LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (Yellow shirts, blue shorts and socks):1. Lewis BISHOP, 2. Michael HOWE, 3. Tom BARCLAY (capt), 4. Alex MURPHY, 5. Kieran RAYNES, 6. Marcus BAXBY, 7. Danny BROWNE, 8. Michael SIMCOCK, 9. Tom BAILEY, 10. Rick CRAWFORD, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Steven ROBERTS, 14. Paul BARRY, 15. Jack ENTWISTLE, 16. Oliver COOKSON.

THE WIRRAL & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (Green & white striped shirts, green shorts and socks): 1. J. RITCHIE, 2. D. SEARGEANT, 3. T. REILLY, 4. P. HAYWARD, 5. O. VAULKS, 6. S. TEBB, 7. R. BOYD, 8. S. CORRIS, 9. C. MURPHY, 10. J. FULLALOVE, 11. I. SHERIDAN. Subs: 12. C. BLACKBURN, 14. J. WARREN.

REPORT

Altrincham went into the game leading their Group in the Cheshire County FA District Youth Cup. A draw or win would make their place in the District Cup Final certain and even a defeat would leave Macclesfield with a tall order, having to beat Stockport by seven goals to displace them.

After an unexceptional opening few minutes, the game's decisive incident occurred as early as the ninth minute when Altrincham's defence got into a tangle in the centre of its own box and keeper Lewis Bishop found an opponent getting behind him with the ball and a certain goal was looming. The exposed keeper attempted to retrieve the desperate situation but, in doing so, took the feet of his opponent to concede a penalty and also to earn himself a red card. Altrincham right back Michael Howe donned the keeper's gloves and jersey and, though he dived the right way, Wirral's Sheridan beat him from the resulting spot-kick (10 mins).

Above: The Wirral score the only goal of the game from the spot as Sheridan beats stand-in keeper Michael Howe. Moments earlier Alty keeper Lewis Bishop had been dismissed for bringing down an opponent in the box, to concede the penalty.

Altrincham now adopted a 4-3-2 formation with Simcock moving from midfield to left-back. Bailey soon won Alty a corner before a Wirral player expertly rode three Altrincham challenges only to see his shot blocked by keeper Howe, for a corner. Soon Howe impressed again in his new role, racing out to block an shot at the cost of another corner to The Wirral. But Alty were not able to get forward too much at this stage as the visitors sought to maximise their one-man advantage. But midfielder Marcus Baxby then did well to get past two Wirral opponents to win a corner for Altrincham on their right.

For their part, The Wirral repeatedly got caught offside as Altrincham held firm at the back. As half time approached, Crawford fed Bailey whose firm shot forced the keeper to parry the ball out for a corner. But the interval came with The Wirral retaining their one-goal lead.

At the break Altrincham brought on Steve Roberts in place of Rick Crawford, the substitute slotting into the right-wing berth. Altrincham won an early corner as they made light of their one-man disadvantage and another corner followed a few minutes later (54 mins). But then it took an excellent block by Baxby to stop Boyd after Howe had been unable to reach a cross from the left (55 mins). Moments later, from Davies's excellent freekick, from 25 yards out on the right, Bailey rose well to force a good save. Each side then won a corner and from Alty's flag kick, taken on the left by Baxby, Browne nodded the ball on to Raynes but it ran off his foot to the keeper. At the other end too, Raynes was having an impressive game, alongside Murphy. It was Altrincham who looked the more likely to score in the second half and two corners in succession underlined their pressure (62 mins).

But Alty had a narrow shave when a drive from the edge of the box struck the Alty cross bar. However, Altrincham soon won another corner. After a late tackle on Raynes, The Wirral's Murphy was booked. For Altrincham Simcock was having an excellent game in his unaccustomed position on the left of the defence and he was increasingly getting forward and linking with Davies to good effect but no clear openings arose to level the game. The Wirral held onto their lead till the final whistle but any disappointment at the defeat in the Altrincham camp was soon wiped out when news arrived that they could not be caught at the top of the qualifying division and that they had booked themselves a place in the District Cup Final for the second successive year, where their opponents will be Stalybridge & Dirstreict FA, in a game probably to be played in March 2007. And right-back Michael Howe can be particularly proud of an excellent performance between the posts.