ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and socks): 1. Danny CHEBRIKA, 2. Dean WHITE, 3.Tom BANE, 4. Kieran RAYNES, 5. Michael RISK, 6. Astley MULHOLLAND, 7. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 8. Andy KEOGH, 9. Ben DEEGAN (capt), 10. Matty WILLIAMS, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Curtis CONNELL, 14. Ben ROBSON, 15. Dale BENSON, 16. Ben SHANKS-PEPPER, 17. Graham BRYANT.

LEIGH RMI YOUTH (Yellow shirts, black shirts and socks): Richard GLEAVE, Adam STOTT, Aaron MONKS, Alex PENDLEBURY, 4. Mark ROSS, 5. Steve COWLEY, 6. Stuart WALKER, 8. Matt ECKERSLEY, 9. Danny COX, 10.Olie HODGINSON, 11. Jonathon DAVIES. Subs: 1. Chris ROBISHAW, 10?. Danny TAYLOR, 12. Craig HODSON, 14. Tim BERRY, 15. Neil COOKE, 1.

REPORT

There were several changes from the last game, with Dean White moved to right-back as Kieran Raynes returned to centre-back in place of Daniel Gray. Also, Astley Mulholland moved to the right flank as Ben Deegan returned after suspension and re-assumed the captaincy. On the bench Ben Robson and Dale Benson returned to the squad.

The game started fairly evenly but Alty gradually got the upper hand. The Leigh keeper had to be out smartly to beat Deegan to a pass (6 mins) before good work from Mulholland led to his cross being headed just over the bar by Williams (7 mins). Next, Zareh-Ourang did well and via Williams, Deegan got into the box and forced a good save from the keeper. There were then two stoppages for injuries to visiting players before a neat move from Leigh ended with Chebrika gathering the ball safely (15 mins). Another Leigh injury further interrupted the flow of the game but immediately after this Alty went ahead. The goal came after a chance had fallen to Williams but the Alty man was blocked before he could shoot only for the ball to come back to him from Zareh-Ourang's pass and, this time, he made no mistake as he put Alty ahead to maintain his record of scoring in every league game, so far, this season (20 mins).

Leigh then won a corner when a long ball cleared Bane and reached the number seven but this was cleared. Soon, Alty went close once more when Mulholland shot narrowly wide across goal from the right, from a feed by Keogh (24 mins). Zareh-Ourang now initated another attack which was cleared before Alty maintained their pressure with a corner won by Deegan. This, too, was cleared but Alty soon made it 2-0 when Mulholland fed Deegan who smashed the ball past the keeper from right of goal (27 mins).

Next, Bane did well to see off Leigh's Davies and Alty counter-attacked but Deegan was brought down as he powered inside from the right and the Leigh no.5 was booked. After treatment to an injury to Bane, Mulholland slashed a shot over the bar and then a good Alty move, started by Bane and Risk, ended with Deegan feeding Keogh for a shot which went just wide of the keeper's right upright. Alty were now well on top as Mulholland almost got on the end of a good cross from White, from the right (39 mins). But the visitors won a corner soon afterwards and, from this, the RMI number five pulled the net from its moorings as he swung from the crossbar. Instant repairs by Risk, standing on an upturned bottle crate allowed play to continue. The Alty defence is nothing if not versatile.

Alty made it 3-0 after 43 minutes when Deegan got free and scored with a low shot to the keeper's right. Soon after the re-start Deegan almost scored a spectacular goal as he teed the ball up for himself and volleyed a mighty shot just wide. Leigh now made a change with Berry replacing Walker (44 mins). In added time Anthony Davies's cross came to Keogh, whose shot went narrowly wide.

At the interval Alty brought on Ben Robson for the injured Tom Bane at left-back. Alty continued to play well with Mulholland lively on the right flank and the powerful duo of Deegan and Williams proving a handful for Leigh. Indeed, Deegan soon made an interception and went on to drive a low shot into the side netting from a narrow angle, left of goal. Then Mulholland headed a cross into the goalkeeper's arms at the back post before Leigh's no.7 miskicked an attempted shot at the other end (52 mins). The left winger then won Leigh a corner when his shot was deflected over the bar. Before this was taken, Hodson replaced Eckersley for the Railwaymen. Leigh were enjoying a bit of pressure now but their shooting was not causing Chebrika any serious concern. But soon Anthony Davies won Alty a corner and, though this came to nothing, Alty went four goals up not long afterwards. The goal came as Zareh-Ourang's advance was checked but the ball soon came to Deegan, who advanced from 20 yards out and planted the ball past the keeper for his hat-trick (64 mins). Leigh now made another switch as a no.16 replaced no.2.

Chebrika was called into action to make a good save from Berry's low shot but the resulting Leigh corner came to nothing (68 mins). Alty now replaced Zareh-Ourang by Bryant in midfield (69 mins) but soon Robson was forced to concede a corner. After Alty had replaced Wiliams by Connell up front (72 mins), a good tackle by Robson led to the ball coming to Connell who advanced on goal but the keeper made a good one-handed save. The loose ball came to Deegan, who sidestepped a challenge, before firing in a shot which the keeper again saved very well, pushing the ball over the bar for a corner (73 mins). After Alty had won a corner, they attacked once more but Mulholland's shot was blocked at the end of the move.

Leigh got a goal back nine minutes from the end and it was a well taken effort from right of goal by their no.7, who lashed it home from approach work by numbers 10 and 16. Leigh's no.9 then got free but shot wide (83 mins). Soon, Connell advanced into the box at the other end but was stopped by a fine tackle and the end to end play continued as Leigh's no.12 found space but shot wide (86 mins). Though Leigh won a corner in added time, the score remained unaltered and Alty had secured their third league win in five games this season with a powerful performance against a team which included several members of the Lancashire FA squad.