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. Adam WALKER, 7. Graham BRYANT, 8. Ryan McDARMAID, 9. Ben DEEGAN, 10. Lee HENDLEY (capt.), 11. Ryan STEWART. Subs: 12. Arron HEVINGHAM, 14. Ben ROBSON, 15. Danny GRAY, 16. Tom HORNER, 18. Sam FOX (gk).

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

REPORT

Morecambe arrived at Wythenshawe Town unbeaten this season. The Altrincham side facing them today had two changes from the side which had lost to Morecambe in the Premier Cup on 6 March, whilst Morecambe had three different starters from that game.

Altrincham started very well and won three corners in the first eight minutes, the last leading to a header which just cleared the bar. Soon afterwards, Hendley had a low shot saved as Morecambe were largely penned back in their own half. The visitors did win a corner, however, which was taken short, and led to a low cross-cum-shot from Lloyd which went narrowly wide (13 mins). But Alty won another corner soon after this to re-assert their dominance of the opening stages. However, as the 20-minute mark approached Morecambe began to play some good passing football and the dangerous Lloyd got on the end of a fine diagonal ball from the left and shot narrowly wide (21 mins). Morecambe then won two corners and from the second of these, from the left, Parker-Chambers made a magnificent clearance off the goal-line.

A Milner punt set up Hendley to win Alty another corner but it was Morecambe who were now looking the better side. An excellent long ball from the Morecambe left set Lloyd chasing and he just got to the ball first to poke into the far corner of the net to give his side the lead (31 mins).

For Alty, Walker was doing well on the right but his feed to Deegan saw the striker miskick his shot to the keeper (33 mins). Then, Hendley got to the by-line and crossed for Bryant but a defender cleared the ball off the midfielder's toes. The powerful Deegan then threatened again, getting past the keeper to the by-line left of goal but he could not curl his effort into the net from an acute angle. Two minutes later, however, Bryant set Walker going forward and he found Hendley, who finished left-footed from the right of goal, to level the scores (41 mins). The goal took Lee past Steve Lunt's youth team scoring record of 29 goals. A minute later, a freekick by Gresty from the centre, about 30 yards out, found Deegan at the back post and he had a simple task of tapping the ball into the net (42 mins). After the re-start Deegan had a shot saved but Alty got a third as the first half ended. Garland, Gresty and Waugh played the ball out of defence to Walker who skipped past a marker to find Hendley. Hendley got past Gray to the by-line on the right from where he crossed to Deegan, who again made no mistake in completing his hat-trick (45 mins). After missing much of the season with injury, Deegan's return to the side has made a great difference.

Alty won an early corner in the second half and continued to play well with McDarmaid and Bryant strong in midfield and the back four keeping Morecambe at bay. But Morecambe began to press and West shot over the bar, before the visitors won a corner. A foul on Stewart on the edge of the box led to Brierley being booked (60 mins). Lloyd, who looked dangerous throughout, forced a good save from Milner but Alty were soon at the other end with Stewart advancing well into the box before scuffing his shot. From a Morecambe corner, the visitors headed wide just before Gresty had to hobble off and be replaced by Gray in central defence (68 mins). Alty made it 4-1 when Stewart found Deegan who made a great turn before powering into the box and, even though he mishit his shot, it ran into the far corner of the net (70 mins). It got even better a minute later when McDarmaid fed Walker on the right; he returned the ball and McDarmaid's low shot was intercepted by Deegan inside the centre of the box and he scored his fourth goal and Alty's fifth (71 mins).

Morecambe did not fold and won three corners in succession; the first forcing a fine save by Milner from Lloyd. But Alty were not finished either and a rasping shot from outside the box by McDarmaid smashed against the crossbar and out to Deegan whose follow-up shot was very well saved by the keeper (76 mins).

Hevingham now came on for Walker (77 mins). Stewart, one of several Alty players to have a very good game, was then pulled down as he broke free up the middle and Langford was relieved only to see a yellow card; another player was also cautioned for protesting. After Alty had won another corner, Milner made another good save from Lloyd at the other end. With two minutes left on the clock, Milner's punt found Hendley, who played an excellent ball diagonally forward to Deegan on the right. Deegan sent in a low cross which Hendley converted comfortably at the back post to make it 6-1 (88 mins). This was arguably Altrincham's best performance of the season and all the more praiseworthy for being achieved against a previously invincible side.