ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Sam FOX, 2. Paul LEWIS (capt), 3. Tom BANE, 4. Marcus MADDIX, 5. Matt GARLAND, 6. Adam WALKER, 7. Arron HEVINGHAM, 8. James MONAGHAN, 9. Ben DEEGAN, 10. Lee HENDLEY, 11. Ryan STEWART. Subs: 12. Sam CAWTHRA, 14. Tom HORNER, 15. Terrell FREEMAN, 16. Adam BALL, 18. Chris BOWCOTT (gk).

REPORT

Altrincham had lost their two previous District Cup matches but, after the good win last week by the Altrincham FC Youth team, they had good reason to hope for a better outcome today. Alty gave a full debut to Adam Walker, on the right.

A superb shot from more than 30 yards by James Monaghan forced a hurried save and a corner from the Macc. keeper after just four minutes. But Macclesfield responded with two corners in a minute, the second coming after the Alty defence had stopped, expecting the ball to run out for a goalkick. Next, after the keeper had dropped a Paul Lewis cross, Monaghan got in another shot, which was deflected for a corner. Following this, a good move by Hevingham, Walker and Stewart led to Hendley's shot over the bar. Another Macc. corner followed off Maddix, from which the visitors' no.9 put an unchallenged header narrowly over the bar. Alty then won a corner but the visitors almost went ahead in bizarre fashion when Fox allowed a ball to run behind him towards the line before he completed the clearance (21 mins). Then, Alty captain Paul Lewis had to come off and he was replaced by centre-back Tom Horner, who slotted into an unaccustomed right-back role (23 mins).

Macclesfield were getting more shots at goal than Alty and after another corner had been half-cleared, they hit the Alty crossbar. Garland then had to leave the pitch with an injury and Alty played on with ten men for about four minutes. The Macc. no.7 was being allowed to make runs up the centre and when he finished off one surge with a 25 yard shot, Fox saved well. Soon, good work from Hevingham led to his feeding Hendley on the left. From near the by-line, his shot was well saved, at the second attempt (40 mins). Not long afterwards, Monaghan fed Deegan and, via Hendley, the ball came to Stewart whose fine cross was met by a great leap at the back post by Walker who headed the ball into the net to put Alty ahead (42 mins).

Macclesfield responded with their no.10 getting behind the Alty defence and, though he caught his shot well, he fired it too close to Fox, who made a very good save (43 mins). But the respite was short, as the no.7 was again allowed to advance up the middle. He set the no.11 in on goal, in a suspiciously offside-looking position, but play continued and his low shot beat Fox, low, to his right, though the Alty keeper got a hand to it (44 mins). Half-time arrived with the sides level but with Macclesfield having had more chances.

Macclesfield brought on their no.16 at the interval in place of no.3. The next real chance of the game did not arrive till the 59th minute when a cross from the left set the Macc. no.9 clear but he lifted his shot over the top. Maddix then cleared another attack before Hevingham was booked for a foul on the visitors' no.4 (62 mins). Deegan now won possesion for Alty and set Hendley going for a shot which just rose over the bar. But Macclesfield then won a penalty when the no.5 got up the right and from his cross, the no.11 was fouled by Maddix. The victim got up and sent Fox the wrong way from the spot to make it 2-1 to the visitors (66 mins).

Macc. made another substituion (no.14 for 7) after 71 minutes but Alty were now pressing hard for an equaliser. However, a breakaway by the Macc. no.11 saw him advance up the middle and feed the no.14 on the right. His cross was met by the advancing no.11 who scored well (76 mins). At this point Monaghan was replaced by Ball, who went on the right flank as Walker moved inside. Macc. soon won a corner but this came to nothing. However, the visitors got a fourth goal when the no.10 sprang the offside trap and advanced to the left of goal from where he fired in a great shot which entered the net off the far post to make it 4-1 (87 mins). Macc. made a late change (12 for 2). Altrincham were unable to get any more reward for their efforts before the final whistle sounded to confirm their exit from the District Cup.