Altrincham will commence an eighth season from nine in the familiar surroundings of their Moss Lane home, where Dagenham & Redbridge are the visitors to kick off the Vanarama National League campaign.
Just two four months after last meeting there in a mid-April dead rubber of no consequence, this time both have an expansive horizon on which to shape their destiny, and will hope this curtain-raiser can be a springboard towards doing so.
They are in different guises, with Alty continuing their organic evolution from steady ground whereas their visitors are essentially starting afresh in Ben Strevens' first full season, having enacted a large rebuild in the wake of his predecessor's departure in February.
The recent friendlies have brought encouragement to both. Daggers largely held their own, including throughout a consecutive quartet against Wycombe, West Ham, Leyton Orient and Gillingham, while Phil Parkinson's men grew stronger as the programme wore on, ending with victories over Macclesfield then Manchester United under 21s.
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Team News
Altrincham's lineup should not contain copious, if any, changes from the one which started their last friendly. The back four is fairly cemented, while Isaac Marriott, Elliot Osborne, Chris Conn-Clarke and Justin Amaluzor are predictable inclusions too.
The main question centres around who claims the centre forward spot between Regan Linney and Dior Angus. If recovered from injury, Joey Jones may start in the middle against the former club he left on bad terms, which could form an interesting narrative.
Meanwhile, Dagenham have a fully fit squad, besides the still-recovering Nik Tavares. They are likely to line up with a back five, comprising wing-backs Lewis Page and Josh Hare flanking a centre half trio of Sam Ling, Tom Eastman and Harry Phipps.
The midfield is less certain; Strevens will almost certainly start Jake Hessenthaler and Frank Vincent, joined by either Conor Lawless or Josh Rees. Alternatively, he could deploy all of them in separate two-man banks behind Inih Effiong. Myles Weston and Sydney Ibie have staked meaningful claims to fill an attacking role as well.
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Predicted Lineups
Altrincham | Ethan Ross; Eddy Jones, Lewis Baines, James Jones ©, Lewis Banks; Isaac Marriott, Elliot Osborne; Matty Kosylo, Chris Conn-Clarke, Justin Amaluzor; Regan Linney
Dagenham & Redbridge | Elliot Justham ©; Lewis Page, Sam Ling, Tom Eastman, Harry Phipps, Josh Hare; Jake Hessenthaler, Frank Vincent, Josh Rees; Inih Effiong, Sydney Ibie
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Key Players
Chris Conn-Clarke Altrincham, Attacking Midfielder
The mutual love affair between the 21 year-old and what has become his spiritual home began with an initial one-month loan in February 2022, duly extended to the end of that season then the first half of the following one, after which the Northern Irishman had netted ten times from 35 games. Alty attempted to renew his stay further to no avail as parent club Fleetwood instead sent him out to Waterford, but didn't give up and ultimately secured a real coup in landing their man this summer for a record fee.
Inih Effiong Dagenham & Redbridge, Forward
Last season's scoring understudy only to freakish duo Macaulay Langstaff and Paul Mullin will be aiming to build on his career-high tally of 23. He typically gets off to a lightning start, too, having scored on opening day in the past three years for Stevenage, Woking and Aldershot Town, from whom he joined his current employers in January of this year. 9 goals in 18 games followed, generating several points by themselves, and among them were injury time winners at Notts County then Torquay United a month apart to rapidly establish himself as a firm fans' favourite.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The venue is the endearingly charismatic J Davidson Stadium, which has housed Altrincham since 1910. Having undergone much development, it now comprises a large grandstand overlooking several terraced structures.
What time is kick-off?
The season opener kicks off at 3pm in line with all other matches across the division, besides Rochdale v Ebbsfleet United which has been set back to half five for broadcast on TNT Sports.
How can I watch?
The only way to view the action is at the stadium itself, with the best alternative being radio commentary on Mixlr. Both clubs will provide updates on X (rebranded from Twitter) before later uploading a comprehensive highlights package. Just the key moments, from not only this but every game, can be seen on TNT Sports' highlights show on Saturday night.
