Match Report
Friendly Match, played on Wednesday, 2nd August, 2000, at 7.30p.m.
ALTRINCHAM 0 STOCKPORT COUNTY 0
REFEREE: Mr G. Wilcox
ATTENDANCE: c.350
TEAMS
| 2.8.00 | ALTRINCHAM | versus. | STOCKPORT COUNTY |
| 7.30pm | Red, white and black | ---. | Blue and white |
| 1. | Stuart COBURN | 1. | Andy DIBBLE |
| 2. | Barry CROWE | 2. | John MYERS |
| 3. | Danny ADAMS | 3. | Colin WOODTHORPE |
| 4. | Mark MADDOX | 4. | Jonas LARSSON |
| 5. | Gary TALBOT (capt) | 5. | Ben JOHNSON (capt) |
| 6. | Steven HAWES | 6. | Robert CLARE |
| 7. | Stuart QUINN | 7. | Brian CARRIGAN |
| 8. | Stuart SCHEUBER | 8. | David SMITH |
| 9. | Richard LANDON | 9. | Alan BAILEY |
| 10. | Leroy CHAMBERS | 10. | Neil ROSS |
| 11. | Kevin ELLISON | 11. | Chris BYRNE |
| 12. | Phil POWER | 12. | Michael HENNESSEY |
| 13. | Scott WILSON | 13. | Sam TURNER (gk) |
| 14. | Carl FURLONG | 14. | Martin ANDREWS |
| 15. | Mark WARD | 15. | Andy WELSH |
| 16 | ----- | 16. | Andrew THOMAS |
| 17 | Adam FARLEY | 17 | ---- |
| 18 | Paul WALSHAM | 18. | Phil CARRATT |
| 19 | Jason GALLAGHER | 19. | ----- |
| SUB | Mark O'CONNOR (gk) | SUB | ----- |
SUMMARY
In a match which only rarely raised itself above the average, Altrincham gained a deserved draw against a Stockport side made up chiefly of youth and reserve team players. They have now played six friendlies without defeat.
TEAM NEWS
Former Altrincham goalkeeper, Andy Dibble, was a surprise selection - to home and visiting fans alike- in the Stockport goal. He had just been signed on a two-month contract as cover for the injured Carlo Nash. Stockport took to the field with their named number 11, Chris Byrne, wearing a number 15 shirt, whilst Colin the other former first-teamer, Colin Woodthorpe (no.3) wore a shirt with no number on it at all.
Altrincham started with a side comprising many likely first-choices for the new season. Amongst the absentees from the starting line-up, however, were Phil Power, Mark Ward, Eddie Turkington and Jason Gallagher. Power, Ward and Gallagher were named amongst the substitutes. Ex-Alty player, Andy Kilner whois now the Stockport manager, sat on the bench but reserve-team coach and ex-Bury player, Craig Madden, coached the Stockport side.
MATCH REPORT
Both teams took some time to get into their stride in what was a fairly even opening ten minutes. Quinn, on the right, and Ellison, on the left produced some promising runs which came to naught. On eight minutes a Stuart Quinn free-kick found Gary Talbot's head but the ball was directed straight at Dibble, who had a sound game. Shortly afterwards, Ellison beat Myers but Dibble dived at the feet of the incoming Landon to intercept his cross.
After an interception in midfield by Hawes had fed Leroy Chambers, play was stopped as Stockport's Chris Byrne had gone down off the ball with what appeared to be a serious injury to his right knee. Byrne, who was only just returning to fitness after injury, was carried off on a stretcher with his leg strapped up (13 mins).
Gary Talbot then produced a fine header from a Quinn corner on the right, only for Dibble to save well (14 mins). From the resultant Quinn corner, Landon headed wide. Ellison was giving his marker, Myers, a difficult time but was unable to produce a telling cross or shot. A move involving Hawes and Crowe, led to Leroy Chambers being clearly manhandled as he turned to shoot inside the box, but the referee only gave a corner (19 mins). This was the first of several reasonable cases for penalties which went unheeded.
Talbot, then Scheuber, had shots blocked in quick succession as Altrincham enjoyed a good spell. After good interplay between Stockport's Bailey, who looked lively throughout, and Woodthorpe, Stuart Coburn saved well at the expense of a corner, which was cleared for a Stockport throw. On 24 minutes, Ellison went past his man before being pulled down in the box but, again, Mr Wilcox was uninterested in the penalty claim.
The Stockport midfield put together a number of sustained passing movements but, as with the home side, incision was mostly lacking. Another plausible claim for a penalty occurred on the half-hour when Leroy Chambers won a header and fed Kevin Ellison.
As Ellison and Dibble went for the 50/50 ball, the Altrincham man was flattened but a corner was the referee's decision. Shortly afterwards, Mark Maddox missed a through ball in the air and ex-Manchester City player, Alan Bailey, rounded Coburn only for the recovering Maddox to redeem himself by clearing as the ball headed goalwards (31 mins).
Stockport replaced Ross with Michael Hennessey as play switched from end to end without a goal ever being seriously threatened. For Altrincham, it was good to see Leroy Chambers playing with determination and producing a number of good turns and flick-ons. However, Altrincham had a scare before the interval when Bailey was bowled over in the box but Mr Wilcox once more showed no inclination to point to the spot (41 mins).
Bailey was soon foiled again, this time by Coburn's dive at his feet, before work by Ellison and Adams led to a shot by Landon, which was blocked. After Chambers had spun well and shot wide, Larsson fed the energetic Bailey and when Adams miscued his clearance, Coburn was forced into a fine save diving to his left. The half-time whistle came before the Stockport corner could be taken.
Stockport brought on Phil Carratt, whilst the home side took off Maddox and Landon to give a run-out to Adam Farley, at centre-back, and Carl Furlong, up-front. After mild threats to each of the goals, Kevin Ellison appeared to lock his studs with a Stockport defender, as a result of which the Altrincham man needed lengthy treatment and eventually hobbled painfully off the pitch with what looked like a serious injury to his right leg (51 mins).
Scott Wilson replaced him. Once again, Mr Wilcox showed a reluctance to spot fouls when Chambers was clearly held as he sought to shoot; the ball being beaten away by Dibble (53 mins). However, Leroy himself was soon penalised for pushing (56 mins). Carl Furlong then dramatically collapsed off the ball and, after brief treatment on and off the pitch, resumed and thereafter made a number of strong runs which threatened the visitors' goal. Jason Gallagher and Mark Ward replaced Barry Crowe and Steve Hawes, respectively (60 mins), with Ward playing in a deep position and having less impact on the game than usual.
A surging run by Furlong was checked, only for him to regain the ball before passing to Adams whose cross was well headed by Chambers, but only at Dibble. This was arguably the best move of the game. Occasionally threats were posed for the Altrincham defence but no clear-cut opportunities arose. Scott Wilson made an impression with some firm tackling whilst Quinn continued to use his pace on the right wing, though his final ball could have been better on several occasions.
Another numberless Stockport player appeared as Hennessey was substituted (72 mins). Scheuber had a shot deflected to Leroy Chambers but he was unable to control the ball before the tall debutant, Farley, was penalised for hand-ball on the edge of the Altrincham box, with Bailey threatening to get past him. Smith's free-kick went well wide.
As the game entered the last ten minutes, a Stockport break produced a firm shot just wide of Coburn's left post by Woodthorpe. Newcomer, Paul Walsham, then replaced Stuart Quinn before Chambers won a corner from which Furlong managed only a glancing header, wide of the goal, when he should have done better (84 mins).
Dibble then just beat Chambers to a through ball from Talbot, with the Altrincham man predictably coming off the worse from the collision. After some skilful work in a confined space in his own penalty area by Danny Adams, a flowing move led to a half-chance for Chambers which ended up with an Altrincham throw-in.
Ward then committed perhaps the worst tackle of the night on Martin Andrews but earned only a talking-to from the referee when in more competitive surroundings, he would have been booked. Shortly afterwards, Mr Wilcox blew the whistle for full-time. All in all this was another competent performance with the main concern being the seriousness of the injury to Kevin Ellison; it is also hoped that Chris Byrne's knock, confirmed to be to his knee ligaments, was less serious than it first appeared.