ALTRINCHAM FC-MANCHESTER CITY

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and the

Match Report

9 August, 2000

ALTRINCHAM (0) 0 MANCHESTER CITY (0) 1

Friendly Match, played on Wednesday, 9th August, 2000, at 7.30p.m.

SCORERS

53 mins: Terry Cooke (Altrincham 0 Manchester City 1)

REFEREE: Mr A.N. Budenberg

ATTENDANCE: 770.

TEAMS

9.8.00	ALTRINCHAM	versus.	MANCHESTER CITY
7.30pm	Red & white shirts, black shorts	---.	Light blue shirts, dark blue shorts
1.	Stuart COBURN	1.	Richard McKINNEY
2.	Barry CROWE	2.	Dickson ETUHU
3.	Danny ADAMS (capt)	3.	Shaun HOLMES
4.	Eddie TURKINGTON	4.	Jim WHITLEY
5.	Gary TALBOT	5.	Rhys DAY
6.	Steve HAWES	6.	Norman ROACH
7.	Stuart QUINN	7.	Gary MASON
8.	Shaun GOODWIN	8.	Terry DUNFIELD
9.	Carl FURLONG	9.	Leon MIKE
10.	Phil POWER	10.	Chris SHUKER
11.	Kevin ELLISON	11.	Terry COOKE
12.	Leroy CHAMBERS	12.	Stephen JORDAN
13.	Richard LANDON	13.	Steven HODGSON
14.	Mark MADDOX	14.	Tyrone MEARS
15.	Jason GALLAGHER	15.	Glenn WHELAN
16.	Andy WALKER	16.	-----
17.	Mark WARD	17.	-----
18.	Steve PORTER	18.	-----
19.	Stuart SCHEUBER	19.	-----
20.	Mark O'CONNOR	19.	-----

SUMMARY
On an evening which started as overcast but developed into a wet one, Altrincham were unlucky not to gain at least a draw from this match. They had a well-taken goal disallowed; Stuart Quinn hit the post; Mark Ward missed a sitter in the last two minutes and the perplexing pre-season practice of referees refusing to give blatant penalties continued when Mr Budenberg ignored the upending of Carl Furlong in the box during the second half. After a reasonably entertaining first half, the game improved in the second half with Mark Ward bringing himself into the action. City's Cooke played well throughout and took his goal well, whilst Altrincham's Furlong had another bustling game and his second-half striking partner, Leroy Chambers again signalled a return to form with several well-timed runs. Kevin Ellison had one or two good runs but a couple of poor shots from good positions may not have enhanced his chances of being signed by City.

TEAM NEWS
With only Stuart Coburn, Stuart Quinn and Steve Hawes surviving from the starting line-up against Wrexham, this was a much stronger Altrincham side and they were unlucky not to come out of the game with at least a draw. Shaun Goodwin made his first playing appearance of the pre-season having previously got no further than participating in the pre-match warm-up. City-fan, Danny Adams was given the Altrincham captain's armband. Altrincham played Power and Furlong up-front but the combination did not really gel. Rumours that George Weah would play for City proved to be unfounded, although a small crowd gathered outside the Robins' Retreat chip-shop before the match, believing that they had sighted the former World Player of the Year on the premises! City's side did include Terry Cooke, as well as Jim Whitley, Gary Mason and Leon Mike. Chris Shuker, who played alongside Kevin Ellison in his trial match for City against Port Vale Reserves last season was also in the team. Coincidentally, Port Vale manager Brian Horton was in the stands as was Joe Royle, who moved down to the bench alongside Asa Hartford and Alex Stepney during the first half.

MATCH REPORT
After Altrincham had kicked off towards the Golf Road end, it was City who had the best early chance when, in the second minute, Leon Mike contrived to put Etuhu's cross over the bar from five yards, after the full-back had beaten Kevin Ellison. A minute later, Stuart Coburn had to make an important save at the second attempt after Dunfield and Mike had combined well. At the other end, Carl Furlong was showing some early aggression as he turned well under pressure and then Kevin Ellison was upended by Etuhu outside the box, but Quinn's free-kick was too high for everyone (5 mins). City won a number of early corners, one arising from a curled free-kick by Cooke which Turkington headed out of play. Altrincham's best early chance came after ten minutes when a fine run down the right by Quinn resulted in a cross which Furlong nodded on to Ellison in the left-centre of the box. Although he steadied himself, Kevin hit his shot well over the bar. Cooke was kept busy with two corners and a free-kick to take inside two minutes but Altrincham defended these without undue alarm. Shaun Goodwin showed a few good touches in midfield, as the rain started, but he was also guilty of giving the ball away once or twice. After one such lapse, a stream of invective issued from a frustrated Kevin Ellison. However, the tall wing-man was himself at fault moments later when after a fine, surging run from Carl Furlong had set him up, Ellison elected to side-foot his shot straight at McKinney rather than hit it more forcefully (21 mins). Cooke was similarly wasteful of a Dunfield pass at the other end, striking the ball well over the crossbar before a close-range shot by Mason was saved by Coburn. For Altrincham, Phil Power had a quiet game and with Danny Adams limping and treatment being needed for Furlong, the home side went through a quiet patch as the half-hour approached. Mike wasted a good chance for the visitors when after a flowing City move he headed over from close range. As the rain intensified, the game tailed off in quality. This was epitomised when, after Furlong had won a free-kick, Ellison curled the ball comfortably wide of the net from the set-piece (37 mins). Cooke did even worse a minute later after Mike had played him in to a fine position ten yards out; the City man sliced well wide of Coburn's goal. After Coburn had raced out of his goal to beat Shuker to a through ball, Altrincham won a corner which led to an uncharacteristically delicate left-foot dab from Gary Talbot, near the edge of the box, which went narrowly over the bar. As the half drew to a close, the lively Furlong was rightly penalised for a late tackle.

HALF-TIME: ALTRINCHAM 0 MANCHESTER CITY 0

Mark Ward brought himself and Leroy Chambers on for the second half, Shaun Goodwin and Phil Power being the ones to make way for them. Leroy immediately made a couple of darting runs round the edge of the box, the first being when Ward's pass to Furlong was played on by the number nine but Day cleared before Chambers could shoot (47 mins). Steve Hawes then played Leroy in for a shot but it lacked power and McKinney saved easily. Shortly after Stuart Coburn had lashed a clearance into neighbouring Moss Lane, Altrincham put together an excellent move. Ward's fine ball to Ellison on the left was picked up by the number eleven who produced a fine cross which Leroy Chambers met smartly with an excellent header which appeared to enter the net off the underside of the crossbar before coming out again. However, the referee blew for offside and what would have been a memorable goal was ruled out (51 mins). Sadly, only two minutes later, Cooke laid the ball off and took off towards goal; a City colleague played a well-measured ball over the top of Turkington who failed to get to it and the on-rushing Cooke raced into the box and finished well from 15 yards (53 mins). Altrincham responded with one of several fine runs down the right by Stuart Quinn but his cross just evaded Chambers. After a Quinn corner had been cleared, Mark Ward lost possession to Shuker but Coburn got down well to beat out the shot. The game was now much improved with Carl Furlong continuing to make a nuisance of himself in the City defence, although he did earn a couple of words from the referee for his over-exuberance. On the hour Leroy Chambers yet again got himself into a good position in the box, when a defender bear-hugged him but no penalty resulted. Whilst it is understandable that referees do not want to book players in friendlies, it is baffling why they seem so reluctant to give clear penalties during these pre-season games.

Coburn was called upon to make several fine saves in the second half as the speedy City players, notably Cooke, Mike and Shuker, ran at the defence. Stuart Scheuber came on for Kevin Ellison (63 mins). For Altrincham, Stuart Quinn continued to attack down the right and Leroy Chambers once again got into a good position, following a probing pass from Mark Ward, but the Altrincham striker was pulled down, around the shoulders, by Roach. Adams then had an active spell down the left and from one of his crosses, Furlong rose well to head narrowly over (69 mins). A late tackle by Furlong on Holmes earned the Altrincham man another earwigging from the referee. After a throw, Stuart Quinn lofted a curling ball into the penalty area which evaded everyone but bounced back off McKinney's left upright (74 mins). Shuker then wasted a fine chance after a tremendous run down the right by Mike (75 mins). Quinn was then involved in a bizarre incident. He discarded one of his trademark silver boots and Phil Power threw him another pair. Having got both new boots on, but with a discarded boot still in his hand, Quinn set off for goal and fired narrowly wide after being played in well by Chambers. With eleven minutes left, Jason Gallagher replaced Barry Crowe, before Stuart Scheuber twice in quick succession nearly threaded balls through the City defence. Following one of these, Furlong turned well only to be brought down- but again no penalty was given (81 mins). However, Mike produced another fine run to bring a great save from Stuart Coburn at the other end. Altrincham's last chance came in the 89th minute when Chambers's perceptive pass inside the box found Mark Ward, only five yards from the goal. The player-manager was unable to sort out his feet in time to put the ball into the net before a defender intervened.

So, Altrincham failed to score for the fourth game in succession and also suffered their third consecutive defeat. However, the performance tonight deserved some reward and a disallowed goal, a struck post and two unawarded penalties- not to mention some missed chances, were scant reward for their efforts. The form of both Furlong and Chambers, up front, was very encouraging and Mark Ward once again made a difference when he came on for the second half.

FINAL SCORE: ALTRINCHAM 0 MANCHESTER CITY 1

FIXTURES 2000-01:

For other ALTRINCHAM pre-season friendlies, click here.
For other ALTRINCHAM fixtures during 2000-01, click here.

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