasted a decent chance well over the bar from the right. Six minutes later Elliott screwed an effort wide as Altrincham completed the game with three points, a haul which maintained their position at the top of the Cheshire Football League Premier division.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 2
KNUTSFORD FC 0