Altrincham completed their pre-season fixtures with a narrow win but they paid a high price as they lost Charlie Olson to add to a growing injury list.

The centre-back, who was signed last February but was then unable to make an appearance in the 2025-26 season through injury, had to be stretchered off after completing less than half an hour of this match and looks set to miss the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

The only goal of the game arrived shortly before half time when Tom Crawford won possession on the right just inside the United half. The resulting cross found Jimmy Knowles who slotted home smartly past the advancing United keeper.

Earlier Owen Evans had been the much busier keeper with the Altrincham keeper making several saves to keep the game goalless.

United used numerous substitutes in the second half but Altrincham looked generally safe in defence.

Altrincham had listed two unnamed trialists on their teamsheet but just one made an appearance, as a late substitute at left-sided centre-back.

SCORERS:

• 44 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (Altrincham 1 Manchester United U21 0)

REFEREE: Mr Gareth Rhodes

ATTENDANCE: 1,471

TEAM NEWS:

Eddie Jones, Owen German, Anthony Forde, Sam Barnes, Louie Fallon and Kahrel Reddin were all seated in the directors' box rather than being named in the matchday squad with, presumably, all carrying injuries of some kind, though Barnes rather may have been stood down due to his impending suspension for the opening two matches of the season.

Injury was certainly the cause of absence for German, Jones and Forde. Also in the directors' box was young goalkeeper Max Beddow who had been on the pitch for the warm-up yet was not named on the teamsheet.

Two trialists were listed on the team sheet. "A" was said to be a goalkeper whilst "B" was believed to be West Ham United under-21 centre-back Luis Brown.

Matty Kosylo was surprisingly deployed at left-back.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red shirts with white sleeves and trim, red shorts and white socks): 1. Owen Evans; 2. Lewis Banks, 5. Jake Cooper, 6. Charlie Olson, 14. Matty Kosylo; 8. Liam Humbles, 7. Otis Khan, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 10. Aidan Barlow, 11. Jimmy Knowles, 9. Kristian Dennis.

Subs: 4. Jack Hinchy, 12. Kian Breckin, 15. Sam Taylor, 16. Remi Raymond, 17. Lucas Weaver, 23. Charlie Kirk, 25. Joel Bailey, 13. Trialist A, 20. Trialist B (Luis Brown)

MANCHESTER UNITED U21 (All blue) 1. Willian Murdock, 2. Hebber Ogunneye, 3. Albert Mills, 4. Lewis Jackson, 5. Diego Leon, 6. Jacob Devaney (c), 7. Victor Musa, 8. Dan Gore, 9. Chido Obi, 10. Toby Collyer, 11. Jack Moorhouse.

Subs: 12. Finley McAllister, 13. Cameron Byrne-Hughes, 14. Rafe McCormack, 15. Reece Munro, 16. James Overy, 17. Christian Orozco, 18. Jayce Fitzgerald, 19. Amir Ibragimov, 20. Ashton Missin, 21. Samuel Lusale, 22. Gabriele Bianchei, 23. Enzo Kana-Biyik, 24. Ethan Wheatley

BACKGROUND:

This was Altrincham's second and final home appearance of the summer, eight days before the start of the new league season.

REPORT:

United kicked off towards Golf Road but it was Altrincham who started the better during the opening ten minutes. However, the first shot of note came from United who then went on to enjoy the better of the first half.

The visitors had gained the match's first corner when Leon marauded up the left and obliged Evans to beat out his shot which had arrowed towards the bottom of the near post area (12 mins).

And Evans was soon obliged to make a second smart stop, beating out a shot from Obi who had received a feed from Ogunneye before swivelling to shoot at the Altrincham goal (14 mins).

United's dominance at this stage meant the busy Evans soon had to make another save from Obi (17 mins). The keeper's respite was short as a cross from Ogunneye was now only half-cleared leading to Collyer forcing another stop from the Alty keeper, his fourth save in just 20 minutes since kick-off.

Alty recovered some equilibrium as Humbles embarked on a fine run up the middle before being halted (23 mins) before a fine cross from the left by Kosylo earned a corner off Jackson (24 mins).

After Collyer had got round Olson, the Alty centre-back was left prostrate near the corner flag adjacent to the Fanzone (27 mins).

It took six minutes of treatment before the stricken centre-back was stretechered off the pitch (33 mins). The Alty centre-back had missed every game since signing for the club in January through a hamstring injury and this was another injury of that nature.

Sam Tylor was brought on to replace Olson, the new man slotting in at left-back as Kosylo switched to the right and Lewis Banks moved to centre-back, alongside Jake Cooper.

It took a 38th minute effort from Knowles, fed by Humbles, to register Altrincham's first shot on target which forced a save from Murdock.

Soon afterwards a Khan cross saw Knowles's looping effirt force Murdock to claw th ball away at the junction of bar and upright, to his left (42 mins).

But, soon, a fifth meaningful save from Owen at the other end was required to deal with a fine run up the left and shot by Leon (43 mins).

Moments later Crawford battled to win possession near the Alty right touchline, just inside the United half. The resulting feed found Knowles who smartly converted the chance, sliding the ball past the advancing Murdock with his right foot.

Six added minutes were completed with Alty's lead intact and with United presumably rueing their failure to convert their shots into a goal.

Altrincham were unchanged at the interval but United made three changes for the second half as Missin, Kana-Byik and Wheatley replaced Musa, Moorhouse and Obi.

There was no real threat to either goal tillthe 58th minute when Dennis fed Knowles whose excellent shot from the edge of the box was tipped away by Murdock, ceding a corner to the hosts. Another alty corner soon followed, from a Crawford header (61 mins). Alty had had the better of the half before the Reds made seven changes

They saw Murdock, Ogunneye, Mills, Leon, Devaney, Gore and Collyer replaced by Byrne-Hughes, McAllister, McCormack, Overy, Orozco, Fitzgerald and Ibragimov (63 mins).

More changes soon followed as United took off Jackson in favour of Munro and Missin was withdrawn for Lusale (69 mins) before the now largely fresher United players improved their team's momentum but Evans's save from Kana-Byik was the only threat of note at this stage.

However, Kana-Byik now gave way to Biancheri (73 mins).

Altrincham finally made two changes with Hinchy and Weaver replacing Khan and Dennis (77 mins). Soon afterwards Kosylo needed treatment before resuming.

Soon after Weaver had been tripped, without winning a freekick, United gained a corner off Kosylo, which came to nothing (82 mins).

Next, Kirk and Trialist B replaced Banks and Barlow, with the trialist slotting in as left-sided centre-back and Kirk was deployed on the left-wing (85 mins).

Despite three added minutes Altrincham comfortably retained their lead to the final whistle to record a second win in four days after the victory at Tranmere Rovers behind closed doors. These victories helped to erase the meomory fo the 2-5 humbling by Macclesfield the previous weekend.