at Witton Albion, kick off 7-30pm.
ALTRINCHAM (1) 1 MACCLESFIELD TOWN (1) 2
This was a Senior Cup Final in all senses of the word. Altrincham went into this Cup Final with their fourth-string goalkeeper, Ian Senior, aged 39, owing to injuries to Stuart Coburn and Dean Greygoose and to Lance Key being cup-tied. They also lacked the injured Simeon Hodson at right-back and Mike Morrell up front. Ex-Macclesfield players Leroy Chambers, Phil Power and Richard Landon were in the Alty team at the start and two of them acquitted themselves well; the other didn't...
The referee, Mr Jones, had a good match and it was also good to see the excellent Mr Brand, from Rock Ferry, as one of the Assistant Referees. Macclesfield fielded six of the team which played in the Nationwide League the previous Saturday.
TEAMS
ALTRINCHAM (Yellow and black shirts and shorts): 1. Ian Senior; 2. Steve Hawse, 3. Danny Adams, 4. Chris Timons (capt), 5. Gary Talbot, 6. Keith Russell, 7. Jason Gallagher, 8. Leroy Chambers, 9. Richard Landon, 10. Phil Power, 11. Kevin Ellison
Subs: 12. Paul Hart, 14. Mark Maddox, 15. Andy Lovelock.
MACCLESFIELD TOWN (Blue shirts, white shorts) 1. Lee Martin, 2. Maddy, 3. Steve Hitchen, 4. Karl Munroe, 5. Simon Collins, 6, O'Neill, 7. Dan..., 8. Ben Sedgemore, 9. Damien Whitehead, 10. Graeme Tomlinson, 11. Simon Davies
Subs: 12. Kieron Durkan, 14. Kane, 15. Macey
SUMMARY
Altrincham, the holders, lost this match for two reasons; one largely unavoidable, the other totally inexcusable. Ian Senior was put into his first full match for Altrincham in eighteen years and, though doing his best, was clearly at fault for the first goal and could have done better for the second. However, it was Phil Power, the recently appointed player-coach who was the real culprit on the night. His gratuitous assault on a Macclesfield player was the event which really lost the match for his team. For the second time in two months he punched or elbowed an opponent and was quite correctly sent off. Many of the Altrincham fans cheered his exit in a misplaced sense of solidarity; others more understandably called for him never to play for the team again. Off the field Power is a popular and friendly figure but his aberrations on the field are totally at odds with that image.
THE MATCH
Altrincham started well and a low cross by Ellison nearly found the stooping Landon's head (4 mins). A minute later Phil Power committed his first significant indiscretion when he needlessly handled the ball in midfield; from the subsequent free-kick a Macclesfield corner ensued. From the clearance Gallagher raced through to the byeline at the opposite end but was ruled offside as he prepared to cross. Following a break by the useful Davies, which brought a Macca corner, play again swept to the other end where Chambers did well to win a corner, from which Russell sliced his shot wide. Senior passed his first test on 14 minutes when he saved well. Chambers then went close at the Macclesfield end with a header before Gallagher's good work won a corner. Ellison's corner-kick was headed clear by Davies for another corner which Martin held in the air at the far post as Ellison produced an inswinger from the Altrincham right.
On 20 mins Altrincham won a free-kick outside the Macclesfield box, on the attackers' left. Hawse's kick drifted into the box where a gentle touch from Talbot's head guided it into the net, although there was a case for the ball having entered the net directly from the free-kick.
Play continued from end to end but with Altrincham in the ascendant. A tame long shot from Gallagher was easily saved (27 mins) shortly after Whitehead had shot well over at the other end. Gallagher and Chambers were making their presence felt and Ellison, on the left, and Landon in the centre, were also working hard. Ellison's testing in-swinging corners were a feature of the first half. With the Altrincham fans in fine voice, all looked set for victory. In a matter of two minutes it all changed.
Firstly, the Altrincham defence allowed Sedgemore far too much space on the edge of the box, in centre-field. His firm and swerving shot totally bemused Ian Senior who stood rooted to the spot as the ball passed by his waist within what seemed to be arms' reach.
As if the equaliser were not enough, worse was to come. As Macclesfield attacked again, the ball was spread from right to left, where Davies was proving a handful. As this happened, a Macclesfield player, Karl Munroe was left lying on the ground, half-way inside the Altrincham half on the Macclesfield right. Players gathered round and as the referee consulted the linesman, Mr Brand, it became evident that Power had once more felled an opponent in an off the ball incident. He was rightly sent off. Having done the same thing against Telford in February, one might have thought that he would have learned his lesson. Altrincham survived till half-time without further damage.
As the standing element of the crowd of 1037 attempted to change ends at half-time, an unfortunate incident occurred. The problem was that all of the fans were having to pass each other through a set of three narrow gates. The inevitable jostling and barracking developed into a very minor fracas and crowd marshals and police arrived mob-handed. As the second half started the police removed two Altrincham fans from the ground.
Despite their one-man disadvantage and the need to protect the vulnerable Senior, Altrincham had the better of the second half. Chambers was withdrawn to the right side of midfield, leaving only Landon up front. On 50 mins, Chambers was crudely fouled and Sedgemore was booked. On 63 minutes Russell was likewise injured but both he and Chambers recovered and played very well in the second half. Around the hour mark Macclesfield had come to life and Durkan replaced their youthful number seven. On 71 minutes Sedgemore fired in a good but not devastating shot from the edge of the box.
The ball bounced off the crossbar into the net with Senior looking
on. On 75 mins Lovelock came on for Landon but made little impact other than
being justifiably booked for a tackle from behind. Altrincham finished the stronger and
nearly scored both from a sliced kick by Maddy and from a slightly mishit shot by Hawse
which narrowly missed the Macclesfield left-hand post (88 mins). Adams and Ellison
produced threats down the left side, whilst
Chambers and Russell worked hard on the right. However, there was to be
no reprieve for Altrincham.
Overall Altrincham played well despite their self-inflicted wounds. It will be
interesting to see the club's reaction to Power's second sending off for
fighting inside two months. The disciplinary panel's reaction will also be
interesting.
OTHER ALTRINCHAM MATCH REPORTS: