ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Pale blue shirts, black shorts, pale blue socks): 1. Sam FOX, 2. Jack HALSALL, 3. Ben ROBSON, 4. Michael DARBYSHIRE, 5. David ACTON, 6. Ryan DONNELLY, 7. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 8. Ryan McDARMAID, 9. Tom BALL, 10. Ben DEEGAN, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Daniel BALL, 14. Adam SPENCER, 15. James KENDALL, 16. Steven ROBERTS, 18. Tom BARCLAY.

REPORT

Altrincham Youth have recently made an agreement with junior club Priory County, whereby County will introduce promising talent to Altrincham for their under-18s youth team and Alty will likewise refer under age players to County who may approach them. The game took place at Priory's ground, just over a mile from the Manchester Airport tunnel, towards Wilmslow,

The pitch was very soft in places after torrential rain overnight. County started well and took the lead after just six minutes when their number 12 expertly headed home a long throw-in from the right. But, two minutes later, Ben Deegan powered up the left and his shot was deflected on to the crossbar and out of play. From the resulting corner on the right, taken by Donnelly, Deegan scored with a powerful header (8 mins).

Play settled now into a fairly even pattern with a shot from Priory's number 12, narrowly wide of the upright being the nearest to a goal (19 mins). After an Alty corner had been cleared, another Priory shot went narrowly wide of the Alty goal (20 mins). Robson then did well to win Alty a corner, following which McDarmaid sent in a lob which went only narrowly wide (24 mins). Priory then made the first of what were to be many substitutions by both sides during this game. After Priory had won a corner, Alty also won one, following a good run from Deegan (31 mins). Alty then brought on Barclay for Acton but it was Priory who were creating the more openings until a good cross from Halsall gave Zareh-Ourang a header at goal, which was saved (42 mins). Then, from a Fox clearance, Deegan shot wide (44 mins).

Four minutes into the second half, Kendall replaced Ball for Alty and Priory also rang the changes of personnel. A long shot from Daniel Ball won a corner for Alty and, from Davies's kick, Deegan headed over the bar. Deegan soon did well, getting past three men on the left before his shot was well blocked at the near post by the keeper. A good tackle from Halsall at the other end yielded a corner for Priory (62 mins) but Alty soon responded by winning one of their own.

After 69 minutes two Priory players clashed heads as they attempted to clear an aerial ball on the fringes of their own penalty area. Whilst one of them escaped with a cut and was to play on with a bandaged head, the other was knocked unconscious. After a delay of ten minutes, during which he was moved off the pitch and an ambulance called, play resumed. Alty won two corners through Kendall on each occasion (83 mins). Changes continued to be made as Donnelly and McDarmaid came back on, in place of Daniel Ball and Halsall. With a minute of normal time left Priory headed narrowly wide and then a fine save by Fox produced another corner for the hosts. Following this, Priory had a shot blocked and then fired over the bar. With five minutes of added time played, Tom Ball came back on in place of Roberts and Deegan was also substituted just before the end, but the scores remained locked at 1-1. This was a well-contested match between two well matched sides. The fact that most of the Alty side had never played together before, made the result a creditable one for them.

All at Altrincham hope that Priory's concussed player has now made a full recovery and look forward to a long and mutually productive relationship between the two clubs.