September 30, 2023
The TNT Sports ( formerly BT Sport ) cameras were at Court Place Farm for the visit of Altrincham, resulting in the kick-off time being moved to 17.30.
Since these diaries covered Oxford City’s fabulous 5-2 victory at home to Hartlepool,
https://fatbearssportingdiaries.blogspot.com/2023/09/oxford-city-5-2-hartlepool-united-att.html
the Hoops extended their unbeaten run to 7 games with a 0-0 home draw with Dagenham & Redbridge and a 2-2 draw at Eastleigh, coming back from 0-2 down with just over 10 minutes remaining to claim a point. However, their two most recent matches both ended in 0-4 losses, at Halifax and at home to an impressive Gateshead side. Mid-fielder Josh Ashby looked to have been sorely missed in his absence from those games.
Consequently, Oxford City began the day in 17th position, and one point clear of the relegation places. Today’s opposition were the 7th team in the top 10 City had faced, whilst having played only one of the 5 sides below them in the table.
Altrincham are one of the most famous names in non-League football, with 17 victories over league opposition in the FA Cup, including a 2-1 win at Birmingham City in 1985/86 when the Blues were in the First Division, as the highest league in England was called at the time.
Altrincham won the first two season of the Alliance Premier League ( now the National League ) after it was created, but failed to win enough votes to be voted into the Football League. Their fortunes took a dive in the 2010’s, first being relegated to National League North, and although they briefly achieved promotion back to the National League, in 2016/17 they suffered a second consecutive relegation to go down to the Step 3 Northern Premier League.
However, Altrincham won the NPL in 2017/18 and won the 2019/20 promotion play-offs to return to the National League. In 2022 the club moved to full-time professional status, and home is the 7,873 capacity Moss Lane ground.
Altrincham are also known as the Robins, and are one of the few sides in this division which Oxford City have previously played in the past, meeting each other in 2012/13 and 2013/14 in the National League North. I attended the game in Oxford in 2012/13, which finished in a 2-2 draw in front of a crowd of 257. My memory of the game was that current Millwall striker Duncan Watmore ( also ex-Sunderland and Middlesborough ) had played for Altrincham and had impressed. However, now looking up the details of that match, Watmore had missed the game through injury, which just goes to show how unreliable memories can be ! I’m not sure though which Robins player had impressed………………
It was a game that Altrincham probably ought to have won, taking a first-half lead from a Damien Reeves penalty, the award of which had seen Hoops captain Chris Willmott shown a red card. Oxford City then unexpectedly scored twice in a minute early in the second half, Declan Benjamin and Steve Basham getting the goals, and although Reeves added another penalty for the Robins, the visitors were unable to fashion a winner.
In the following season Altrincham won 2-1 in Oxford, and the games at Moss Road over the two years were a 3-1 win for Altrincham, then a 2-2 draw.
The Robins went into today’s game having lost only twice so far this season, at Barnet and at home to Bromley, and although they had 6 draws to their name, they had only 4 wins, but one of these was at home to league leaders Chesterfield ( 2-1 ). Perhaps more importantly, two of their other wins were in their last two outings, 1-0 at Maidenhead, and 6-1 at home to Ebbsfleet.
Northern Ireland Under 21 International midfielder Chris Conn-Clarke topped their scoring charts with 6 goals, striker Regan Linney had 4 to his name whilst left-back Lewis Bains and ex-Port Vale, Wrexham and Barrow forward Dior Angus both found the net three times each. On-loan Bolton Wanderers forward Gerard Sithole needs to be carefully typed !
Bet365,com made Altrincham 21/20 favourites to win, with Oxford City at 21/10 and the draw at 13/5.
The weather at the kick-off time was cloudy, with the temperature around 17 degrees but the TV cameras and the late kick-off time appeared to have kept the crowd down from the levels of the other games this season at Marsh Lane.
Oxford City gave a full debut for Epsom born, Austrian youth international Renny Smith, who had been playing for WSG Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga. Altrincham were in a kit of red and white strips on the front of their shirts, but red on the back, and black shorts.
The home side initially made a promising start with McEachran shooting over from 25 yards but the visitors then took control.
Conn-Clarke mis-hit a shot from edge of the area but Jake Cooper was alert to get behind Canice Carroll for a simple finish at the far post to give Altrincham the lead after 7 minutes. Frankly it was sleepy defending from the Oxford City centre-back, and the goal was eminently avoidable.
Altrincham threatened again four minutes later but a cute chip from the chunky by Conn-Clarke found Donawa in space 8 yards out, but a poor header went wide.
The home side gradually got into the game and created a number of decent chances in the rest of the first half. With 16 minutes played a good move involving Moore and Burley enabled Parker to step inside Osborne but his left-footed shot was blocked by Baines, and the follow-up header to the rebound was tipped over the bar by keeper Ross.
After a great move three minutes later, Kirby played in McEachran but Baines made a great block to keep out the shot at the expense of a corner.
At the other end, Amaluzor played in Donawa after a good run down the right but the shot hit Carroll to go off for a corner.
However, The Hoops were soon back on the front foot and lovely control from Parker enabled him to play a pass to Smith on the right wing, who won a corner. Altrincham defended the corner well and Carroll’s high ball into the centre was easily claimed by the keeper.
After 27 minutes Kirby played a lovely defence splitting ball but Parker’s first touch was heavy and the ball rolled to the keeper.
City continued to press but Fleet sliced badly wide from 25 yards before another lovely move involving Fleet saw a first-time touch from Coyle, a return back heel from McEachran but the cross from Coyle was put out for corner. Kirby’s strong run at the heart of the Robins defence was then ended by a block by Osborne.
Parker played a nice lay off for Moore, but a dodgy clearance by the Altrincham defence resulted in another corner.
After 38 minutes a great left-wing cross by Coyle should have produced the equaliser, but Burley volleyed just wide from 8 yards with the goal at his mercy.
The last action of the first half should have resulted in a second goal for Altrincham but after a dangerous move down the right wing, Newby’s finish was poor and Haigh saved easily.
The half-time scoreline was harsh on The Hoops, who deserved to be level at the interval but they quickly rectified that two minutes into the second half. Nice feet from McEachran gave him the space to spread the ball wide to Moore, and after a poor clearing header from Donawa, a cushion header by Smith teed up Kirby to steer into bottom corner from edge of the area for a deserved equaliser.
The home were now dominating the play, and after a nice move Parker couldn’t quite set up Burley for a shot on goal then another good move saw Coyle get to the by-line but his ball across the face of the goal was mis-kicked by Kirby.
With 53 minutes on the clock a superb ball by McEachran inside the right back put Coyle, 1 on 1 with keeper but his blasted shot hit the keeper on the head as he spread himself. The game was held up as the dazed keeper received treatment.
Altrincham then made their first substitution which seemed to initially change the pattern of play. A good counter attack for Altrincham ended with Amaluzor shooting weakly from outside the area and the ball dribbled wide.
Marriott then sent a 25-yard effort over the stand and out of the ground, after which Newby cut inside but his shot at the keeper was pushed away and the ball fell kindly for Hoops to clear. Amaluzor was then denied at the expense of a corner.
With just under twenty minutes remaining, Moore’s cross was again poorly headed away by the Altrincham defence, but Fleet’s long range blockbuster was blocked by some brave defending.
Two minutes later a lightning counter-attack by the visitors fizzled out after a poor final ball from Amaluzor, then Conn-Clarke wasted a good position by shooting high and wide from 25 yards.
Altrincham grabbed the third goal of the game, and ultimately the winner, with 10 minutes left to play. Amaluzor played Conn-Clarke into the right hand channel of the area, and the square pass across the 6 yard line enabled Eddy Jones ( unfortunately not the under pressure Australian Rugby coach ! ) to nip in and finish despite the challenge from Burley.
The Robins won a free-kick just outside the home area two minutes later and Newby’s attempt on goal took a deflection of the wall, but the wrong-footed Haigh was able to recover and push the ball away to prevent a third Altrincham goal.
The Hoops pressed desperately for an equaliser and Parker’s cushion header from Carroll’s chip into the area set-up Fleet, but the midfielder lost his footing and the chance was gone.
City were leaving gaps at the back, and an Altrincham counter gave them a 2 vs 1, but Newby decided to go it alone and Haigh made another good save to push the effort over the bar.
Parker was then able to latch onto a long ball from the Oxford City half, but after chest controlling the ball, his left footed snap-shot went just wide, although it wouldn’t have counted as the linesman’s flag was raised.
In the dying seconds, Altrincham had two more chances to extend their lead but Haigh again saved well to deny Amaluzor then Conn-Clarke’s poor effort sailed high and wide.
At the final whistle, the scoreline was harsh on the home side, who had played plenty of nice football, created a number of good chances and looked more than a match for their high riding opponents. However, it is goals that matter, and Altrincham moved up to 6th in the table.
Oxford City slipped to 19th, outside of the relegation places only on goal difference, and now face important games against relegation rivals Southend and Fylde in the next 7 days.
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ilg4Hi0XfLs
Oxford City : Haigh – Burley, Carroll, Harrison – Moore, Kirby, Fleet, McEachran ( Sanderson ), Coyle ( Williams-Bushell ) – Smith, Parker
Altrincham : Ross – Jones, Baines, Cooper, Osborne – Newby, Marriott, Conn-Clarke, Angus ( Banks ) – Amaluzor, Donawa
