Match Reports, 2003-04
ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (1) 2
CHESTER & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (1) 3
District Cup, Group Match
played at Shawe View, Trafford,
on Sunday, 21 September, 2003, at 2pm.
LINE-UP
ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (All red): 1. Tom READ, 2. Adam DOUTHWAITE, 3. Matthew TOOTH, 4. Alex FROST (capt.), 5. Kelvin LUGSDEN, 6. Stuart COOK, 7. Lewis CHALMERS, 8. David NEVILLE, 9. Kieran LUGSDEN, 10. Andy THORPE, 11. Stevie TAYLOR. Subs: 12. Josh COLLINS, 13. Chris ROWLEY (gk), 14. Paul BREIDENBACH, 15. Luke KILLEEN, 16. Stephen LUNT.
CHESTER & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (Green shirts, black shorts and socks).
MATCH REPORT
The Altrincham FA side was entirely made up of Altrincham FC Youth players. Many of the Altrincham lads were playing their third important game in three days, following Friday's FA Youth Cup match and Saturday games for Cheshire FA or other teams. Alex Frost, Josh Collins and Adam Douthwaite had all played in Cheshire's 3-2 win yesterday over Northumberland FA, whilst the Lugsden twins had played in the FA Vase for New Mills; Stuart Cook was amongst the others to have also played yesterday.
Stuart Cook advances in midfield as Alex Frost (left) and David Neville (right) look on.
Tom Read started his first game of the season for Altrincham in goal whilst Andy Thorpe started up front, with Steve Lunt rested on the bench. With Clint Walker ill, Chris Rowley was the sub keeper. Stuart Cook came into the side in midfield.
After a dull day, the sun came out on cue for the kick-off but Altrincham soon fell behind when Chester were allowed to advance up the right side and the ball came across for the visitors' number eight to hammer home past Tom Read from the edge of the box (4 mins).
Chester's no.8, far right, opens the scoring (4 mins).
Chalmers soon rose well to meet a Kelvin Lugsden cross but his effort went just wide. However, Alty won three corners in as many minutes as they sought the equaliser. The second corner, taken by Adam Douthwaite from the left, was knocked out for the third corner on the right. Adam crossed the whole pitch and received a short corner from Stuart Cook which he then knocked into the box where Andy Thorpe, rising well at the back post, headed the ball home to level the scores (10 mins). Douthwaite was then soon in action at the other end breaking up an attack with a crisp tackle. Altrincham were now looking lively with Cook and Thorpe making the most of their places in the starting line-up and the back four showing no strain from their games this weekend. Alty soon won two more corners, which were cleared, before a chip forward found the Chester no.8 whose drive was beaten out well by Read (22 mins).
Tom Read beats out a shot from left of goal by Chester's no.8 (22 mins).
Chalmers and the Chester no.7 were then both spoken to by the referee before Alex Frost needed treatment from Neil Thomason. Chester's no.8 was a constant threat but his header was comfortably saved by Read. Mattie Tooth then broke up a Chester attack which gave Read time to smother the ball. After a lecture for David Neville from the ref, Alty won two more corners to take their tally to seven after only 33 minutes. Then, when Chalmers, Thorpe and Kieran Lugsden combined well, Stevie Taylor was brought down and the Chester no.7 received another lecture. Neville drove the resulting free-kick from 25 yards into the wall (36 mins). Next, Tom Read punched clear from a Chester free-kick and this led to a breakaway by Kieran Lugsden who did brilliantly to get round two defenders only to tread on the ball and lose the opening (37 mins). Two more corners for Altrincham followed, the second arising from a fine interception by Douthwaite who set Kieran Lugsden in on goal and his shot produced an excellent tip round the post by the keeper as he dived to his right (44 mins). Following repeated provocation of Stevie Taylor there was an incident between him and the Chester no.7 which regretably saw other players and spectators become involved. The outcome was that Taylor and David Neville took no further part in the game and the Chester no.10 was also dismissed. It will be for the disciplinary authorities to apportion the blame. After this, the final minute of the half was played out with just 19 players left on the pitch.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH 1 CHESTER & DISTRICT FA YOUTH 1 |
Altrincham started the second half with a 4-3-1 formation, Andy Thorpe being withdrawn to midfield and Kieran Lugsden being left to plough a lone furrow up front. He did this to such good effect that the nine men of Altrincham took the lead after 50 minutes when Kieran latched onto a defensive error and scored, the ball trickling into the net after the keeper got a touch on it. Another defensive error, this time by the no.2, almost let in Kieran again soon after the restart (52 mins). However, Chester then won themselves a corner after Douthwaite had had to cover rapidly when the ball had got behind Kelvin Lugsden.
Kieran Lugsden scores; the ball is behind the keeper.
Chalmers then found Kieran Lugsden whose effort, as he stretched, just cleared the bar (55 mins). There was a scare for Alty when Tom Read injured his leg making a clearance but Kelvin Lugsden cleared the resulting danger well. Alty now brought on Luke Killeen as the lone striker, replacing Kieran Lugsden (56 mins). Another Chalmers surge caused some problems to Chester but Lewis then injured himself pursuing the ball to the by-line. As he was treated Chester brought on no.14 for no.11 (57 mins). Read soon saved a good shot from the visitors' no.4 before Alty won yet another corner off the tall no.2 At this point, Josh Collins replaced Stuart Cook (60 mins). Almost immediately Collins headed the corner over the bar from the corner. Chester then went down to the other end and, as defenders grappled with attackers, Alex Frost cleared the ball off the line only to find that the referee had awarded a penalty to the visitors. Chester's no.14 drove this home comfortably to make it 2-2 (63 mins).
Right: Andy Thorpe
A good cross from the left from Collins found Killeen but he could only knock the ball over the bar (65 mins). Then, when Collins fed Thorpe, his shot was blocked by the keeper for a corner, on the right, followed soon after by Alty's 12th flag-kick of the game (70 mins). Next, Chester replaced no.7 by no.12 and Altrincham brought on Steve Lunt for Adam Douthwaite (72 mins), with Thorpe moving to right-back. Five minutes later Lunt lashed in a shot which the keeper saved well. Altrincham did not seem to have fewer players than their opponents, as their defence kept Chester at bay and Alty posed more of a goal threat. Lunt won another corner before a fine save from Read from the Chester no.9 gave the visitors a corner of their own, from which their no.5 headed narrowly wide of the back post.
Lunt was then given time by the defence to compose himself for a curling shot which only just missed the outside of the post before Collins and Lunt combined well to set Killen free but he was marginally offside (82 mins). A superb tackle from Frost broke up a counter-attack as play now went from end to end, as spaces appeared on the pitch. Chester then subbed their no.6 before Lunt was harshly judged to have handled when in a shooting position. A fine ball from Tooth set up Killeen for a shot which the keeper blocked well. Chester then won a corner off Frost on the left. Read punched out the no.12's corner and this gave the visitors a corner on their right. A firm, goalbound shot following the corner was well cleared off the line by Tooth but, from the rebound, a second shot came in from left-centre (from the no.4?) which this time found the net, as Collins attempted valiantly to clear it on the line. This goal arrived in the third minute of added time and was rough justice on Altrincham who had been the better side in the second half despite only having nine players. The remaining minute of play saw an effort from Tooth run to the keeper.
Mattie Tooth (second from right) clears well, off the line, but the ball would soon be struck back into the net for the winning goal.
Altrincham were very unlucky to be beaten after putting up a spirited display in the second half. Even though this was the third game in three days for several of their players, their fitness kept them going till the end.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH 2 CHESTER & DISTRICT FA YOUTH 3 |