LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM: Steven Bullen, Callum Harkin, Joseph Hand, David Brown, Alex Weatherby, Oliver Riley, Callum Mooney, Spencer Cunliffe, Derryn Ofori, Michael King, Adam Bezzina.

Subs used: Robert Gilroy for Oliver Riley, Jamie McClellan for Spencer Cunliffe, Jordan Mainoo-Hames for Joseph Hand

Subs not used: Tom Lyons, Matthew Kemp

REPORT

By Callum Harkin

A dominating display from the young Reds earned them the well-deserved three points against ten-men Hyde.

Usually slow starters, the Reds took five minutes to get going, conceding two corners within the first few minutes but to no threat. The slippery surface seemed to suit the away side as they settled into a comfortable and relaxed passing game, keeping the ball with ease but without really creating many chances. This continued until a minor altercation between the overzealous Hyde midfielder and Cunliffe broke up the flow of the game.

In the 22nd minute a strong run down the wing from forward-cum-wideman Ofori won Alty a free kick in a promising position and they were unlucky not to score from the goal mouth scramble that followed. Another attacking run, this time coming from the energetic Callum Mooney resulted in the Hyde right-back being shown a caution for a dangerous challenge and Riley was unlucky not to score from the set-piece.

Altrincham continued to stamp their dominance on the game with the midfield trio of Riley, Spencer Cunliffe and Callum Mooney ensuring Hyde had no space and time in the midfield whilst spreading the play for the Reds beautifully. Attacking runs from full-backs Harkin and Hand nearly carved open the robust Hyde defence but, when the Hyde right-back saw red just before half time after a second yellow for a shocking foul on the fleet-footed Ofori, it seemed only a matter of time before Altrincham would be rewarded for their dominating and impressive first-half performance.

The Reds returned for the second half determined to press on and earn a much deserved lead and that was nearly the case when Mooney saw his deflected shot slide just past the post. Then a mazy run from the King resulted in Riley forcing a corner with a driven shot. The corner came to no product but an interception from Mooney led to both him and Bezzina having shots saved from the sure-to-be-busy Hyde stopper.

The Altrincham defence was then called into action as ten-man Hyde attempted to make a game of things. A long ball over the Alty centre-backs seemed threating until Brown and Weatherby recovered well and, in the process, conceded a corner from which Altrincham broke. A few good passages of pacey passing play created space for Mooney to shoot and, when the Hyde keeper spilled the ball, Ofori was on hand to tap home in the 65th minute. Bullen was soon called into action after a shot from the Hyde winger required a clean save as the slippy surface was causing problems for his opposite number.

The Reds were then unlucky not to double their lead when Ofori crossed, only for Cunliffe and then Bezzina to be denied by smart saves from the Hyde stopper. After McClellan replaced Cunliffe in the 70th minute, King increased Alty’s lead, duly dispatching an intricate Mooney through ball. Hand was then replace by Mainoo-Hames in the 75th minute, after which Riley was unlucky not to score a deserved goal, hitting the side netting with a driven strike, as was Bezzina when he was denied by a superb one-on-one save by the Hyde number one.

An impressive display of passing football from Altrincham came to a close after Robert Gilroy replaced Riley and another clean sheet was recorded.