ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shirts, red socks) 1. Chris BOWCOTT, 2. Daley O'NEILL, 3. Ryan STEWART, 4. Chris BAILEY, 5. Matt GARLAND, 6. James MONAGHAN, 7. Aron HEVINGHAM (capt.), 8. Ben DEEGAN, 9. Lee HENDLEY, 10. Sam CAWTHRA, 11. Alex MIKE. Subs: 12. Tom HILTON, 14. Terrell FREEMAN, 15. Terry LEIGH, 16. Lee SCANLON, 18. Sam FOX (gk).

Above: Alty left-back Ryan Stewart attempts to stem a Bootle attack as centre-back Matt Garland waits to assist.

This was the first league game of the season and Altrincham were the defending champions whilst Bootle were new to the Premier Division. The Altrincham side was almost completely different from last season's squad, with only Sam Cawthra, Tom Hilton and James Monaghan having had any involvement at all last season. Bootle fielded a young side, many of whom were only 16.

Alty made a disastrous start going two goals down inside three minutes. After Alty had kicked off they found themselves one down after 30 seconds when a cross from the left was well volleyed into the net by Bootle's number seven. With Alty caught cold, they conceded again when Bootle's no.18 headed home a cross from the right. Though the home side won a corner before the 10 minute mark, they were still looking vulnerable to balls over the top of the defence. Mike gave them some hope when he advanced from the left and forced a save from the Bootle keeper as his shot headed for the near top corner (10 mins). Hendley then built on this hope with a fine run past three opponents before his shot was blocked (16 mins). Then from a Hevingham freekick from 35 yards, Deegan popped up in front of the keeper to nod just over the bar (18 mins). Bootle made a change a minute later, no. 19 replacing the injured no.9.

Hendley made his second mazy run of the game but his final pass was cut out whilst Bootle responded with a cross from the right from which the no.11 struck the outside of the post with a header. Alty then won a corner before Bowcott had to tip a Bootle freekick over the bar (26 mins). Cawthra got in a firm shot for Alty which was saved at the second attempt as Alty were now giving as good as they got after their shaky opening. O'Neill's long range shot just cleared the Bootle bar and soon afterwards, Hendley got round the Bootle keeper to the right of goal but his attempt to roll the ball into the net was cut out by a defender at the cost of a corner (31 mins).

At the other end the Bootle no.10 got to the by-line and his cross cannoned off a defender for a corner which was cleared. Another Bootle ball over the top of the back four won them a corner which was headed wide (35 mins). A Hendley feed to Cawthra saw the keeper block the ball but he injured himself in the process.

Just before the interval Alty brought on Hilton for Bailey, with Deegan moving back to the back four as Hilton went into midfield (43 mins). Bootle then drove a 22 yard freekick into the net but as it was an indirect award, the goal did not stand. Alty won a corner in added time, and then won a freekick which came to Hilton who drove the ball over the bar.

After an early Bootle corner, Alty won three corners in succession but these came to nothing (56 mins). A good interchange between nos.10 and 19 forced a good save with his legs by Bowcott (61 mins). A jump tackle on Monaghan then prompted a small fracas which ended with lectures for Monaghan and the Bootle no.5. Alty now brought on Freeman up front for Cawthra (63 mins). Soon afterwards Bootle's no.12 replaced their no.2 as Altrincham enjoyed most of the territorial advantage in the second half but were not getting shots in on goal. Hevingham was the victim of a number of fouls and indeed, Bootle conceded a string of freekicks in the 20 to 35 yard range in the second half as they were kept on the back foot. Bootle made another change with no.17 replacing no.3 and soon after this a breakaway by nos.10 and 19 only ended with the latter rolling his shot narrowly wide (73 mins).

A Bootle defender then headed past his own keeper in the goalmouth and Hendley got possession close in but at a very acute angle to the left of goal. He elected not to shoot but his attempted cross was too long. After another Alty freekick, Mike found Deegan but he mishit his shot wide (78 mins). Another corner followed after which Hevingham mishit his shot. Monaghan was proving a tireless force in midfield and it was fitting that he got on the end of Hendley's ball from the by-line left of goal, to head the goal that put Alty back in the game (82 mins). After a foul on Hevingham, Mike spurned another shooting opportunity. Then a fine 50 yard ball forward from O'Neill set up Freeman, behind the defence, but he shot well over the bar (88 mins). With time running out, Leigh replaced Hevingham. Alty won a late freekick just outside the right side of the box, which was cleared off the line. Despite dominating the second half, Altrincham were left to rue their two early lapses which had left them chasing the game against a Bootle side which looked very impressive in the early stages but which spent most of the second half on the defensive.

Once the Altrincham side have played together a bit more, they will hopefully get onto the winning path. They created plenty of second-half chances but failed to convert any of them. After a shaky start by the defence, they settled down and apart from a couple of dangerous breakaways, keeper Bowcott had little to do in the second half.