Altrincham secured a relatively comfortable 2-0 win against a Manchester United XI comprising under-21s and possibly other age group players. The visitors played plenty of passing football but lacked any punch at their front end. Right Chris Conn-Clarke is congratulated on his goal by Elliot Osborne.

After a fairly even first half, largely devoid of goalmouth action, two second-half goals were gifted to Alty be mis-placed passes by United players.

The first came after 52 minutes. United keeper Mastny, who had a penchant for trying to play the ball out with his feet, again found a team-mate but that player gave the ball to Chris Conn-Clarke. Alty's biggest signing made space before driving the ball home (52 mins).

Nine minutes later another United player gave the ball to Justin Amaluzor, right of goal, and he doubled the lead.

For Alty, of the new players, Jsutin Amaluzor played well, especially in the first half when several United defenders bounced off him owing to his superior strength. There was also a promising cameo from substitute Dior Angus, whilst Lewis Banks showed plenty of energy on the right side of the pitch.

SCORERS:

• 52 mins: Chris CONN-CLARKE (ALTRINCHAM 1 Manchester United XI 0)
• 61 mins: Justin AMALUZOR (ALTRINCHAM 2 Manchester United XI 0)

Altrincham fielded a strong eleven which included eight players (including one former trialist) who were at the club last season. The newcomers were keeper Ethan Ross, winger Justin Amaluzor and defender/midfielder Lewis Banks. There was a welcome return on the bench for Dior Angus who had missed most of pre-season through injury. One Academy graduate (Ewan McGeady) and one trialist (George Burroughs) were also named as substitutes.

As well as Sam Roscoe, the injured Joey Jones was the most notable absentee from the squad.

United included Sonny Aljofree and Maxi Oyedele who had both had loan spells at Altrincham last season.

LINE-UPS:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Ethan Ross, 3. Eddy Jones, 4. Isaac Marriott, 5. James Jones (c), 6. Lewis Baines, 7. Matty Kosylo, 8. Elliot Osborne, 9. Regan Linney, 11. Justin Amaluzor, 14. Chris Conn-Clarke, 16. Lewis Banks. Subs: 12. Ewan McGeady, 15. Justin Donawa, 17. Dior Angus, 18. George Burroughs (trialist), 19. George Wilson, 20. Matt Gould, 24. Jake Cooper.

MANCHESTER UNITED XI (Green & white striped shirts, white shorts, green & white socks): 1. Ondrey Mastny, 2. Willy Kambwala. 3. Logan Pye, 4. Teden Mengi, 5. Sonny Aljofree, 6. Toby Collyer (c), 7. Nathan Emeran, 8. Maxi Oyedele, 9. Shola Shoretire, 10. Isak Hansen-Arronsen, 11. Trialist. Subs: 12. Marc Jurado Gomez, 13. Tom Wooster, 14. Mateo Mejia, 15. Ethan Williams, 16. Habeeb Ogunneye, 17. Louie Jackson, 18. Finley McAllister.

This was the seventh and final Altrincham friendly of pre-season, after two wins and four defeats in the previous fixtures.

Altrincham kicked off towards the away end and the first excitement came when Amaluzor got up the right wing, past Pye, but his low cross found no one on the end of it (4 mins).

Following a freekick, Alty won the game's first corner which ended in an Alty effort clearing the bar (8 mins). At the other end a fine through ball set Emeran in on goal but he slipped in the box and the danger was averted for Altrincham (11 mins).

Moments later, Marriott dwelt on the ball and was dispossessed but United's no.11 trialist sliced his effort very wide (12 mins). Then Pye again tried to halt Amluzor as he ran up the right but the hapless United defender just bounced off the burly Alty winger (12 mins).

Alty soon won another corner as they continud to have the better of proceedings (14 mins). There was a brief stoppage for treatment to Linney (18 mins) as the game settled into a reasonably even encounter, albeit short on goalmouth excitement.

Nevertheless, it took a fine block by Eddy Jones to stop a Shoretire shot befor the loose ball ran for Emeran to test Ross, who made a decent save (24 mins). At the other end, Aljofree and his colleagues were keeping Linney quiet.

On the half-hour mark Mejia came on for Hansen-Arronsen who was, presumably, injured. Next a wild long range effort from Conn-Clarke cleared the bar comfortably but things improved as Banks got forward to win his side a corner (35 mins).

Amaluzor now won a corner, after getting the better of Aljofree (38 mins). The corner-ball was cleared out to an off-balance Kosylo who hooked the ball over the bar (38 mins).

There was almost a problem at the other end when a hurried clearance by Ross, from a back pass, was seized upon by Shoretire which led to a Mejia effort that was blocked (39 mins).

Another uncharacteristic error by Marriott this time saw his mis-pass go to Emeran, who was closed down inside the box. This jittery spell for Alty then witnessed Osborne lose possession to Soretire.

Just before the break Collyer sat down for treatment and had to be replaced by an unlisted no.19 in the one minute of added time.

Alty brought on Donawa for Kosylo for the second half which set off more promisingly than the first half had largely been. For United, Oyedele had assumed the captaincy after the first-half departure of Collyer.

Inside the first minute of the half a fine run by Shortire led to his shot going narrowly wide (46 mins).

Alty responded with an equally fine run by Amalozur which earned his side a corner. Following this, Linney's cross from the left was headed goalward by Baines but the keeper saved his effort.

Seven minutes into the half goalkeeper Mastny played a short ball out to a team-mate who promptly passed the ball to Conn-Clarke, left of centre. He made space before driving the ball into the net to give Alty the lead (52 mins).

After Shortire had been impeded by Marriott, before committing a foul himself, a melee developed from which Linney found himself booked (56 mins). On the hour Linney was taken off and replaced up front by Angus. Linney spent some time by the touchline talking through an apparent shoulder injury with the physio.

Moments later Conn-Clarke forced a save with a twenty-yarder but, shortly afterwards, another suicidal pass by a United player saw the ball given cheaply to Amaluzor, right of goal. The winger accpeted the gift and fired a shot past the keeper to make it 2-0 (61 mins).

Alty were firmly in control and, when Angus and Eddy Jones combined on the left, unfortunately the defender's cross was too fierce for Banks in the goalmouth (64 mins).

United were offering little threat at this stage and consequently they made a triple change with Ethan Williams, Habeeb Ogunneye and Louie Jackson replacing Kambwala, Mengi and the trialist (72 mins). They did win a corner shortly afterwards which Ross caught comfortably.

Next a Marriott feed saw Amaluzor force a full-length save before Alty brought on trialist Burroughs at right-back, as well as Wilson and Cooper, the trio replacing James Jones, Osborne and Eddy Jones (78 mins)

After a Donawa shot had forced a save, a burst of electric pace from Angus saw him outrun a defender before his shot from left of goal was saved by the keeper's leg but the ball ran loose. Unfortunately, Wilson and Angus were unable to get the loose ball into the net (83 mins).

On 86 minutes McGeady came on Conn-Clarke. United did enjoy more possession in the closing minutes but without seriously threatening to score. However, one of their men did pick up a card for a crude trip on Amaluzor (90 mins).

Altrincham had deservedly won the game and there had been good moments for new men Amaluzor, Banks and Angus which augured well for the new season, whilst last season's regulars also generally performed well. But the real test will come next Saturday when the league season starts.