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AFC Whyteleafe 4 - 2 Alton

27 JAN 2025

Match report by Dave Hawtin

With Alton having spent 75 minutes of this encounter with 10 men, the home side eventually got themselves a two-goal lead with just 5 minutes to spare.

When you are away at the league leaders you are going to need to have all 11 players in the contest so an already tough task obviously got that much harder.

The eventful game started well for the visitors, Adam Poynter was adjudged to have been pushed in the penalty area. It looked very harsh but for the second week running he cooly dispatched the penalty.

The incident that changed the game came on 15 minutes. Whyteleafe broke clear and Jamie Hoppitt was judged to have fouled him as he entered the penalty area. After consulting his linesman a penalty was awarded and the offender sent off.

The penalty was converted and as you might expect.

It was all backs to the wall for the visitors and they managed the leaders well, restricting them to very few clear opportunities.

As half time approached the game swung again. Good pressure from Alton resulted in a corner that the home side failed to clear. Tolu Ajayi-Obe gleefully accepted the chance when it fell to him and stroked the ball into the net.

It was going to take an almighty effort in the second half to keep the leaders at bay, but they were level again on 50 minutes when a strike from distance arrowed in at the near post.

Whilst the home side continued to dominate, moving the ball with patience, the visitors continued to break when they could and created two really good opportunities where if the final ball had been a little better they would have been in goal.

On 65 minutes the home side got their lead. Clever play opened up the defence and allowed a simple finish from 10 yards.

Still Alton maintained a threat hurrying a retreating defender into a rash back pass that the keeper had to rush back to clear from his own goal line.

As the visitors boldly pressed forward the game was finished with another clinical finish.

Let’s be very clear Whyteleafe are leaders for a reason. They are the best side I have seen this season. They play good football and have numerous threats going forward and definitely deserved to win this game.

As for the visitors, they worked their socks off throughout, remained a threat on the break, and will look back at spending 15 minutes of this game with just 9 players on the pitch due to unnecessary sin binnings as compounding their problems.

Alton return home this coming Saturday 1st February, when Knaphill will be the visitors to The Exclusive Networks Stadium. 3pm kick off.

Match Highlights from Academy TV