ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (red & white striped shirts, blacks shorts, red socks): 1. Lee MILNER, 2. Chris WAUGH, 3. Ryan STEWART, 4. Richard GRESTY, 5. Matt GARLAND, 6. Adam WALKER, 7. Paul LEWIS. 8. James MONAGHAN, 9. Andy UMEBUANI, 10. Lee HENDLEY, 11. Adam BALL. Subs: 12. Chris BAILEY, 14. Deon DEPEIAZA, 15. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 16. Arron HEVINGHAM, 18. Sam FOX (gk).

EUXTON VILLA YOUTH (All blue with white trim) 1. MAGUIRE, 2. YARWOOD, 3. TULLY, 4. WARD, 5. THOMPSON, 6. HEYWORTH, 7. HAMPSON, 8. DUNN, 9. O'NEILL, 10. HINDLEY, 11. PACKER. Sub: 12. MONROE.

REPORT

Alty had beaten Euxton Villa 6-2 in a cup match back in October but only four Alty players (Lewis, Garland, Monaghan and Hendley) started this game who had also started that match, whilst Euxton had seven of the same starters. Alty had also made one change from their last game before Christmas, with Parker-Chambers replaced at left-back by Ryan Stewart, who had moved from midfield, whilst into the starting line-up came striker Andy Umebuani, who has had experience in Manchester City and Stockport County youth set-ups.

The Ericstan Park pitch was in surprisingly good condition given the torrential rain of recent weeks, but there was a strong wind blowing down the pitch behind Altrincham in the first half. Indeed, Euxton found it difficult to get out of their half in the opening stages and Alty won an early corner. Ball took the corner from the left but it was cleared back to him. His second cross made good use of the wind and found Garland, who jumped well at the back post to nod the ball down for Walker who scored well from a central position (4 mins).

Alty continued to press and when Hendley got past Ward, keeper Maguire had to make a smart save, the ball coming off his body and clearing the bar for a corner. From this an Euxton player struck his own crossbar to concede a further corner as Alty dominated. Good work from Monaghan then allowed Hendley to get in a dangerous cross but, in a pattern which was to become familiar in the first half, there was no one on the end of it (16 mins). An interception then allowed Eagley to attack but a smart tackle from Gresty stopped Dunn's advance. Alty were soon back at the other end with Umebuani winning a corner, which was followed by two more - making it seven Alty corners in the first 26 minutes. Ball's corner was met well by Gresty but the ball fell to the keeper. A long ball from the right by Waugh then evaded everyone and hit the bar before rebounding to Umebuani who likewise headed against the crossbar (28 mins).

From an Euxton freekick, Alty keeper Milner punched clear well before Hendley fired in a cross shot at the other end which went wide (30 mins). Another Alty corner followed (33 mins) before Alty doubled their lead. The ball came to Hendley in a central position and he expertly chipped the ball past his marker before scoring off the upright, with the keeper also getting a hand to the ball (36 mins). Euxton won their first corner when Dunn's shot was blocked and a second Euxton corner soon followed, which Milner punched well clear. Euxton were improving as half-time arrived and with the increasingly strong wind to favour them in the second half, they were far from out of the game.

Indeed, Euxton started the second half as they had ended the first, with two corners, the second arising when Milner did well to tip over Thompson's effort (47 mins). Alty soon won themselves a corner, however, and had a good chance to make it three when Umebuani shot wide from a Lewis feed (55 mins). Milner then smothered well from Hindley before Alty had a goal harshly disallowed. Hendley had done well to advance up the middle, despite being held, but when Hendley released the ball for Umebuani to lash the ball past the keeper and into the net, the referee ruled it out for Hendley's own retaliatory push on his marker in the build-up (65 mins).

Euxton then brought on their only substitute, for O'Neill (64 mins). As Euxton waited to take a corner, Alty also made change with Hevingham replacing Ball (67 mins). Stewart then won Alty a corner and a second Alty corner, their eleventh of the game, soon followed (73 mins).

Alty then brought on Hassan Zareh-Ourang for Paul Lewis (78 mins), with the new man playing on the right and Hevingham moving into central midfield. Another Alty corner came and went before Deon Depeiaza replaced Umebuani for Alty (81 mins). The Alty defence continued to deal very well with the strong wind blowing at them and Milner's goal looked secure.

After 86 minutes a freekick from Stewart was well taken and reached Depeiaza, despite the wind. He laid the ball off for Monaghan to hammer the ball home off the underside of the cross bar from a good 20 yards in a central position to make it 3-0. A fine clearance by Milner then found Depeiaza and from his pass Hendley forced a save from the keeper. The keeper then did well to take Garland's freekick . From Monaghan's pass Hendley got to the by-line left of goal and as he tracked inside he was tripped inside the box and a penalty was awarded. Depeiaza claimed it and with the shortest of run-ups, he just beat the keeper's dive, to his right, to make it 4-0 (90 mins). After a couple of minutes of added time, the whistle went leaving Alty's defence unbeaten in their last three league games.