ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shirts, black shirts, black socks): 1. Spencer LIDDIARD, 2. James MARSDEN (capt.), 3. Ashley BROWN, 4. Laurence BALL, 5. Andrew "SAMSON", 6. Arron HEVINGHAM, 7. Michael BROWN, 8. Adio MARCHANT, 9. Anthony WEALLE, 10. Danny GRIMSHAW, 11. John THOMPSON. Subs: 12. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 13. Craig ELLISON (gk), 14. Adam WALKERS, 15. Matt GARLAND.

REPORT

The Abbey Hey pitch was very muddy, making attempts at a passing game a great challenge as the ball bobbled inconsistently. Altrincham were giving a debut to centre back Andrew "Samson" (name to be confirmed!) and four members of the current Youth team had also been included in the squad (Hevingham, Zareh-Ourang, Walker and Garland). Samson got off to an unfortunate start when a penalty was harshly awarded against him as he challenged the visitors' no.7 in the right front edge of the box. The Accrington no.9's penalty kick was well saved by Liddiard, going to his right, but the loose ball ran back to the taker and though he made a hash of his follow-up shot it somehow bobbled into the net off the inside of the keeper's right upright (4 mins).

In response, a good Hevingham challenge led to a well hit shot by Wealle but this cleared the bar (6 mins). Accrington then won a corner and the ball skidded off their no.9's head wide from the flag-kick on the right. Next, Grimshaw did well to feed Marchant but his shot was blocked. However, follow-up pressure from Alty ended in an offside decision against them (17 mins). After 20 minutes Liddiard was called to make a save before a Hevingham shot at the other end bobbled to the keeper. In making a challenge on Liddiard a visiting player (no.4) hurt himself and he had to be substituted by no.12 (26 mins). Altrincham were now pressing well with Marsden driving his colleagues forward from the back.

However, Accrington won the game's next corner before a good tackle by Samson stopped the visitors' no.9 as he broke free (34 mins). In fact, the visitors almost doubled their lead soon afterwards wheh a move up the left saw the no.11 fire a shot in which came back off the inside of Liddiard's left upriught (38 mins). A freekick on the left by Brown was then met by an Alty head but the point blank effort hit the keeper and in the aftermath Grimshaw was hurt and a visiting player was booked. Alty were given a freekick inside the box following which Marsden's well-hit, low shot was cleared off the line by a defender (41 mins). Thompson then put in a fine cross from the left which Wealle volleyed wide (45 mins). Lack of concentration cost Alty dear in added time as a shot from the Accrington no.10 was well saved by Liddiard's legs but the ball was not fully cleared and it came back from the left to the no.9, who blasted a shot into the net off the inside of Liddiard's left post to make it 2-0 (45 mins).

Altrincham started the second half with a lot of possession and after 53 minutes Wealle shot narrowly wide after a good build up involving Marsden, Mike Brown and Adio Marchant. Soon after this Alty again got into the visitors' penalty area but could not get in a shot as Accrington covered well. However, Alty did soon win a corner, taken by Mike Brown, following which Ball headed over the bar. Alty then brought on Adam Walker for Arron Hevingham, with John Thompson moving to the right wing as a result (57 mins).

The Accrington no.11 was then booked for a foul on Ashley Brown, following which Hevingham fired in a dipping shot from 25 yards which just cleared the bar. When the Accrington no.11 then fouled Marchant and kicked the ball away, he was shown a second yellow card and sent off (62 mins). His colleague (no.9) then bizarrely told the referee that the sending off was "a joke" and was lucky only to get a lecture himself. Now Alty made a double swap with youth teamers Zareh-Ourang and Garland replacing Hevingham and centre-back Samson respectively (63 mins).

Altrincham were now enjoying a lot of possession and play was largely in the visitors' half. But chances were few and far betweeen. Alty's Garland was then booked as an opponent threatened to get free up the centre (73 mins). Altrincham's own attacks foundered more than once on misplaced passes on the gluepot surface but Thompson did well to win his side a corner on the right. From the corner, the keeper punched clear and Garland's follow-up shot was not far wide (78 mins). Alty finally did score when Grimshaw fed Zareh-Ourang who sent a well-aimeed low shot into the keeper's bottom right-hand corner (79 mins). Altrincham continued to press but could not find a way past the ten-man opposition, despite a late corner won by Wealle's blocked shot. Overall, Altrincham were unlucky to take nothing from the game after dominating most of the second half but conceding the early penalty had meant that they were always chasing the game.