ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


Return to News Page


ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES (2) 5
EGERTON FC (0) 3

Cheshire League Premier match
played at The J. Davidson Stadium, Altrincham FC
on Tuesday, 26 February 2019, at 7.45pm


SUMMARY

Egerton took a 26th minute lead from the penalty spot. Ofei won possession but was brought down by Clarke as he got into the box. The striker got up to beat Andrew Jones from twelve yards.

Nine minutes later, Alty levelled the score when Hulme turned well and netted. The visitors had looked threatening up front but were disappointed to concede a second goal just before the interval when Reece Coley tapped in, after good work on the right by Gabidon.

The second half saw Altrincham impose themselves but the visitors matched the hosts' tally of three second-half goals. First of all, Alty made it 3-1, three minutes after the break when a corner from the right evaded Heathcote but fell for Dolan. From more than twenty yards he hit a fierce drive into the net.

Substitute Ben Elliott made it 4-1 after 69 minutes when he worked himself an opening before finishing confidently. Two minutes later Hulme made it 5-1, with a neat dribble inside the box and a calm finish.

But, eight minutes from time, Egerton capitalised on Corbishley's mispass to score their second through Abzuhalli. And the visitors added a third from the second penalty of the night awarded against Tom Clarke. This one seemed a little harsh but mirrored the sequence of the first with Ofei both winning the kick and converting it (90 mins).


SCORERS:


TEAM NEWS

Striker Jordan Hulme was named in this match to get him back to match fitness after sitting out the last four matches with suspension. Also starting the game was new signing Callum Dolan, who had made his first-team debut last Saturday. The match was watched by manager Phil Parkinson.

The Reserves were without the long-term injured Rhain Davis and Joel Swift.


LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shorts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Andrew JONES (c), 2. Harry SHERIDAN, 3. Matthew COOK, 4. Callum JONES, 5. Sam HEATHCOTE, 6. Tom CLARKE, 7. Reece COLEY, 8. Ryan BARRY, 9. Jordan HULME, 10. Callum DOLAN, 11. Dontai GABIDON. Subs: 12. Madison DAVIS, 14. Sam CORBISHLEY, 15. Max POUNCEY, 16. Matt GRAETZER, 17. Ben ELLIOTT.

EGERTON FC (Yellow shirts and socks, black shorts) 1. Nicolae Stinca, 2. Da'jour Buffonge, 3. Jordane Corme, 4. Rory Gorton, 5. Omar Mbowe, 6. Jim Chornoski (c), 7. Youssuff Abzuhalli, 8. Jack Guerney-Smith, 9. Darius Ofei, 10. Lion Donnerley, 11. Omar Holness. Subs: 12. Kisani Evans, 13. Dougie Pringle, 14. Reece Prescott, 15. Owen Farrell, 16. Josh Grosse.


BACKGROUND

This match had been switched to Moss Lane where it allowed first-team manager Phil Parkinson to monitor the fitness of Jordan Hulme and the form of his recent signing, Callum Dolan.


REPORT

Egerton won an early corner which led to a shot from the left, which was deflected, before Andrew Jones saved the ball. Egerton continued to have the better of the opening stages before Alty's first effort was a wild shot across the goalmouth, rather than at the net, from Hulme (7 mins).

And when Ofei went down in the Alty box, another referee might easily have pointed to the spot.

Belatedly, in the 12th minute, Alty landed a shot on goal, through Dolan. And, soon afterwards, Doaln imporessed further with an advance into the box as the hosts' performance improved, leading to their first corner (16 mins).

When Ofei won the ball off Clarke, 35 yards out, and headed into the box, the retreating defender brought him down. This time, the penalty appeals were heeded by the referee. After Clarke had been booked, Ofei got up to beat Jones from the spot (26 mins).

Altrincham almost responed immediately but Heathcote's well-struck 25 yarder struck the top of the crossbar (27 mins). However, Alty did level the score in the 35th minute when Hulme turned smartly inside the box before scoring with a low shot.

Altrincham took the lead with the last action of the first half. Gabidon dribbled his way into the outer reaches of the box before laying on a tap-in for Coley, with a low cross from right of goal (45 mins).


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 2
EGERTON FC 0

The lead was extended just three minutes after the re-start. The second of two early second-half corners was played diagonally but Heathcote was unable to connect and the ball ran to Dolan. From 25 yards he struck a superb shot into the net to make it 3-1.

But the visitors fought back, winning the game's next four corners before Alty made a change in the 59th minute as striker Ben Elliott came on. Four minutes after this, Dolan was booked for kicking the ball away at a freekick awarded against Alty.

From an Alty corner, Heathcote put his header over the bar (66 mins) but it was not long before the hosts made it 4-1. Elliott did well to toe-end the ball past an opponent and latch onto the ball again before beating the keeper (69 mins).

Next, just two minutes later, Hulme made it 5-1 as he dribbled his way into the box. On 78 minutes Corbishley replaced Cook for Alty.

To their credit, Egerton netted two goals in the closing stages. the first of these arrived after Corbishley had mis-passed the ball to Ofei and the ball was laid off to Abzuhalli who lashed the ball past Jones.

In the 89th minute, Ofei went over the leg of Clarke inside the box and was awarded a questionable penalty which, nevertheless, he despatched with the last meaningful kick of the match (90 mins). The win kept Alty well clear at the top of the Cheshire League Premier Division.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 5
EGERTON FC 3