MATCH PREVIEW: ALTRINCHAM (H)

Boreham Wood vs Altrincham
Saturday, 16th March 2024, 3:00 pm
Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park, Vanarama National League

PREVIEW

The Wood return to action at Meadow Park tomorrow afternoon as we host Altrincham. The Robins make the trip down from Manchester off the back of a 6-1 thumping of York City and will no doubt be confident coming into the tie. Last time out against the Robins in August, the two sides played out a 1-1 draw. Altrincham drew first blood in the 31st minute but were denied a home victory by Lee Ndlovu, who levelled the score for Luke Garrard’s side from a Femi Ilesanmi cross 16 minutes into the second half. Altrincham boss, Phil Parkinson’s side occupy 7th in the Vanarama National League on 58 points after picking up wins on 16 occasions, playing out 10 draws and suffering 12 losses. The Robins are another obstacle for the Wood as we enter this crucial stage of the season, the lads need your backing tomorrow!

FORM GUIDE

Altrincham – W-L-W-L-L

Unreflective of their position in the play-off places, Phil Parkinson’s side sit 16th in the form guide after recently experiencing a rather turbulent run of form. In their previous 6 league matches, the Robins have picked up 6 points from a possible 18 after suffering 4 losses and winning on 2 occasions. Altrincham’s dip in form begun in the middle of last month with defeats on the road to Aldershot Town and Hartlepool United. They then hosted Maidenhead United and suffered a 3-1 loss against The Magpies despite taking an early lead through right-back, Lewis Banks. The Robins’ losing streak would then be extended with two more losses on the road, the first coming away at Southend in a narrow, 2-1 defeat. The loss to Southend was another incident of Altrincham being unable to retain an early lead, this time given to the Robins by star midfielder, Chris Conn-Clarke. Phil Parkinson’s side’s trip to Dagenham saw a slightly different timeline, a timeline in which the Robins would level the scoring quickly after going 1-0 down in the 42nd minute. The side from Greater Manchester weren’t able to find a breakthrough however, as goals from Josh Rees and Harry Phipps secured a 3-1 Daggers win.

The Robins would bounce back from defeat at Dagenham & Redbridge as they hosted Dorking Wanderers. Altrincham would take another early lead in this game, going 2-0 up inside 11 minutes, and would retain their lead this time, despite going down to 10 men with goal scorer, Regan Linney being sent for an early shower. On the Saturday that followed, the Robins hosted Woking at the J. Davidson Stadium. Phil Parkinson’s side would suffer yet another loss in this game, however, with the Cardinals pulling off a narrow, 1-0 win. There would be nothing to separate the two sides until the 91st minute when Woking winger, Ricky Korboa won it at the death. In their most recent fixture, the Robins came up with another response to a loss, this time in emphatic fashion, as they beat York City 6-1 with goals from Eddy Jones, Justin Amaluzor, Jake Cooper and Chris Conn-Clarke as well as an Alex Newby brace.

ONES TO WATCH

Chris Conn-Clarke:

22-year-old Northern Irishman, Chris Conn-Clarke has shone for the Robins this season, playing a pivotal role in Phil Parkinson’s side’s quest for promotion. The young midfielder is on the brink of hitting 20 goals this Vanarama National League season, averaging a goal per 2 games. Conn-Clarke, formerly of the likes of Burnley and Fleetwood Town, has delivered some eye-catching performances so far in Altrincham’s league campaign, notably in games against Ebbsfleet United and AFC Fylde in which the midfielder bagged braces on both occasions. He is not only hugely clinical in front of goal but has the ability to take on and beat multiple defenders at a time and will no doubt challenge the Wood backline tomorrow afternoon.

PRE-MATCH INTERVIEW