ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Lee MILNER, 2. Chris WAUGH, 3. John PARKER-CHAMBERS, 4. Richard GRESTY, 5. Matt GARLAND, 6. Graham BRYANT, 7. James MONAGHAN, 8. Arron HEVINGHAM, 9. Adam WALKER, 10. Lee HENDLEY, 11. Ryan STEWART. Subs: 12. Dion DEPEIAZA, 14. Tom HORNER, 15. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 16. Tom BANE, 18. Sam FOX (gk).

MORECAMBE "A" YOUTH (Yellow shirts and socks, blue shorts): 1. DAVIES, S., 2. NAY, 3. GRAY, 4. BRIERLEY, 5. DAVIES, J. 6. FORBES, 7. LLOYD, 8. SMITH, 9. ARNISON, 10. RANDALL, 11. SUNTER. Subs: WEST, MAKIN, LANGFORD, HOOTON.

REPORT

This match turned out to be one of the best Allied Trophies games seen at Wythenshawe Town's ground this season as the unbeaten league leaders Morecambe A played against the in-form Altrincham Youth team in the Premier Cup semi-final. Morecambe soon showed the impressive passing abilities of their side but it was not until the seventh minute that they created the first decent chance of the game when Randall fed Arnison but the latter poked his effort wide. Alty's first threat came when Hendley fed Walker but his shot from the right was blocked (10 mins). Morecambe then won a corner when Gresty was forced to put the ball out as he faced his own goal but the corner was cleared. Morecambe threatened again when Lloyd went up the right wing and his good cross found Randall unmarked at the back post but he headed wide from close range (21 mins).

Next, a neat back-flick from Hendley fed Walker and from the return pass Hendley won his side a corner on their right. Though Morecambe were having more of the attacking play, the Alty defence was coping well, as was shown when Garland made a fine block and Gresty completed the clearance, to Bryant on the right of midfield. Another good Alty move saw Monaghan win possession and Parker-Chambers play a fine ball up the left touchline for Hendley but the impressive Brierley saw off the attack inside their box (24 mins). But just as Alty looked reasonably comfortable, Morecambe took the lead with a finely struck goal. Following a throw-in, the ball came to Smith who fired a dipping shot from 20 yards which went over Milner's hand before dropping under the bar and into the net (28 mins).

Walker was then caught offside twice in quick succession before Stewart, who was having a good game on the left, prompted another attack which was seen off. Smith then fired in a shot from outside the box which Garland bravely headed out for a corner on the visitors' left (39 mins). A fine pass from Stewart then set Hendley running at the keeper to the left of goal but Davies closed him down well to make an important save (42 mins). At the interval Alty trailed 0-1 but were certainly not out of the game after a good performance against an impressive side.

Alty started the second half well but it was not until the 51st minute that the visitors' keeper was forced into a meaningful save when a fine through ball from Bryant put Hendley in on the keeper, who made a good stop from the Alty captain's shot. A telling pass from Parker-Chambers then got Hendley to the by-line left of goal but his firm, low cross found no one following up inside the goalmouth (55 mins). Alty continued to attack and a ball up the middle forced a defender to concede a corner as Hendley pressured him (57 mins). Soon Walker made good progress to the right of goal but his attempt at a placed shot ran wide of the far post (59 mins). Alty were now well on top but were unable to convert their superiority into goals. But there was still danger at the other end was shown when Milner had to be alert to tip Lloyd's shot from outside the box over the crossbar for a corner (60 mins).

When Parker-Chambers and Stewart played in Hendley once more, he won a corner as Brierley made a good saving tackle. From the corner, Garland had a shot blocked and another corner followed. This time Garland rose well but could only knock Stewart's corner, from the right, just wide of the post (75 mins). Now Morecambe were getting back into the game after Alty had enjoyed the better of the early part of the second half. Milner tried a number of long punts forward for the speedy strikers Hendley and Walker to chase but it was ironically a long ball forward at the other end which settled the match. A Morecambe ball, up the middle from midfield, evaded Garland and dropped for Arnison to run onto and, faced only by the exposed Milner, he scored the decisive second goal for Morecambe putting the ball into the corner of the net to the keeper's left (80 mins)

Alty were upset when Hevingham found Walker in a threatening position only for the ref to blow for an Alty freekick for a foul on the Alty midfielder (86 mins). From the freekick, outside the box in a central position, Stewart's shot cleared the keeper but struck the crossbar (87 mins). Another late chance came when Walker got in a cross from the right but Stewart got under his shot at the back post and fired over the target (88 mins). With just a minute of normal time left, Alty made their first change with Depeiaza replacing Parker-Chambers to strengthen Alty's attack. In the third of five added minutes, Nay was booked for a harsh challenge on Stewart. But although Alty won a corner after this, they could not breakdown the visitors' solid defence.

Altrincham probably had more chances than Morecambe in this game but were unable to convert any of them. Nevertheless they gave a very good account of themselves against the Premier Division's leaders who, unlike Altrincham, enjoy the benefits of an Academy set-up.