ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (All red): 1. Danny CHEBRIKA, 2. Kieran RAYNES, 3.Tom BANE, 4. Richard GRESTY (capt.), 5. Michael RISK, 6. Ashley MULHOLLAND, 7. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 8. Andy KEOGH, 9. Ben DEEGAN, 10. Matty WILLIAMS, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Curtis CONNELL, 14. Ashley McGRATH, 15. Dale BENSON, 16. Ben SHANKS-PEPPER, 17. Dean WHITE.

LANCASTER CITY YOUTH (Pale blue shirts & socks, dark blue shorts): 1. Adam BALL, 2. Jamie HARRISON, 3. Jim SLATER, 4. Ian McCARTHY, 5. Alex COOPER, 6. Rik JOHNSON, 7. Karl BURKE, 8. Ben HARVEY, 9. Jordan MONKS, 10. Tom KELSALL, 11. Matt HOLDEN. Subs: None

REPORT

This game had been put in doubt when Lancaster informed Altrincham that they had no available kit but Alty manager George Heslop rustled up a spare blue Altrincham kit for the visitors to use, whilst Alty wore their all red strip.

Alty made two changes of personnel from the side which lost last Thursday. Tom Barclay was injured so Kieran Raynes moved across to assume the no.2 shirt whilst Richard Gresty came into the starting line-up for the first time since his injury last season. On the right flank, Ashley Mulholland, a new signing from Bradford PA, took over from Dean White. Lancaster had no substitutes in their squad.

The first few minutes saw Lancaster pressing forward but Altrincham gradually began to get the upper hand. The home side's first real shot came when Chebrika's long punt was reached by Williams but, stretching, he poked the ball well over the bar (6 mins). Mulholland was soon impressing with his pace and skill on his debut on the Alty right. Next, Keogh got in a fine shot at goal which Ball saved well, going to his left but the ball came out to Mulholland on the Alty right and he flashed a fierce shot across the face of goal (13 mins). Alty were now well on top but, against the run of play, a rebound saw the ball fall to Burke and he found Johnson well. The Lancaster lad 's shot beat Chebrika but hit the base of the keeper's left upright. However, the referee blew for an Alty freekick so any goal would not have stood (15 mins). Lancaster then had some good fortune when they were awarded a dubious corner but this was cleared by Gresty who looked in good form after his long lay-off. Deegan was now brought down on the edge of the City box and the same player's freekick forced a great save from Ball, diving full-length to his left to concede a corner.

Above: Ben Deegan's 24th-minute free-kick is well saved by Ball at the expense of a corner.

On the Alty left Davies was causing Lancaster problems and he now scored a magnificent goal, cutting in from the flank and going past two or three defenders before planting a firm shot into the far bottom corner of the net, to the keeper's left (26 mins). City then had to close down Williams as he got onto a pass from Mulholland. But Alty soon doubled their lead with a move starting from a Gresty clearance. He found Deegan on the left and he, in turn, got the ball to Keogh whose fine shot was well beaten out by the busy Ball. However, the loose ball came out to Mulholland, who volleyed the ball firmly into the net from just right of goal (30 mins). From another Gresty clearance Alty then won two corners in succession, the second coming out to Raynes, whose shot went wide from 25 yards (36 mins). The Alty pressure continued as Deegan lashed a shot just wide of Ball's right upright from 25 yards. Deegan then went closer as he fired a shot against the crossbar (41 mins).

But it now became clear that Gresty was in trouble and he was moved out to right back, with Raynes moving to centre-back, as Alty prepared a substitute. So, after 43 minutes Gresty gave way to Dean White, who went into the right-back position, leaving Raynes in the centre of defence. Gresty went off to hospital with suspected ligament damage. From Deegan's pass, Keogh won another Alty corner but as the half neared its end it took a fine tackle from White to stop Monks as he advanced in the box (45 mins).

Ben Deegan had now been given the captain's armband following the departure of Gresty but although Alty started the half well, passing the ball around, it was Lancaster who won the half's first corner through the lively Kelsall. Alty were now playing into the strong wind but they soon got forward again with the impressive Keogh forcing yet another good save from keeper Ball (54 mins). Alty almost scored their third when Zareh-Ourang powered up the middle but his final shot just cleared the bar (55 mins). Deegan was then penalised in the box as Alty again held the upper hand. The Alty captain was now causing the defence all manner of problems and the next attack saw him cutting in from the left and forcing another good stop by Ball at the near post (61 mins). The Alty striker turned provider moments later as he laid off the ball for Keogh to strike a superb shot from 20 yards into the keeper's top left-hand corner to make it 3-0 (64 mins).

Despite the three-goal margin, Lancaster kept their game together and Holden shot narrowly wide after 70 minutes. But, at last, Deegan deservedly got on the score sheet after Davies had gone towards the other end and found Williams on the left. Williams advanced and put in a well-judged low cross which Deegan turned into the net from close range, arriving marginally ahead of a covering defender to make it 4-0 (70 mins).

Shanks-Pepper now came on for Zareh-Ourang in central midfield (71 mins). Deegan and Williams continued to plague the visitors' defence but keeper Ball just cut out Deegan's intended cross for Williams from the left by-line. Deegan's strength then set up a chance for Williams, via Davies's pass, but the no.10's shot went just wide (73 mins). Lancaster did get the ball in the net at the other end but were comfortably offside. However, moments later, Alty made it 5-0 when Mulholland fed Williams, who got past a defender to finish well (77 mins).

Benson now came on for Mulholland for Alty (77 mins). The home side were not finished yet and added a sixth goal when White's freekick from the right touchline 35 yards out was relayed by Benson to Deegan who netted his second goal, finding the bottom corner of the net to the keeper's right (81 mins). Deegan continued to torment Lancaster and he got the ball to Williams who, in turn, found Shanks-Pepper. He set up White for a shot, wide of the target (82 mins). But Alty continued to press, with White now volleying another effort wide and then, as the game entered added time, Alty won a final corner following good work by Williams and a cross by Davies.

The whistle went to confirm a comprehensive victory. Altrincham had clearly learned their lesson from last week by building on a two-goal lead rather than letting it slip and the only downside to the game was the loss of captain Richard Gresty to injury, though hopefully this will not be as bad as it initially seemed.