Baffins Milton Rovers had a man sent off for the second game in succession as they slipped to a two nil defeat away at Alton town last night, James Batten was the player to see red as Rovers had to play sixty five minutes with ten men.

Baffins were heading into the game having won both their opening fixtures and were looking to continue the good form they showed in the away win at Christchurch on Friday night, manager Louie Bell made two changes from Friday night’s game , James Batten and Jamie White came in for Danny Auden and Jamie Musselwhite.
The game was fifteen minutes away when there was late drama for the away side, Bell was forced into a change from the published team sheet, Josh Maddision was delayed in traffic so Jack Eaves was the man chosen to replace him.

The game at the Anstey Park Enclosure was being played on a 3g surface so the visitors knew that accurate passing was a must, immediately it became clear that the home goalkeeper Lee Allen was acting as a sweeper keeper venturing off his line and clearing any early long balls that came near his penalty area.

It was the newly promoted team that were creating the early chances, Ryan Pennery crossed the ball in from the left towards Chaz Gardner who couldn’t get on the end of the teasing cross, minutes later Pennery was at it again, this time the cross was collected by a Rovers players who shot pole axed Way in the home defence.

With the match starting to ebb and flow, the first moment of controversy arrived on twenty five minutes, the Alton midfield passed the ball down the left line where a footrace began between an Alton forward and James Batten to try and get the ball, the forward got there first and from the right wing he cut in towards the penalty area. As Batten made a tackle he caught the player, much debate followed before the referee produced a red card on the grounds it was denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity, the anger of the away side was clear to see, with the argument being there were covering defenders and the angle was against the forward, nerveless the decision stood and Baffins were down to ten men once again.

The ire of the visitors was starting to die down when a cross came into their penalty area, Tyler Yates challenged for the ball, he then seemed to be caught by a straight arm by a home player, Yates hit the floor and there was real concern as he appeared not to be moving however moments later he was able to sit up and then carry on playing while the challenge was deemed to be just a free kick by the referee, the action packed first half drew to close with no further action as the teams headed for the dressing rooms.

Half Time Alton Town 0 Baffins Milton Rovers 0

The teams retuned to the artificial surface after the break and the hosts job was to try and make a breakthrough against a team a man down, moments later they managed it, the ball broke from midfield where it was passed forward to MATT PATTISON, he got the better of the defence before calmly slotting the ball under the advancing Tony Male to give Alton the lead.

A man down and now a goal down Rovers tried to get back into the game, however it was their opponents who threatened most on sixty one minutes, Shuttleworth found himself unmarked in the area five yards out however somehow he fired clean over with just the goalkeeper to beat. The tackles which has blighted the game earlier had died down and the referee had no need to caution anymore players until Greenaway made a high late tackle on Tyler Moret, the man in black had little choice but to produce a yellow card for the home player.

Alton were in real control of the game as it wore on, Male had to produce a wonderful save, goal scorer Pattison almost turned provider by squaring the ball across to Shuttleworth, a goal seemed certain until male somehow dived across to keep the ball out.

Twenty minutes remained when Ollie Watts was the next player to go into the book, the Home side were quickly breaking forward when Watts brought the player down his reaction showed that he felt he had no choice and there were no complaints from anyone else in blue. The team in blue were running out of time to salvage anything from the game, Callum Dart, on a substitute, had to ghost past two defenders before firing a shot goal wards it hit the side netting with that proving the closest his side were to come in the game.

As the minutes ticked by Jamie White was the last player to go into the book for a tackle that didn’t connect with teh player but the referee deemed it reckless and took Whites name, his team pushed forward in the closing moments and this was to prove their downfall, Alton got the ball in midfield and with a clear route to goal, Curtis Thorn was able to round Male and walk the ball into an empty net to wrap up a deserved victory for the hosts.

FULL TIME

ALTON TOWN 2 BAFFINS MILTON ROVERS 0

Baffins Milton Rovers FC

Match details

Match date

Kickoff

Attendance

Team Sponsors

Login