ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts shirts, red shorts & socks) : 1. Danny CHEBRIKA, 2. Tom BARCLAY, 3. Ashley McGRATH, 4. Kieran RAYNES, 5. Michael RISK, 6. Ben SHANKS-PEPPER, 7. Richard GRESTY (capt), 8. Andy KEOGH, 9. Astley MULHOLLAND, 10. Matty WILLIAMS, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 14. Curtis CONNELL, 15. Michael DARBYSHIRE, 16. Dean WHITE.

KINGSLEY UNITED: 1. Anthony NOLAN, 2. Ryham FORTENOT, 5. David FARLEY, 3. Jordan CRAWFORD, 4. Warren BROWN, 17. Peter ELLERS, 8. Philip CLARKE, 6. Lewis GRIFFITHS, 20. Raymond SEPHTON, 9. Eric YAJI, 7. Muktar MAHAMA. Subs: 10. Noel JONAS, 16. Neil O'SHEA, 19. Yannick NGJUNE.

REPORT

Above: Matty Williams in action today.

With Ben Deegan injured last Friday whilist playing for the Reserves, Alty had lost their leading scorer so Astley Mulholland joined Matty Williams up front for today's game. Ben Shanks-Pepper came into midfield where he joined captain Richard Gresty, once again moved forward from his customary centre-back role. Hassan Zareh-Ourang returned, on the bench, after illness. There was also a welcome return on the bench for Dean White, who had been out injured recently.

Alty kicked off on a sunny afternoon at Ericstan Park and the first excitement came when Alty were awarded a freekick inside the Kingsley box for a back-pass which the goalkeeper had collected. As so often happens in these situations, it proved impossible to get the freekick past the wall and Mulholland's effort was no exception (2 mins). A few minutes later, Altrincham won the game's first corner when Gresty's shot was deflected out of play. Around the ten minute mark, striker Matty Williams was hobbling but he managed to run off his problem. Yaji then got in a shot for the visitors which Chebrika fielded comfortably before the first of several one-on-ones involving Kingsley keeper Nolan and the Alty attack. The first to try his luck against Nolan was Matty Williams and rather than shooting he fed Anthony Davies whose shot struck a defender (17 mins). Soon it was Mulholland's turn to try and round the keeper but he, too, elected to cross rather than shoot. Next, Richard Gresty powered through the middle only for keeper Nolan to make an important block. Soon, Davies fired a cross over the bar as Alty continued to create openings but fail to convert them into goals. Next Matty Williams again got in against the keeper but once more Nolan got enough of his hands on the ball to halt his progress (22 mins).

Kingsley now enjoyed a little pressure with two successive freekicks but soon from a Gresty throw-in, Mulholland made a great turn and forced Nolan to parry his shot (30 mins). At last, Altrincham took the lead in the 32nd minute when Mulholland's freekick from the left was headed home by the incoming Andy Keogh who had timed his move well. Soon Williams won an Alty corner and then a freekick followed as Alty kept up their pressure. The visitors made their first change after 36 minutes when O'Shea replaced Crawford. But a minute later, Williams doubled Alty's lead when he brushed off two challenges as he advanced up the centre before scoring confidently (37 mins). Kingsley won a corner soon after the goal and, following this, Yaji made space well but dragged his low shot narrowly wide (41 mins). Before the break Alty also won a corner but the score remained 2-0 at the interval.

Alty started unsteadily in the second half and laboured to get going as effectively as they had in the first half. For their part, Kingsley upped their game and the second half turned out to be a contrast to Altrincham's dominance of the first period. Kingsley won an early corner, and as the hour mark approached Yaji again went close for the visitors. Gresty then needed treatment after being caught in an aerial challenge with Farley. Indeed Farley seemed to have a bout of the "red mist" as he fouled Gresty and Shanks-Pepper in immediate succession to earn a deserved booking (59 mins). Moments later he made another strong challenge but got the benefit of the doubt from the referee. Manager George Heslop was still unhappy with his side's second half showing as the visitors kept Alty penned in their own half.

Yaji spurned a good chance for Kingsley before Gresty was hurt in a challenge and had to go off after treatment to his back (69 mins). Soon Farley was scything down Zareh-Ourang, Gresty's replacement in midfield and a red card seemed just a matter of time for the tall Kingsley man. But the Kingsley manager wisely substituted him before this could happen, Jonas replacing him (73 mins). As Kingsley continued to press, Alty brought on Darbyshire and took off McGrath (75 mins). Jonas soon forced a superb block from Danny Chebrika as Alty continued to be under pressure. Now Dean White came on for Mulholland and Shanks-Pepper moved forward.

White was soon helping to get Alty forward and a corner was awarded and promptly rescinded for offside in the build-up. But at least Alty were managing to get out of their half at this late stage. However, Kingsley won a corner just a minute from the end of normal time and though this was cleared, Jonas went close at the end of normal time with a header from Brown's well judged ball up the middle. At last, Kingsley got the reward their second half performance had deserved when Ngjune scored with a shot into the top of the net which took a slight deflection off an Alty boot (90+1 mins).

This was a good contest in which Alty dominated the first half whilst Kingsley had much the better of the second period. Had the Alty defence not held firm till so late in the game, Kingsley might well have taken something from the game but their goal came too late to be anything more than a consolation.