ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Barry GEORGE, 2. Adam DOUTHWAITE, 3. Matthew TOOTH, 4. Alex FROST (capt.), 5. Steven HOWARTH, 6. Stuart COOK, 7. Lewis CHALMERS, 8. Paul LEWIS, 9. Steve LUNT, 10. Kieran LUGSDEN, 11. Josh COLLINS. Subs: 12. Paul BREIDENBACH, 14. Adam BALL, 15. James MONAGHAN.

SOUTH SEFTON BOROUGH YOUTH (Orange shirts, blue shorts and orange socks) 1. MILLINGTON, 2. LAWRENSON, 3. RAMSEY, 4. COULTON, 5. REECE, 6. O'HARA, 7. READ, 8. SUMMER, 9. DOWD (capt.), 10. GILBERT, 11. CUNNINGHAM.

This was, officially, an away game for Altrincham but, due to vandalism of the South Sefton pitch at Hightown, the game was switched to Wythenshawe Town F.C..

Alty had to make several changes. Out, injured, were Andy Thorpe and Kelvin Lugsden, whilst Stevie Taylor is one week into his five-week suspension. Into goal returned Barry George, the Cheshire FA keeper, as his rival for the no.1 shirt Ashley Timms had been for a trial at Oxford United yesterday.

The first shot of note on goal came after three minutes when Steve Lunt was narrowly wide from 20 yards and this effort was soon followed by shots from Kieran Lugsden and Josh Collins as Altrincham started well. However, Sefton then got in a good shot of their own soon afterwards with Reece firing only narrowly wide of George's left post (6 mins).

A fine tackle from Tooth then saw off Summer's attack and then, after Collins had done well, Alty won a free-kick left of goal some 20 yards out. However, Lewis's free-kick went to keeper Millington. Another free-kick soon followed when Lunt was fouled after receiving Douthwaite's accurate pass forward. From a short free-kick routine on the right, Douthwaite emerged with the ball and put in a well-directed cross which found Lewis at the back post.

Lewis's shot back across the goal was heading for the net but Kieran Lugsden made sure that a retreating defender did not clear it off the line by poking the ball home at the near post (18 mins). The second goal also came from a free-kick which was taken, this time, by Alex Frost. The well-flighted ball was met superbly, towards the back post, by Lewis Chalmers whose well-timed leap allowed him to head the ball firmly home, to the keeper's right from 10 yards or so (20 mins).

Sefton conceded yet another free-kick when O'Hara fouled Lunt from behind and, from Douthwaite's kick, Reece conceded a corner to Alty (23 mins). Though this was cleared, Alty were soon three up; the goal coming when Lunt's excellent hooked ball from just inside the visitors' half set Keiran Lugsden running freely up the middle of the pitch and he coolly slotted the ball past Millington (25 mins).

After Frost had seen off Dowd at the other end, a South Sefton corner was awarded, which George caught well (27 mins). Altrincham added a fourth when a ball from the right came to Lunt on the outer fringes of the box, left of goal.

Steve's first-time left-footed strike drove the ball back into the far corner of the net to make it 4-0 after just 28 minutes. Soon afterwards a snap shot from Paul Lewis just cleared the bar but it was soon 5-0 when a finely threaded through-ball up the centre from Chalmers set Lunt free on goal and though the no.9 did not hit the ball cleanly it beat Millington (31 mins).

Sefton responded with a 25 yarder from Gilbert which George held well (32 mins). In fact, Sefton came into the game a bit more as half-time approached but Kieran Lugsden then underhit a shot which could have made it six and the keeper gathered the ball at the second attempt (41 mins). But half-time came with the score still 5-0 to Altrincham.

At half-time Adam Ball replaced Alex Frost. This led to Josh Collins moving to centre-back to accommodate the substitute on the left. Soon Ball had a shot blocked and then Howarth made one of his several fine clearances in this game as Sefton tried to get a toe-hold in the match. Douthwaite then executed an excellent tackle to see off another attack.

Next, Collins headed clear twice in succession as the visitors had their best spell of the game. However, Alty should have scored again when Lewis's good pass set Kieran Lugsden in on goal but the Alty striker's attempt to back-heel the ball into the net did not come off (53 mins).

But the sixth goal was not long in coming and resulted from a fine move involving Chalmers, Douthwaite, Cook and Lunt, who played a fine through ball for Ball, who together with Kieran Lugsden, had got free in the outer left of the box. Ball finished well but the Sefton manager's protests, presumably for offside, led to a lengthy lecture from the referee (54 mins). Indeed the referee had to go back and remonstrate with the Sefton manager once more before play resumed.

Soon the Sefton defender Lawrenson was also lectured by the referee and, from the resulting free-kick from 22 yards, Lewis Chalmers hit the top of the crossbar (58 mins). Kieran Lugsden, who had played yesterday and scored twice for New Mills, now gave way to Paul Breidenbach (60 mins). Alty keeper Barry George now saw a rare piece of action as he had to come to the edge of his box to catch a ball up the middle which had deceived his defence. Soon, however, Lunt shot wide at the other end, having got behind the Sefton back line (62 mins). Next Stuart Cook gave way to James Monaghan (65 mins) in midfield.

A Sefton 25-yarder went wide before the visitors' Reece was booked for what was presumably a verbal offence (71 mins). Sefton continued to concede free-kicks and Read was the next offender to be lectured (79 mins).

Monaghan's good feed then set up Ball to score goal number seven from left of goal (81 mins) and then Douthwaite got forward but his shot was blocked. There was then a stoppage as the referee lost patience with the Sefton manager and sent him off. Just after this, Alty made it eight when Steve Lunt got free and raced into the right side of the box before planting a well-placed left-foot shot into the corner of the net to the keeper's right (87 mins).

Soon Lunt threatened again when he dispossessed Reece but his attempted lob of the keeper was just saved by Millington (88 mins). South Sefton kept going to the end and won a late corner which was cleared but there was still time for Lunt to get clear again but this time he shot wide. This was Altrincham's biggest win in the NWYA since the 10-0 defeat of Euxton Villa in September 2000 and maintained their unbeaten league record this season.