ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1. Sam FOX, 2. Tom HORNER, 3. Tom BAIN, 4. Richard GRESTY, 5.Matt GARLAND, 6. Adam BALL, 7.Paul LEWIS (capt.), 8. James MONAGHAN, 9. Adam WALKER, 10. Lee HENDLEY, 11. Ryan STEWART. Subs: 12. Sam CAWTHRA, 14. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 15. Kieran SALMON, 16. Chris BAILEY, 18. Chris BOWCOTT (gk).

REPORT

Report based on details kindly supplied by Youth Team manager, George Heslop.

Alty were without the injured trio of Arron Hevingham, Chris Waugh and Ben Deegan, all of whom were injured. Adam Walker came into the side and replaced Terrell Freeman up front. Altrincham started brightly, carrying on from where they had left off in the second half against Eagley last week. They were showing more determination to secure a win than in some previous matches.

Alty took the lead after 13 minutes when a good ball found Ryan Stewart who fed Lee Hendley, who finished well. The game continued at a fast pace on a muddy pitch. Alty created more chances but Leigh's two Lancashire FA strikers had to be watched. Indeed, the Leigh side included seven of the Lancashire side.

After 34 minutes Hendley made a dangerous foray into the box but was pulled back round the collar, his shirt being torn in the process. Leigh protested at the resulting penalty award and their no.11 was booked. James Monaghan put the spot-kick confidently into the top corner (34 mins).

Leigh then lost their discipline for a while, contesting the referee's decisions rather than concentrating on their performance. Good team work involving Stewart and Hendley led to Adam Walker netting Alty's third (43 mins). On the stroke of half-time, right-back Tom Horner played a good ball to Adam Ball, whose flick found Adam Walker and he netted his second and Alty's fourth.

Early in the second half, a lack of concentration by Altrincham allowed Leigh to score when an RMI player advanced up the left and then cut in before beating Fox with his shot (48 mins). After 50 minutes, the Leigh keeper collected a corner but, as he landed on the soft pitch, his leg gave way. After an eight minute stoppage, the keeper had to go off and the Leigh number five went in goal.

After 52 minutes, Alty exploited the new keeper, with Tom Bain setting up Lee Hendley to make it 5-1. But then slackness in the Alty central defence allowed a Leigh player to advance, one on one, towards goalkeeper Fox. The unprotected Alty keeper's dive brought down the attacker to concede a penalty and earn a red card (54 mins). So Adam Ball was withdrawn to allow substitute goalkeeper Chris Bowcott to come on. Though Bowcott did well to get his hands to the spot-kick, the penalty was converted to make it 2-5.

With Altrincham a man short they made another change; Sam Cawthra replaced Tom Bain, necessitating a move to left-back for Ryan Stewart. Hendley was left as the lone striker as Walker was now on the right flank. Altrincham continued to battle well, despite their being a man short, but when Hendley picked up a groin strain they had to make another change, with Hassan Zareh-Ourang replacing the injured striker. Zareh-Ourang went into central midfield with Walker moving to the lone striker's role. Meanwhile, Leigh had changed to a back-three which Alty sought tried to exploit by the use of pace.

A good run from Walker produced an Alty corner from which the Leigh no. 8 turned Cawthra's kick from the left, into his own net to make it 2-6 (88 mins). Altrincham were now getting on top despite their man deficiency and they were closing down the opposition well to stifle their attacks. In the eighth of ten added minutes of play Cawthra advanced on the left before cutting in. With a pass to Walker an option, Cawthra opted to go alone and scored a good goal. Two more minutes of added time failed to alter the score.