LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH :1. Lewis BISHOP, 2. Michael HOWE, 3. Rico COLULO, 4. Alex MURPHY, 5. Kieran RAYNES, 6. Marcus BAXBY, 7. Danny BROWNE, 8. Michael SIMCOCK, 9. Tom BAILEY, 10. Rick CRAWFORD, 11. Anthony DAVIES (capt). Subs: 12. Steven ROBERTS, 14. Tom BARCLAY, 15. Jack ENTWISTLE.

REPORT

Based on information kindly supplied by George Heslop.

Lewis Bishop returned, in goal, after suspension for this re-arranged Open Cup match. Missing today was injured captain Tom Barclay who was, neverthless, fit enough to be named on the bench. In Tom's absence, Anthony Davies assumed the captaincy. Rico Colulo took Barclay's spot at left-back. In addition, Paul Barry was unavailable.

The pitch was difficult after the recent wet weather and had also had a game on it the day before. Alty started quickly and took the lead after just five minutes when a Davies freekick prompted a scramble from which Michael Simcock scored. Altrincham were generally the better side and, at times, moved the ball about well on the difficult surface. After 25 minutes a Marcus Baxby header was pushed away by the keeper and came to Tom Bailey, who made it 2-0.

After 44 minutes, Simcock drove a thirty-yard screamer into the top left of the keeper's net to make it 3-0. But during the first half, Kieran Raynes had been injured by a clash of heads and, though he returned after four minutes treatment and a change of his bloodied shirt, he had to be taken off at the interval when the bleeding from his nose recommenced.

With substitute centre-back Jack Entwistle having bruised his foot, the recovering left-back Tom Barclay came on at the interval in place of Raynes. But, in the second half, the play was generally mediocre as the poor conditions dictated the standard. After 68 minutes Steven Roberts replaced Danny Browne on the right of Alty's midfield but the game ended without further scoring and Alty securing an away quarter-final tie at Morecambe as their reward.