Match Report
ABBEY HEY (1) 1 ALTRINCHAM (2) 5
SCORERS
ATTENDANCE: Slightly under 100.
TEAMS
| 22.7.00 | ABBEY HEY | versus. | ALTRINCHAM |
| 3p.m. | Yellow/blue stripes | ---. | Red/white stripes |
| 1. | Stuart LINDSAY | 1. | Stuart COBURN |
| 2. | Steve MORRIS | 2. | Barry CROWE |
| 3. | Andy HARRIS | 3. | Paul JOHNSON |
| 4. | John DODD | 4. | Greg DUFF |
| 5. | Dave STARKIE | 5. | Danny ADAMS (Capt) |
| 6. | Mark PHILLIPS | 6. | Steve HAWSE |
| 7. | Rico RICHARDS | 7. | Phil HALL |
| 8. | Wayne WOODALL | 8. | Keith MAIRS |
| 9. | Tony FRANCIS | 9. | Leroy CHAMBERS |
| 10. | Tony GALLOAHAN | 10. | Phil POWER |
| 11. | Scott GRIMSHAW | 11. | Anthony SNAGG |
SUMMARY
The Abbey Hey keeper gathers the ball safely in the second half.
On a hot, sunny afternoon, Altrincham started slowly and were well-matched by Abbey Hey for most of the first half. After the interval, the visitors asserted themselves and ran out comfortable winners.
TEAM NEWS
With half of the squad playing a game at the same time as this one at Poulton Victoria, the Altrincham side was not a familiar one. Danny Adams was named as captain and played at centre-back alongside trailist, Greg Duff, with Barry Crowe and Paul Johnson at right- and left-back respectively. The midfield comprised Keith Mairs, Steve Hawse, Phil Hall and Anthony Snagg, whilst Phil Power and Leroy Chambers played up-front. Stuart Coburn kept goal.
MATCH REPORT
Leroy Chambers attempts an overhead shot.
Abbey Hey started the game with more determination than Altrincham, despite Stuart Coburn's vocal attempts to raise the visitors' tempo. Nevertheless, Snagg lobbed the keeper in the third minute, but there had been a clear foul in the build up and the goal was rightly ruled out. There were few chances for the next fifteen minutes but Abbey Hey looked the more threatening. Following an Altrincham free-kick near the centre-circle, possession was lost to the home side and their number seven, Richards, was allowed to advance through the centre and strike a firm shot past Coburn's left hand into the corner of the net from twenty yards.
Altrincham's moves were breaking down before they reached the Abbey Hey penalty area and it was not till the half-hour mark that the visitors stepped up a gear. With Crowe and Adams proving dependable at the back and Hawse being as industrious as ever, Altrincham won a corner on their left. Whilst Hawse's first attempt was cleared for another corner, his sceond attempt, struck hard and fairly low, met the head of Greg Duff who headed firmly into the centre of the net for the equaliser (37 mins).
Shortly afterwards, Leroy Chambers was fouled on the edge of the box as he attempted to get into a shooting position and from the resultant penalty Anthony Snagg scored as the keeper dived early to his right (40 mins). The half ended with an interchange between Phil Power and Leroy Chambers which ended in a weak shot on target from the latter. Altrincham went into the changing rooms with a lead that they barely deserved.
Right: Anthony Snagg, a newcomer to the Altrincham side.
The visitors emerged for the second half in a more vibrant mood and following a couple of minutes of almost total possession, Phil Power shot home from close range after an earlier shot had been half-cleared. Mairs had been replaced at half-time by Paul Thorpe as Altrincham began to dominate for the first time in the match, and the home team also made a number of switches of personnel.
Danny Frost replaced Anthony Snagg and almost immediately he received a good ball from Phil Hall towards the edge of the box which he finished well to make the score 4-1 to Altrincham (66 mins). An equally good ball from Crowe gave Power a chance but he shot wide, before Crowe was called into action at the other end, clearing off the line after Coburn had been beaten to a ball played into his penalty area (71 mins). Johnson was then replaced by Alty's number 17, Gavin Miller, who slotted in as central defender alongside Danny Adams.
Leroy Chambers belatedly came into the game and nearly converted a couple of chances in the 78th minute. A rare shot from Abbey Hey saw Coburn save comfortably from their number fourteen (80 mins) before a good interchange between Hawse and Power set up Leroy Chambers who shot firmly into the net (82 mins) from a central position 15 yards from goal.
Altrincham continued to press with the best chance of the final stages falling to Hawse after nice play by Power; however, the midfielder shot well over the bar (89 mins). So, Altrincham ran out easy winners in the end. Of the new players, full-back Johnson played well whilst Hall and Snagg also had their moments, as did young reserve, Keith Mairs. Together with the simultaneous 6-1 win at Poulton Victoria, this gives Mark Ward three wins out of three in the pre-season.