ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

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ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES (0) 0
GREENALLS PADGATE ST OSWALD'S FC (0) 0

Cheshire League Premier match
played at The J. Davidson Stadium, Altrincham FC
on Tuesday, 19 March 2019, at 7.45pm

SUMMARY

After a goalless first half against Greenalls, four Altrincham goals in a ten-minute spell in the second half settled the encounter. Reece Colley broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute with Crewe loanee Callum Dolan doubling the advantage barely a minute later. Dolan made it 3-0 in the 62nd minute before Shaun Densmore completed the scoring.

SCORERS:

TEAM NEWS

With a three-week hiatus in the first-team's schedule caused by a postponement and an opponent's involvement in the FA trophy, manager Phil Parkinson made four of his squad available to Reserves' boss Chris Rowley for this match. The players concerned were Simon Richman and Max Harrop in midfield, Shaun Densmore at right-back and loanee Callum Dolan in the no.10 role.

On the left-wing was a trialist, Keiran Holsgrove, aged 18, who started out with WBA and then moved to Watford last September. Present for the warm up was injured first-team keeper Steven Drench.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shorts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Andrew JONES (c), 2. Shaun DENSMORE, 3. Matthew COOK, 4. Simon RICHMAN, 5. Sam HEATHCOTE, 6. Tom CLARKE, 7. Reece COLEY, 8. Max HARROP, 9. Ben ELLIOTT, 10. Callum DOLAN, 11. Kieran HOLSGROVE. Subs: 12. Harry SHERIDAN, 14. Dontai GABIDON, 16. Ryan BARRY, 17. Jack RYAN.

GREENALLS PADGATE ST OSWALD'S FC (Green) Steve Dowsett, Gary Fox, Luke Fisher, Mark Hughes, Alex Hardman, Ellis Houghton, Tom Kirkpatrick, Thomas Lees, Przemek Staniszewski, Jonty Cottam, AN Other. Subs: Daniel Dunne, Joshua Hayes, Ryan Rowland

BACKGROUND

After last Saturday's home fixture for the first team had been postponed, the pitch had dried out sufficiently for this game to be played, although it was still soft on the Popular Side.

This was the last match of the season for Altrincham who, ahatever the outcome, would start and finish the game in top spot.

REPORT

The first half was to be largely one-way traffic towards the visitors' goal. An early freekick was won for a foul on Elliott but Harrop put the deadball narrowly wide (8 mins). Soon afterwards, Elliott did well to get into the box but his shot only found the side-netting (9 mins).

Next, a good cross from Colley led to a blocked effort from Holsgrove before Richman also had an effort blocked (13 mins). Around the twenty-minute mark, Altrincham won four corners in a three-minute spell without seriously threatening a goal for the sequence. The visitors' keeper seemed to have some difficulty in kicking the ball throughout the game but Alty were unable to take advantage.

Altrincham suffered a blow when defender Tom Clarke had to hobble off with what seemed to be a hamstring problem. He was replaced by Dontai Gabidon who took on the left-back role as Matt Cook moved to the right and Shaun Densmore into midfield (26 mins).

After a challenge on Callum Dolan, the referee went back, having allowed play to continue before he booked the visitors' no.11 (28 mins).

Next, a well-struck shot from Dolan went well wide (33 mins) as Altrincham continued to fail to convert their superiority into real openings in front of goal (33 mins). Three minutes later Max Harrop was booked after being penalised for apparent deliberate handball.

Half-time arrived with the game still goalless and a dominant Altrincham still lacking any real threat in front of goal.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 0
GREENALLS PADGATE ST OSWALD'S FC 0
The first minutes of the second half saw Harrop fire at goal from 25 yards but his effort was almost the same distance wide of the target (49 mins).

The deadlock was finally broken in the 53rd minute when the ball was played to the unmarked Colley from the left. He had time to take his chance well and put his side ahead.

That goal opened the floodgates as three more goals arrived in the next ten minutes or so.

Just two minutes after taking the lead, Dolan doubled it when he was played in by a fine ball up the inside-left channel from Holsgrove. Immediately, the visitors introduced their no. 15. Moments later, their no.5 was booked for a foul on Dolan.

Greenalls made another change when no.14 replaced no.8 just before the hour mark. A rare Greenalls shot was then comfortably saved by Jones before a fine run and shot by Dolan made it 3-0 at the other end (62 mins).

Jack Ryan now replaced Ben Elliott for Altrincham (62 mins). After this, Colley soon got free but opted to pass as he entered the box and the defence cleared the ball. However, the visitors' respite was short as Densmore got forward and interchanged passes with Dolan before the Alty right-back scored the fourth Alty goal from close range (64 mins).

Midway through the half each team made a change with the visitors' no.12 coming on whilst Ryan Barry replaced Harrop for Alty (67 mins).

On 73 minutes the visitors gained a corner but, after being caught by a Richman follow-through, their no.14 had to hobble off (77 mins). This left the visitors with ten men, having used their three substitutes.

When Dolan was fouled on the edge of the box, another visitor was booked before Dolan hit a very wild freekick over the bar (83 mins).

Coley who had been looking wound-up for some time was then booked after the visitors' no.5 went down off the ball. The referee consulted his linesman and deemed a yellow card appropriate (84 mins).

After the visitors had won a late corner, Heathcote surged 70 yards up the middle and exchanged passes but the visitors' goal was not to be breached a fifth time.

So, the Reserves ended their league season with a win which left them awaiting the outcome of Pilkington FC's remaining fixtures to determine who will be the Cheshire League Premier Division champions. The second-placed side needs to win its three remaining fixtures to match Alty's points tally. If they do so, goal difference would determine the destination of the championship. Coincidentally, Pilkington's next game is away this Saturday to Alty's opponents tonight; Greenalls Padgate St. Oswald's.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC RESERVES 4
GREENALLS PADGATE ST OSWALD'S FC 0