Mellor Firsts 2-1 Old Altrinchamians
Meport provided by Craig Fairfield
Joe Dalby in high spirits before the game.
Mellor First Team were in Cheshire Cup action this week against Manchester Premier League side Old Altrinchamians. Mellor could have won 5-1 but in the end it was their defense that ensured they progressed through to the last 16.
On paper Mellor went into this game as the underdog with the Manchester Premier League generally considered a stronger league than that of the Lancashire and Cheshire, but if Old Altrinchamians were any kind of benchmark, then the leagues are of a far similar standard than common opinion suggests.
With Mellor expecting Alts to fly out the blocks to try and dominate the game the focus in the pre match discussions was on intensity and matching the higher opposition.
Dalby and Beer drummed the point home that Mellor needed to impose themselves on the game by hunting in packs and when in control of the ball providing as many options as possible for the man in possession.
The match certainly didn’t pan out as expected but when the dust settled Mellor will be more than content with their progress through to the next round even if they weren’t at their flowing best.
The management team of Dalby and Beer shuffled their pack for the sixth week in a row, with Mark Oldham returning to the starting eleven at centre back along side Paul Swann, Mike Palmer back after a week away rotating to the bench along side Jamie McKenna, with Bruce Clarke suspended serving the first of a three game ban and Rob Crossley still injured from his previous outing both missing out. New boy Liam Miller held onto his starting place in the side after a scoring debut in centre midfield along side Whelan and Dom Randle the latter starting consecutive games. Jonny Cooke and Joe Dalby were employed on the flanks with Liam McAuley completing the line up.
The game started with Mellor looking like the side from the better league, in the first five minutes Mellor worked the first opening of the game when Dalby beat the offside trap but wasn’t direct enough and allowed the Alts center back to recover and stop the attack, two minutes later McAuley found himself in an excellent position but blazed his shot over the bar.
Mellor’s defense also started the game well holding an excellent shape not allowing Alts any space in behind, when Cooney did get the ball he sent his first kick straight at its target and all looked rosy in the Mellor garden.
However this was not indicative of how the next twenty minutes would be played, Mellor looked generally comfortable in the game, but were not really creating any serious moments of concern in the Alts defense.
It was very scrappy with Mellor looking very lethargic allowing Alts into the game with some sloppy play, on three separate occasions Mellor players were guilty of trying the cute flick round the corner only to be dispossessed.
It wasn’t just cute passes hurting Mellor some rare poor defending allowed Alts a clear site of goal and when Whelan lost the ball on the right and fouled to break the play up it looked like Alts were starting to get on top of the game.
The game was settling into a pattern of Mellor trying to get their passing game going but failing to find McAuley and Alts content to absorb pressure and then play the cross-field switch putting particular pressure on Cain Harrold at right back. McAuley was absent in the opening twenty minutes with a change of boots his biggest input into the game so far.
However like all good strikers, when McAuley had half a chance he broke the deadlock.
On twenty-five minutes, a clever throw in by Harrold was expertly taken under control by Miller who spun and lobbed the ball over the Alts back four for McAuley to run onto, the striker squeezing through between the on rushing keeper and retreating defender to calmly slot home for 1-0.
The goal buoyed Mellor and all eleven men seemed to now settle into the game, this more settled approached suited Mellor as they started passing the ball with intent, and the overall rhythm and tempo of their play improved.
Seven Minutes later and Mellor doubled their lead, Oldham sending a free kick deep into the Alts box found Swann who managed to beat the offside trap at the back post and cut the ball back across the Alts goal for McAuley to tap home for his and Mellor’s Second,
Mellor were now causing problems for Alts particularly down the Mellor left with Dunne and Cooke combing well to force an excellent save from the Alts keeper, Cooke also combined with McAuley with the former finding Miller in a good position but the young midfielder wasted the chance and should have done better with his shot.
Mellor were in control of the game but not completely out of sight with Alts looking to punish Mellor on the break, forcing some excellent defending from Swann and an equally good save from Cooney on another fast-switched breakaway.
The Half ended with an excellent reaction save from Cooney who although hadn’t had the best half with his feet was certainly in fine fettle with his hands.
The Second half began with a forced change for Mellor, Joe Dalby pulling up with a groin strain in only the first minute of the half.
Mike Palmer came on into center midfield with Miller shuffling to the right, although the change was forced it was actually the obvious one for Mellor, this freed up Miller to get at the Alts defense and also gave Mellor some additional height and strength in preparation for the long ball onslaught.
The Half also started with a pinpoint kick from Cooney, the usually so accurate goal keeper finding McAuley for only the second time in the game.
On fifty minutes Dunne received the ball out through the back and bombed on down the left flank, he slid the ball into McAuley’s feet who turned his man winning a free kick in the process, Whelan stepped up and curled a delightful ball into the box with McAuley almost getting on the end of it.
A minute later and Mellor were at it again, this time the big switch from left to right found Miller in behind the back four, the busy wide man took the ball down in his stride and ran at the Alts keeper, as the keeper left his line to press the goal opened up.
Miller seized the opportunity and fired a shot low and hard across the goal only to see his effort zip past the post, everyone in the ground knew that had it gone in, game over.
Mellor continued to apply pressure, again down the left through Dunne who this time smashed the Alts right winger to win the ball and then slid a perfectly weighted pass through to McAuley who on another day would surely have scored, not on this day though, the experienced striker looking like he was running in treacle as he attempted to intercept the Dunne through ball.
On seventy-five minutes, Cooney, who’s kicking had improved during the game found McAuley, the striker powerfully held the ball up and slid through Millen who found himself clear on goal for the third time in the game, and for the third time in the game saw his shot sail wide of the post, once more had the tricky wide man found the target the game would have effectively been killed.
And as if by fate itself the next move of the game saw Old Alts pull a goal back, a long hopeful ball which was typical of Alts play all afternoon found its way all the way to the Mellor back post where an on rushing Alts player tucked the ball home for 2-1, there was a huge hint of offside with the goal but with Linesmen its difficult to see how this could be the case.
The goal buoyed Alts who found an extra gear, now firing even more balls into the Mellor box, Luckily Swann and Oldham were in excellent form, with Whelan and Palmer also putting in good defensive shifts, with all four of these Mellor stalwarts winning their headers and tackles Mellor looked well set to see out the game.
As Alts piled more players forward it left more and more space in behind, Mellor created another two great chances but by this stage it wasn’t a case of whether they could score again it was if they could stop Alts from scoring.
In the ninetieth minute, Oldham displayed excellent timing, stepping out of the back four in the to intercept a potentially dangerous pass and win a free kick, The kick was sent straight into the space behind the Alts defense where Millen was lurking unfortunately it wasn’t to be his day, this time his shot hitting the bar, certainly the closest he had come to scoring all afternoon. Millen shook his head knowing he could have had a hat trick.
The game ended with Mellor defending another lumped ball into the box followed by a well-delivered corner that Cooney claimed and smothered.
Before the game Dalby made reference to how the Mellor players had started to adopt a culture of doing just enough to win the game and that is exactly how you would best summarize this Mellor performance; it was one of Maximum reward for Minimum output, emphasized perfectly by McAuley’s Brace.
McAuley taking a rest...
