MATCH REPORT ALTRINCHAM v SOUTHP

STANDING ORDER FOR GOALDEN LOTTERY

MATCH REPORT ALTRINCHAM v SOUTHPORT FROM ALAN JONES & SOUTHPORT GB

FOLLOWED BY REPORT FROM RON ELLIS

There is also a good match report on the official Altrincham FC site

Heard during half-time at Moss Lane; ‘This is only a Conference North team we are playing.’ Although a distinct yellow shirt disclosed the speaker as a Southport follower, there was modest evidence as the match elapsed about which side he was referring to.

One third of the current season may have passed, but it remains impossible to even predict where the Sandgrounders will end the campaign. On one hand, they appear overly keen to impress – a team capable of engineering radiant openings and skilled to meaningfully threaten, thus enticing three-hundred supporters to journey to Altrincham.

But only when Liam Watson establishes a regular line-up competent of performing constantly will we gauge what they can truly deliver. Because for all their promise, the Haig Avenue side were again unable to sustain any initial impulsion, thus conceding points that could be of huge significance.

Defensively, they remain negligently liable and carelessly revert from their comfortable rhythm to an unproductive long-ball routine when under pressure.

Southport's travelling fans

With Southport defeated in each of their last five visits to Moss Lane, there was no upset in statistical terms at least. And while their previous loss – in December 2004 when in pursuit of the Nationwide North title – was viewed as conceding an initiative, the Sandgrounders currently remain ahead of six relegation rivals.

But any sizeable psychological and mathematical advantage that could have been gained in their scrap for survival has now been transferred to today’s opponents, who currently hold the opportunity to build on a fresh impetus.

Altrincham’s second-half momentum turned clinical on seventy minutes, when Colin Potts, unwanted by Southport fourteen months ago, bagged a rasping drive to seal the points.

A slick move inaugurated by Lewis Chalmers and Colin Little allowed Steve Hawes to find Potts with an intricate through-ball. And the former Stalybridge wideman unleashed a raking twenty-yard drive across the face of goalkeeper Dickinson, into the top left-hand corner.

At that stage, with the visitors careless in possession and void of an offensive spark, such a breakthrough had become inevitable.

But this defeat was resentfully accepted for more reasons than a woeful second forty-five minutes. During the opening period, Southport were rampant and their movement was regularly fluid – in total contrast to their performance after the interval.

Now departed, Terry Fearns provided the ruthless efficiency last time Southport prevailed against Altrincham. And while the exactingness of the Conference proved ultimately unattainable for the record-breaking frontman, the Sandgrounders’ distinct absence of a clinical instinct today proved fatal.

Chris Lane and Farrell Kilbane had successive efforts scraped off the goal line after goalkeeper Coburn failed to claim a corner, before Daly fired wide after an impressive shot on the turn.

But Kevin Leadbetter was culpable of fluffing the visitors’ most inviting opportunity after receiving a perfectly-weighted pass from strike-partner Steve Daly. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Leadbetter shot tamely at the grounded Coburn when place with time and space to do considerably better.

While Altrincham’s solitary effort of the half was a wayward header from Gary Scott, the visitors’ commendable willingness to press play forced their opponents into a number of defensive errors, but were again unable to capitalise. Carl Baker, virtually anonymous throughout, shot over from range, while efforts from Leadbetter and Matthew McGinn could only find the hands of goalkeeper Coburn.

Although Southport’s performance-level then took a disastrous dip, the single outfield player to maintain steadfast display was stand-in skipper Dominic Morley. An invaluable cog in the Sandgrounders’ make-up, Morley’s astuteness and passing activated a considerable amount of his side’s attacking play.

Fifteen minutes into the contest, he twice hobbled over to the touchline with an apparent ankle problem, but epitomized a personal determination by making three successive last-ditch challenges on the edge of his own area no sooner than he had seemingly taken pain-relief tablets.

Goalkeeper Steve Dickinson also registered a creditable second-period which he began by making a superb reflex save to palm aside Gary Talbot’s close range header.

Alty increased the pace on the hour following the introduction of debutant Lutel James, the former Accrington Stanley striker. He shot into the arms of Dickinson and Hawes’ volley whistles narrowly wide, before Little broke the deadlock with twenty minutes remaining.

The hosts had opportunities to extend their lead, when Potts’ effort flashed across the face of goal following a mesmerizing run and a shot from the effervescent James was deflected over. Dickinson’s instincts were again tested from the resultant corner, while Southport’s Leadbetter could only find Coburn after veering in from the left.

The Sandgrounders are yet to score in the second-half of an away game this season. Additional members to the travelling band of Southport followers lured by this local fixture now know why.

(Alan Jones)

Match photographs by Rob Urwin, www.southportfcstats.co.uk and Alan Jones

Southport.gb.com Match Facts:

Southport: (4-4-2) 1. Steve Dickinson, 19. Chris Lane, 12. Farrell Kilbane, 4. Neil Fitzhenry, 3. Jerome Fitzgerald, 5. Carl Baker, 10. Dominic Morley, 14. Kevin Lynch (16. Michael Powell ’83), 20. Matthew McGinn (8. Neil Robinson ’68), 11. Steve Daly (21. Robbie Booth ’86), 7. Kevin Leadbetter.
Unused Substitutes: 15. Jamie Speare, 6. Earl Davis.

Referee: I. Scarr

Attendance: 1,225

Southport.gb.com Southport Man of the Match: 10. Dominic Morley

Final Score: Altrincham 1, Southport 0
Possession: Altrincham 56%, Southport 44%
Shots on Target: Altrincham 6, Southport 3
Shots off Target: Altrincham 2, Southport 7
Corners: Altrincham 6, Southport 2
Fouls Committed: Altrincham 16, Southport 15
Bookings: Altrincham 0, Southport 1
Sent-Off: Altrincham 0, Southport 0

Pictured is the Popular terrace at Moss Lane

Chris Lane shapes to cross

Leadbetter's shot is saved by Coburn

Matthew McGinn veers towards goal

Southport's Neil Robinson was a used substitute following an ankle injury

ALTRINCHAM 1 SOUTHPORT 0

by RON ELLIS

Southport again fell down at their bogey ground at Moss Lane on Saturday when they lost this vital six-pointer game against fellow part-timers Altrincham by a single goal and slipped a place to 16^th in the Conference table.

For the first half hour, urged on by nearly three hundred enthusiastic fans, The Sandgrounders totally dominated the game, putting together some slick attacking moves, albeit without producing any end result.

In the first quarter hour, Kevin Lynch had a shot blocked on the line by Karl Munro, Steve Daly shot inches wide of the post and a corner from the right wing by Carl Baker sliced the crossbar.

In the 18^th minute, Kevin Leadbetter had the best chance when he had only the keeper to beat after collecting a pass from Lynch but he failed to get past the experienced Coburn, Altrincham’s man of the match.

A header from Daly went wide in the 25^th minute but, as the half wore on, the visitors lost their momentum and, with Alty rarely venturing over the halfway line, the game hit the doldrums and it was almost half time before Steve Dickinson was called on to make a save, a 25-yard free kick from Potts which he collected comfortably.

But everything changed at half time as, yet again, The Port fell away alarmingly in the second half when their performance can only be described as abysmal whereas, right from the kick-off, The Robins showed a new determination. Just two minutes into the restart, Dickinson did well to punch out a header from Gary Talbot from Gary Scott’s free kick.

Like their reserve team, who beat Southport Reserves 5-1 at Haig Avenue on Friday night, the Altrincham players were not allowing their opponents any time on the ball. Potential danger man, Baker, was being man-marked and when Lutel James came on for Rod Thornley on the hour, Altrincham stepped up another gear.

Steve Hawes shot narrowly wide from 25 yards in the 67^th minute and three minutes later his quick cross-field pass found Colin Potts unmarked on the right wing and the ex-Port triallist slammed the ball past the helpless Dickinson from 20 yards to put his side deservedly in front.

Over the next quarter of an hour, they could have had several more as The Yellows were reduced to booting the ball high in the air to safety only to see it quickly returned. Neil Fitzhenry stopped two certain goals, kicking off the line from James and then deflecting a fierce Potts effort for a corner.

In the 80^th minute, Colin Little ran the ball to the right by-line before pulling it back along the goal where James’s shot was put out from a corner from which any one of three forwards might have put the ball in the net before it was frantically cleared by the panicking defenders.

Neil Robinson made his long-awaited return after injury in the 68^th minute but he was able to make no more impact on the game than his colleagues. No excuse about fitness levels either as both teams are part-time. Leadbetter had a right foot shot easily saved by Coburn and Michael Powell missed the post by a foot, less than a minute after coming on for the ineffectual Kevin Lynch after 83 minutes.

With Fitzgerald and Kilbane, too, looking out of their depth at Conference level, and Dominic Krief and Sid Pickford likely to be out another fortnight, the Southport defence looks badly in need of reinforcements if the slide down the table is to be halted, especially with games coming up against teams higher in the league.

Hopes of a financial windfall from the F.A. Cup rest on Saturday’s home tie in the Fourth Qualifying Round against Kidderminster Harriers. The Yellows held The Harriers to a draw at Aggborough earlier in the season so must fancy their chances at Haig Avenue.

TEAM: Dickinson, Lane, Fitzgerald, Kilbane Fitzhenry Baker Morley Lynch (Powell 80), McGinn (Robinson 68) Daly (Booth 87), Leadbetter . SUBS NOT USED: Speare, Davis.

Referee: Mr I. Scarr (West Midlands)

MAN OF MATCH: Neil Fitzhenry

ATTENDANCE: 1225

LIAM WATSON TALKS TO RON ELLIS

‘Yet again, we didn’t take our chances, We put lots of balls in the box, we had corners and set pieces, but we couldn’t put the ball in the net. As for the second half performance, it beggars belief. Maybe we had it too easy in the first half and the players just switched off, thinking it was going to be easy. The fans were really brilliant today and I feel sorry that we let them down. But I still think we’ll beat Canvey Island and Altrincham when they come to us.’

‘With a third of the season gone, we are in 16^th position and I’m sure most people would accept that at the end of the season although there will come a time when that won’t be enough and the club has to bite the bullet and accept that to progress, rather than hover above the relegation zone, we will have to go full-time.’

When I asked him about recruitments to the playing staff, Watson was open about his plans. I have a list of players I would like to sign in January when the transfer window opens and I have shown this to the chairman. What we really need are two players from a higher level to give us that experience and stability. One of them must be a centre half. But the reality is that these will be players in full time football so will they want to revert to part-time? Similarly, when I try to sign players on loan from league clubs, their managers will be frightened they will lose their fitness if they only train twice a week. The alternative is to let them train with their club and just have them on a Saturday so how do you show them tactics?’