ALTRINCHAM RESERVES (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Chris ROWLEY, 2. Keith WEDGE (capt), 3. Colin McALLISTER, 4. Aaron EDWARDS, 5. Laurence BALL, 6. Ben DEEGAN, 7. Kieran LUGSDEN, 8. John MALONEY, 9. Pat McFADDEN, 10. Lee HENDLEY, 11. Justin Bowler. Subs: 12. Lee MANNION, 14. Astley MULHOLLAND, 15. Michael RISK, 16. Rick CHECUTI, 17. Michael BROWN.

REPORT

With a first-team fixture scheduled for the day after this match, the Reserves fielded far fewer of the first team squad than they had done last Wednesday. Indeed, only Lugsden, McFadden, Hendley and Bowler were involved today from the first team squad players, as Coburn, Talbot, Bushell, Potts, Hussin, Little and Thomson all dropped out of the team which had started on Wednesday. Into the starting side today came Chris Rowley, Laurence Ball, Ben Deegan, Kieran Lugsden, John Maloney, Pat McFadden, Lee Hendley and Justin Bowler.

Ossett won the game's first corner on the left but, after this had been cleared, an underhit back-pass by an Ossett defender gave Lugsden the chance to nip in smartly and knock the ball past the keeper and score into the unguarded net (4 mins). But Ossett soon won two more corners, the first coming after an Alty foul had given the visitors a freekick 25 yards out on their left flank. However, Alty now doubled their lead when Bowler and Maloney were instrumental in getting the ball to McFadden who took the ball round the keeper. Although a defender got back as Pat's shot headed towards goal from the left, the covering player failed to make contact as he attempted a clearance off the line, and the ball went into the net to make it 2-0 (7 mins). Soon it was 3-0 when Wedge's ball forward came off an Ossett player to McFadden, left of goal, and he again took his chance, to make it 3-0 (11 mins). Next, Hendley threatened up the right from Maloney's pass but the keeper diverted his shot into the side-netting at the near post for an Alty corner. This was cleared but soon Maloney was back again, delivering an excellent cross from the right which Deegan powered into the net at the back post with a firm header. So it was already 4-0 and just 13 minutes had passed.

But one disquieting feature of Altrincham's play throughout the afternoon was that they regularly conceded freekicks in the 20-30 yard range from their goal. Nevertheless, Alty won themselves two corners in the middle period of the first half before they conceded another freekick, this time in a central position 25 yards out from their own goal. The Ossett number nine drove in an excellent, low and curling freekick which only just went wide of Rowley's right upright (26 mins). Alty continued to press and after Lugsden had been closed off in the box, Bowler's shot was diverted to McAllister who fired narrowly over the bar from 20 yards (32mins). McFadden thought he had scored his hat trick after 39 minutes when he netted from a stooping header at the back post from Bowler's pass, but the effort was ruled out for offside. Next McFadden fed Lugsden whose shot was tipped round the post for a corner by the busy keeper. From the corner, Ball shot through a crowded goalmouth but saw his effort cleared off the line.

Ben Deegan is almost off the picture (right) after heading Alty Reserves' fourth goal yesterday. Lee Hendley (yellow boots) is also seen.

Altrincham continued to press forward and soon McFadden played Hendley into the box where he calmly drew the keeper before sliding a low shot past him into the net to make it 5-0 (43 mins). A second lecture of the game for Aaron Edwards followed soon afterwards as Alty continued to conceded unnecessary fouls but the freekick was overhit by Ossett (45+1 mins) and half time arrived with Alty five goals to the good.

Ossett clear their lines but don't throw the towel in.

At the interval, Mulholland replaced McFadden who presumably was to be involved in the next day's first-team game at York City. Soon McAllister got forward on the left but his sliced shot enabled Mulholland to get in a header, which went wide (46 mins). With Hendley now joined by Lugsden up front, Alty pressed again but Lugsden’s next shot, from 30 yards, cleared the Golf Road terrace roof comfortably. Alty soon won two corners and just after these, one of several impressively quick turns by Lugsden got him free from his marker and he forced the Ossett keeper to rush out to block (54 mins). Then from Lugsden's feed, Mulholland's shot forced a good save from the keeper but the ball was soon worked to Deegan who, from the by-line right of goal, fed Mulholland whose shot made it 6-0 (57 mins). Youth team goalscoring record-holder Deegan was having a hardworking game playing in his new midfield role. Another smart gather and turn by Lugsden earned Alty a freekick and from Wedge's kick, Lugsden's flashing header went narrowly off the target (59 mins). At this point Ossett's no.12 replaced their no.4. A couple of minutes later Michael Risk and Lee Mannion came on for Altrincham, replacing Laurence Ball and John Maloney respectively. Almost immediately, Risk went close to scoring when he headed narrowly wide at the back post from a good left-wing cross by Bowler (61 mins).

Ossett then got an unexpected toehold in the game when McAllister rose to head what would have been a superb goal at the other end, past his own keeper Rowley from 12 yards or so (63 mins). After Rowley had saved comfortably from a rare Ossett shot, and Bowler had been treated for a foot injury, an uncharacteristic error by Edwards allowed the Ossett no.10 to fire past Rowley from 20 yards to make it 6-2 (67 mins). Alty responded to their slackness in conceding two quick goals by winning a corner but when Mulholland's corner-kick from the left went across the face of goal, Edwards at the back post was well off target with his effort (69 mins). Deegan now powered through midfield but his low shot was well saved and the keeper recovered just in time to block Wedge's conversion of the follow-up at the cost of a corner (71 mins).

Alty continued to press but the next corner went to Ossett, though this was cleared (78 mins). The visitors brought on their no.15 for no.8 after 80 minutes and soon they had another corner when a 22-yard shot was deflected out. Bowler then won his side a corner (84 mins), following which Mannion's excellent effort from 25 yards went narrowly wide (85 mins). Alty soon won another corner but a few minutes later they made it 7-2. This goal arrived when McAllister did well to advance to the by-line left of goal and, via Lugsden, he fed Mulholland whose shot was well saved by the keeper. The loose ball fell for McAllister who blasted the ball into the net from close range to atone for his earlier own goal and make it 7-2 (89 mins). A late surge by Deegan up the middle ended with his being fouled but from the freekick, 28 yards out, Deegan himself fired narrowly over the bar (90 +2 mins). Whilst this was a comfortable win for the Reserves, the visitors never gave up despite chasing the game almost from the start.