Following a 1-0 loss to Oldham Athletic, Altrincham was eliminated from the FA Cup.
Alty had several chances to score, but failed to do so. Oldham’s Harrison McGahey then scored a late goal to snap our eight-game winning streak.
A fantastic atmosphere was created before the game began thanks to the over 4,000 supporters who braved the torrential downpour to make it to The J.Davidson stadium. In the early going, the players benefited from the obvious excitement among both sets of spectators.
It was a start that required a lot of physical and tactical effort. Alty attempted to control the game by controlling possession, but Oldham were very aggressive off the ball and sat deep, preventing any possibilities for the hosts to pass forward.
Despite Oldham’s formidable defensive setup, the Robins generated the opening opportunity of the match. Chris Conn-Clarke drove aggressively down the left-hand side to lead a quick Altrincham counterattack. He outran his opponent and sent a low cross into the penalty area in search of Justin Amaluzor, who was advancing from the other flank. Despite his best attempts, the cross was inches away from the winger’s extended leg because it was too far in front of him.
Altrincham came close to starting the scoring once more less than 10 minutes later. A bad ball was deftly intercepted by Alex Newby deep inside the Oldham half. He moved forward without any defensive pressure, so he took a shot from the edge of the box. Matthew Hudson blocked the shot, but Amaluzor down the right kept the play alive. He sent a cross to Dior Angus, who was standing on the front post, but his header missed the goal and struck the side netting.
Just before the first half ended, Phil Parkinson’s team missed another wonderful scoring opportunity. Elliot Osborne found Eddy Jones hiding behind Oldham’s defense with a perfectly weighted throw. He made a ball drill.
As the first half came to a close, the second one started with Altrincham creating the riskier opportunities. Once more Newby was involved, this time spearheading a dangerous counterattack. Dior Angus was racing in behind the Oldham defense when he quickly dribbled into the Oldham half and found him. After taking a touch, Angus fired, but the ball cannoned off the bar and back out.
Oldham was able to create some chances for themselves late in the game after surviving the oncoming offensive storm. A pass was delivered in behind Altrincham’s defense, and replacement Alex Reid used his speed to cling onto it for the first of those goals. He was able to get to the bouncing ball before Ethan Ross arrived, but his effort to chip the
The visitor’s subsequent opportunity handed them the advantage. Shaun Hobson successfully headed the ball back towards the center of the area after Ben Tollitt lofted it towards the back post. Harrison McGahey was left in charge, and he was able to keep control of the ball and send a shot into the right corner of Ethan Ross’ goal.
In the last ten minutes, Alty made an effort to retaliate and increased their level of energy once more. They attempted to penetrate Oldham’s defense with quick, fluid build-up play and crosses into the box, but they were unable to do so.
It was a tough loss to take, especially given the opportunities that were presented, but we have a chance to bounce back and keep up our outstanding league run of success when we play Dorking Wanderers the following Saturday.
