Ebbsfleet United may not have the same pulling power as Oldham Athletic, but Altrincham are still expecting another bumper crowd this Saturday after announcing that Chris Conn-Clarke will be guest of honour for their latest National League fixture at The J.Davidson Stadium.
The 22-year old was hailed as one of the most exciting talents Alty have ever had last season after being crowned National League player of the year with an incredible 23 goals and 12 assists from an advanced midfield role, the best attacking statistics in the division.
It earned him a move to League One Peterborough United for a club-record fee in the middle of June, but he will be back in familiar surroundings on Saturday after opting to spend his free time on international weekend watching Alty take on Ebbsfleet.
As further evidence of the lasting affection he has for his old club, he will address supporters in the Fan Zone at 1.30pm and then join hospitality guests in the John King Sponsors’ Lounge at 2pm before cheering the Robins on as they bid to climb the National League table.
After being held to a 1-1 draw by Oldham in front of a 3,500-plus crowd last Saturday, manager Phil Parkinson is hoping for a similar atmosphere and similar performance, albeit without the defensive lapses that almost cost them a point in the last minute.
“We love gifting teams an opportunity at the moment, and we were massively let off the hook after giving the ball away near our own goal,” he said. “Their centre-forward was clean through, and it needed an outstanding save from Ethan Ross to rescue us. We rode our luck, except it’s not luck when you’ve got Ethan - he is exceptional.
“The performance overall was well worth a point, though. Once we got on top of our game plan, we produced probably the best 25 minutes of attacking football so far this season.
“That was us all over, full of intent and purpose, and I’ll be looking for more of the same against Ebbsfleet.”
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