Match Report

BACKGROUND

Left: 3.30pm and Altrincham are still warming-up before the delayed kick-off to the match.

This was a Nationwide Conference league match on 26 February 2000 which kicked off an hour late, at 4pm, due to the closure of the M6 near Preston, caused by an overturned and leaking petrol tanker. After a minute's silence in memory of the recently deceased Sir Stanley Matthews, the match started in sunshine with a wind which became increasingly gusty. Cloud in the second half brought a brief period of light drizzle. Altrincham played against the wind in the first half, defending the North Stand end. The attendance was 1230. Referee, Mr Bannister, despite a record of giving six red cards and 16 yellows in his first four Conference matches this season, was excellent. He recorded no bookings in this match and several times played advantage well, to keep the game flowing.

TEAM NEWS

Altrincham were still lacking numerous players through injury (i.e. two goalkeepers, Coburn and Greygoose; striker Price, leading scorer Ellison, midfielders Burke and Crowe, centre-back Maddox). They also lacked Adams (left-back) and midfielder/striker Power through suspension. Thankfully both Gallagher and Talbot had recovered from the injuries that saw them both miss much of the match against Scarborough last Tuesday.

TEAMS

MORECAMBE: 1. Banks; 2. Fensome, 3. Brown, 4. McKearney, 5. Hardiker, 6. McGuire, 7.Thompson, 8. Drummond, 9. Jackson, 10. Keeling, 11. Heald.

Subs: 12. Black, 13. Farrell, 14. Lyons, 15. Smith, 16. Swannick

ALTRINCHAM: 1. Key; 2. Gallagher, 3. Hodson, 4. Timons (capt), 5. Talbot; 6. Hawes, 7. Goodwin, 8. Russell, 9. Chambers, 10. Morrell, 11. Lovelock

Subs: 12. Landon, 13. Senior, 14. Kielty, 15. Loft, 16. Skelton

SUMMARY

Altrincham were thankful for yet another last-ditch goal from substitute Richard Landon to salvage a point from a match that they should have won. Landon now has nine goals in the Conference despite starting only seven games. His last six goals have come in the last nine matches and have ALL been scored in the last ten minutes. Five of the goals have given the team a last-gasp point. Richard has also scored four times in cup competitions this season. In terms of minutes on the pitch his League strike rate is better than a goal every 120 minutes.

THE MATCH

Due to the suspension of their most consistent player, left-back Danny Adams, Altrincham switched right-back Simeon Hodson to fill the gap and played midfielder Jason Gallagher at right-back in preference to Steven Hawes, who remained in midfield, alongside Goodwin, with Lovelock and Russell on the right and left flanks of midfield, respectively.

After a jittery start which saw Morecambe on top for the first ten minutes, Chambers posed the visitors' first threat to the home keeper, Banks, when he nearly hooked the ball over him (10 mins). However, with the lively Hawes and Russell playing well, Altrincham came back into the match and a superbly taken overhead kick by Mike Morrell was pushed away by Andy Banks for a corner (13 mins). From the corner, captain Chris Timons headed narrowly over the bar. A foul on Lovelock then produced a fine inswinger from Russell but from the resultant breakaway by Morecambe, the home side's Jackson won a corner on their left. The near-post corner kick was flicked on to the by now unattended Jackson, who stooped to head home past a helpless Key from a couple of yards out. A minute later, Timons's back pass only just reached Key before a Morecambe attacker arrived.

At the other end Morrell was looking lively and two corners came to Altrincham in the 22nd and 23rd minutes, the latter culminating in Timons heading over. On 25 minutes the visitors scored a fortunate but deserved equaliser when a curling cross from Russell way out on the left was narrowly missed by Chambers's head but nevertheless did enough to fool keep Banks into fumbling it into the net behind him as a defender rushed to clear. After some end to end play, Lovelock cut in from the right and smacked a powerful shot against the Morecambe keeper's left hand post on the half-hour mark. Altrincham dominated for the next four minutes and a break by Morrell, past Paul McGuire, ended in a firm shot and good save by Banks. However, Morecambe immediately broke away and Garry Thompson, whose pace was giving make-shift left-back Hodson a torrid time, had his shot blocked by Hodson. The ball was pumped back into the visitors' goalmouth for Jackson to slot home his second close-range effort of the game from five yards.

Left: After 42 mins, Gary Talbot comes to the aid of the stunned Simeon Hodson, as Lance Key summons further help.

Altrincham heads did not drop and with Banks again showing weakness under pressure with a mis-punch for a corner (38 mins), Hawes's excellent corner-kick was headed powerfully home by Morrell, some 12 yards from the centre of the goal. This was his first goal for the recently acquired striker from Harrogate Town. A minute later the speedy Thompson again swept past Hodson but to no avail whilst at the other end, a Chambers cross was held by Banks in a period of end-to-end play. On 42 minutes, Hodson was flattened by a Morecambe forward (see picture above) as he successfully headed clear and the normally resilient defender lay motionless until physio Paul Lake reached him. After lengthy treatment to a left-shoulder injury, Hodson resumed. The half ended with Morecambe pressing for a third goal and Leroy Chambers illegally turning his defender to give away a free kick just inside the Morecambe half.

The second half continued with both sides moving forward as the game ebbed and flowed. On 51 minutes a Morecambe forward headed well over but a minute later, after good work by Morrell, Leroy Chambers's hook was cleared for a corner by the keeper. Two minutes later, more powerful running by Morrell put Lovelock in for a shot which was deflected for a corner on the left. Once more Banks dropped a ball in the air as the corner came across and though Timons tried to work the keeper's fumble into a scoring opportunity, the attack came to naught. On 56 minutes Banks fumbled yet again and Gallagher's shot was to no avail. But Altrincham's dominance was undermined on 59 mins when the defence stood back and allowed Morecambe captain McKearney to compose himself some 25 yards out and shoot low and fairly hard from a central position into the bottom right-hand corner of Key's net. This was Morecambe's first shot of the half and Altrincham fans may have had grounds for thinking that Key might have got closer to the ball than he did. Apparently, he admitted after the game that he had thought the shot was heading wide of the goal.

Morecambe were then rampant for a few minutes after their goal, with Thompson again teasing Hodson on the right wing. However, after a shot from Lovelock was blocked, Chambers's follow up was well saved by Banks. However, a 30-yarder from Morecambe's full-back, Brown, reminded Altrincham of the home side's threat, but the ball went comfortably wide of Key's goal. Key's strong kicking and reliable clearances were noteworthy throughout the game.

On 70 mins the enigmatic Chambers was again put through after good work by Lovelock but his shot was saved for a corner. Leroy was getting into good positions but at times his commitment could be called into question, particularly where 50-50 balls were concerned. Timons's strong block tackle left him injured (73 mins) but he thankfully recovered after treatment. Finally, after 76 minutes, Altrincham's talismanic substitute, Richard Landon replaced Chambers as Hawes badly wasted a corner on the right. Then, as Jackson raced away for Morecambe (77 mins), Key was forced to rush from his goal to save with his feet.

A minute later Russell was blocked as he was about to shoot from inside the box as Altrincham continued to press, with Morecambe restricted to occasional breakaways. On 82 minutes, Craig Skelton came on for Hawes who, once again, had had a fine game in midfield. Altrincham seemed to have wasted their day when an 85th minute corner by Russell was looped over the bar by Landon's head. But a minute later, a cross from the right found the tall striker unmarked and his powerful 15 yard diagonal header, ahead of a challenge by Andy Fensome, went across the keeper and defenders into the left-hand side of the Morecambe net for a thoroughly deserved equaliser.

Immediately afterwards another surging run by Morrell was halted but no foul, or corner, was awarded although there was a case for either. There was still time for Morecambe to race to the other end where Key was forced to head clear from the edge of his box. Two corners in quick succession followed for Morecambe as the game ended in more end-to-end action.

Both teams moved up a place, Morecambe to eleventh and Altrincham to twelfth, as the visiting fans headed home for another long diversion due to the continued closure of the M6. Morecambe have now gone 13 games in all competions without a win, whilst Altrincham have collected 7 points in the last week. Unofficial Altrincham Man of the Match- Michael Morrell.