Ossett Altrincham

Brief report John Laidlar from his Alty Pages where a full report can be found

Photographs by Alan Johnson

16 January 2001

OSSETT TOWN (0) 1 ALTRINCHAM (4) 5

UniBond Challenge Cup Match, played on Tuesday, 16 January 2001, at 7-45p.m.

SCORERS

3 mins: Danny MURPHY (Ossett Town 0 Altrincham 1)
23 mins: Stuart SCHEUBER (Ossett Town 0 Altrincham 2)
35 mins: Steve FINNEY (Ossett Town 0 Altrincham 3)
36 mins: Neil BENNETT (own goal) (Ossett Town 0 Altrincham 4)
63 mins: Steve HAWES (Ossett Town 0 Altrincham 5)

85 mins: Paul SYKES (Ossett Town 1 Altrincham 5)

REFEREE: Mr D. Drysdale

ATTENDANCE: 165

TEAMS

13.1.01	OSSETT TOWN	versus.	ALTRINCHAM
7-45pm	All red	---.	Blue and white shirts and shorts
1.	Neil BENNETT	1.	Stuart COBURN
2.	Chris STABB (capt.)	2.	James GLENDENNING
3.	Paul SYKES	3.	Mark WARD
4.	Ryan GRAY	4.	Mark MADDOX
5.	Richard MARCH	5.	Gary TALBOT (capt.)
6.	Paul RYAN	6.	Steve HAWES
7.	Matthew SMITHARD	7.	Danny MURPHY
8.	Mark LAMBERT	8.	Stuart SCHEUBER
9.	Stuart BEECH	9.	Steve FINNEY
10.	Michael MIDWOOD	10.	Ian CRANEY
11.	Simon FULLER	11.	Kevin ELLISON
12.	Sam POLLI	12.	Keith MAIRS
14.	Adam GRAY	14.	Adam FARLEY
15.	Alan BARKER	15.	Gary SCOTT

BACKGROUND
On a sub-zero night, some twenty Altrincham fans took the Supporters' coach for the Club's first ever visit to Ossett Town of the Unibond First Division, for a group-stage match in the Unibond Challenge Cup. The trip was well worth it not only for the result but also for the opportunity to visit a new ground as for most, if not all, of our supporters this was uncharted territory. The ground was purchased in the 1950s with some £1,300 raised by the sale of one of the team's players to Swansea Town (now City). It is ideally situated next to the town's bus station and has an excellent club-house. The pitch was bobbly but not frozen. The Club has an Alty connection; Shaun Constable, our former player, is now the Reserves' Manager at Ossett. As well as an informative match-day programme, the Club also distributed to spectators the December issue of a free 20-page glossy A5-sized Club magazine which reviews the season to date and is illustrated by colour photographs.

SUMMARY
Altrincham started with determination and over-powered Ossett in the opening stages. By the 36th minute they had scored three themselves and got a fourth from an unavoidable own goal by the Ossett keeper before taking the foot off the pedal in the second period. Altrincham spent the last quarter of the game soaking up Ossett pressure without too many alarms until hopes of our first clean sheet since the Leek game were dissipated by a well-worked Ossett goal five minutes from the end. This was Altrincham's first away win in any competition since October (Barrow).

TEAM NEWS
After the confusion at Gateshead last Saturday, where four players had to swap wrongly-numbered shirts on the pitch, in this match seven of the Altrincham team took to the pitch in numbers which differed from those on the team-sheet. The confusion was compounded by the lack of a line-up announcement before kick-off or, at least, of an announcement that was audible behind the goals. It eventually emerged that Altrincham were fielding a far stronger side than they did in the previous Unibond cup tie against Ashton. This may partly have been due to the fact that the Youth team had played only 48 hours earlier and the Reserves were playing 24 hours later so their players could not be used on a large scale. Altrincham adopted a three-at-the-back formation with less disastrous results than when such an experiment was abandoned after 45 minutes against Bishop Auckland. Apart from the keepers, only Kevin Ellison adopted the modern custom of wearing gloves in wintry weather. "Our main problem from the beginning of the season has been the vast number of players we have had to use to try and sort out a balanced defence. We have never had a settled back four playing together for more than two or three games, hence there has been no stability in the defence". This quote from Ossett's first-team coach could equally well have been penned by Mark Ward. The hosts have been ravaged by injury this season and amongst the absentees were centre-back Boardman and striker Jackson, as well as recent signing Evangelatos. However, Alty fans did have a chance to see what they had missed in Michael Midwood, who had been rumoured to be joining us earlier this season.

FINAL SCORE: OSSETT TOWN 1 ALTRINCHAM 5

Photographs by Alan Johnson

	The stand
Seen in the crowd! Four well wrapped-up Alty regulars await the kick-off in very cold conditions. From left to right: Kate Laidlar, her father John Laidlar with note book in hand is web master of the Alty Pages and author of the match reports, with Isobel and Stan Riley, long time supporters.
	Steve Finney celebrates the opening goal by Danny Murphy
Stuart Scheuber's shot goes passed the outstretched hand of keeper Neil Bennett and into the net
	Action from a corner
Danny Murphy scores his second goal but some say it was an own goal
	High ball or is that the moon
Through the net

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