ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Barry GEORGE, 2. Adam DOUTHWAITE, 3. Matt TOOTH, 4. Alex FROST (capt.), 5. Steven HOWARTH, 6. Joe CONNOR, 7. Paul LEWIS, 8. Stevie TAYLOR, 9. Steve LUNT, 10. Kieran LUGSDEN, 11. Kelvin LUGSDEN. Subs: 12. Stuart COOK, 14. Adam BALL, 15. Lewis CHALMERS, 16. Andy THORPE, 18. Tom READ (gk).

EUXTON VILLA YOUTH 1. GIBBS, 2. TAYLOR, 3. WALKER, 4. FARNWORTH, 5. O'LOUGHLIN, 6. CLARKSON, 7. WINSTANLEY, 8. DUNN, 9. HOWELLS, 10. NARAGHI, 11. ASHTON. Subs: 12. THOMPSON, 14. SCOTT, 15. ROBINSON.

In contrast to last week's encounter, today's game took place on a fine, generally bright afternoon. Alty were without Josh Collins, who is still getting fit after a car accident over Christmas, and Lewis Chalmers who had lost his place after being unavailable for last week's game. The game started 10 minutes late and the visitors enjoyed the better of the opening minutes before Altrincham began to assert themselves.

However, the first real threat on either goal came from Alty's Steve Lunt who got behind the defence but elected to shoot from near the edge of the box and his effort was saved by Gibbs. Soon afterwards, following a good tackle by Adam Douthwaite, the ball came to Kieran Lugsden who kept cool before chipping the ball into the right hand corner of the net to open the scoring (16 mins).

Following a trip on Kelvin Lugsden, Matt Tooth's free-kick set up Lunt for a volley which went wide, but offside had been given anyway (23 mins). Next, a long shot from Tooth bounced to the Euxton keeper before a good move up the right by Euxton forced Barry George to make a good punch clear from the Alty goalmouth (30 mins).

Alty went close after 31 minutes when, after good work from Taylor, Kieran Lugsden forced a good save from Gibbs, who could not hold the shot but, as Lewis closed, the keeper kicked clear and a corner followed. A fine long ball from Frost then found Kelvin Lugsden but his left foot effort ran to the keeper (34 mins). As Alty continued to dominate, Kieran Lugsden and Douthwaite combined well and Lunt headed the latter's cross just wide of the target (35 mins).

George was called into action and confidently took possession of an Euxton free-kick into the Alty box. His clearance, via Lunt, gave Kieran Lugsden a shot which cleared the bar (37 mins). Soon after this Steve Howarth did well to head clear an Euxton attack before the visitors won a free-kick 35 yards out. From this, the ball pinged around the Alty goalmouth, with some fine blocking being made by the Alty back four.

Ashton got in a shot for Euxton which the unsighted George did well to keep out but Howells should have hit the target from the rebound (43 mins). Capitalising on their close escape, Altrincham went to the other end and scored. A fine move involving Douthwaite, Taylor, Lewis and Kieran Lugsden ended with Taylor setting Lunt up for a shot from the edge of the box which beat the keeper to his left (44 mins). Half-time arrived with Altrincham good value for their lead.

The second half started with an Euxton volley over the bar and then a Lunt volley wide, at the other end (50 mins). Lunt soon won a corner before Kieran Lugsden was booked for allegedly using his elbow on the keeper as the corner came across (52 mins). A fine ball from Taylor then prompted Lunt to win another corner. Taylor's midfield partner Joe Connor was also having an excellent game for Altrincham, whilst the home defence was keeping Euxton at bay and Barry George underemployed.

Euxton brought on Scott and Thompson for Winstanley and Dunn just before Kieran Lugsden made it 3-0. The ball came to the Alty striker from the right and he executed a fine lob from left-centre which went in off the keeper's left post (58 mins). Alty themselves now made a change as Lewis Chalmers came on for Stevie Taylor (59 mins). Soon, a Connor pass fed Lunt, who won another Alty corner.

This was cleared but, then, Lunt won possession from Farnworth and from his cross Kieran Lugsden's neatly-taken header was well saved by Gibbs (62 mins). Next, Kelvin Lugsden did well on the left but his shot from 25 yards took a massive deflection off a defender, wrong-footing the keeper and sending the ball looping into the far corner of the net to make it 4-0 (67 mins).

Euxton did not give up and soon won a corner before Alty replaced Paul Lewis by Stuart Cook (68 mins). Altrincham won another corner before Adam Ball came on for Matt Tooth (72 mins). Steve Lunt then rode a tackle well before seeing his fine shot beaten out by the keeper (74 mins). Two more corners followed for Alty, the second after a fierce shot from Kieran Lugsden had been tipped over the bar (75 mins).

As the game entered the last ten minutes, Lunt had an effort well saved and then he sliced wide a shot, two minutes later, as the home side dominated proceedings. Euxton almost conceded a fifth when Lewis Chalmers's long throw from the right was dropped by the keeper but the ball was cleared (86 mins). There was still time for each side to win a corner before the referee blew the final whistle.