LEIGH RMI YOUTH: 1. Ben TSCHOBOTKO, 2. James EDMONDSON, 3. Neil COOKE, 4. Scott MASON, 5. Tim BERRY, 6. Steve COWLEY, 7. Tom MONAGHAN, 8. Chris HODKINSON, 9. Danny COX, 10. James MELLING, 11. Johnny DAVIES. Subs: 12. Ryan WARDLE, 14. Nick MARKLAND.

LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH : 1. Lewis BISHOP, 2. Tom BARCLAY, 3. Ashley McGRATH, 4. Michael RISK, 5. Danny GRAY, 6. Dean WHITE, 7. Hassan ZAREH-OURANG, 8. Richard GRESTY (capt), 9. Astley MULHOLLAND, 10. Ben DEEGAN, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Richard CRAWFORD, 14. Greg WILKES, 18.Mike PERKINS.

REPORT

Altrincham only had fourteen players for this match due to Danny Chebrika, Kieran Raynes and Andy Keogh being injured. Also, Matty Williams, Ben Shanks-Pepper were sick whilst Danny Brown and Curtis Connell were unavailable.

The game was played in very windy and cold conditions. Altrincham pressurised Leigh from the very start and had a lot of possession but the opposition did well in keeping them at bay. However, in the twelfth minute, a long clearance by keeper Lewis Bishop found Astley Mulholland. He threaded a pass through to Ben Deegan, who gave Altrincham a 1-0 lead. Leigh defended well and Altrincham created openings but to no avail. With half-time approaching Mulholland found Gresty at the far post and he headed the ball back across goal to Zareh-Ourang who tapped the ball over the line and Altrincham led 2-0 at half-time.

Altrincham were warned at the interval about sitting back and their lead was exposed in the 55th minute when a Leigh cross was partially cleared to their no.6, Steve Cowley, who volleyed home from 15 yards out. Altrincham immediately set about the game and with Gresty beginning to win a lot of the ball in midfield, the passes began to flow. In the 60th minute, Zareh-Ourang played in Anthony Davies and Ben Deegan completed the move to make it 3-1 to Altrincham. Eight minutes later Deegan turned provider and put Astley Mulholland in, to make it 4-1 to the visitors.

Altrincham made their first change just after this, with Rick Crawford replacing the goal scorer, Astley Mulholland. Leigh then made a rare attack and, with a fierce shot, tested Lewis Bishop to the full. He thwarted Leigh with a magnificent leap and catch. Immediately, he was replaced between the sticks by Mike Perkins and another debutant, Greg Wilkes, replaced Dean White.

In the 80th minute, Altrincham completed their scoring, making it 5-1. A pass from Anthony Davies to Ben Deegan gave him his hat-trick and a Youth team tally of 32 goals in 16 games. This was a good performance, built on team work, passing and movement, with six of the squad of 14 being eligible to play for the youth team next season.