LINE-UP

STALYBRIDGE & HYDE DISTRICT FA YOUTH (Yellow shirts and socks, blue shorts) 1. Greg SCHOFIELD, 2. Matt CLARKE, 3. Matty EASTER, 4. Aaron WILLIAMS, 5. Chris MIDDLETON, 6. Martin GILDER, 7. Liam SHERIDAN, 8. Damian HEALEY, 9. Lee WEBB, 10. Josh WESTMORLAND, 11. James ACTON. Subs: 12. Jack HOWORTH, 14. Danny JUKES, 15. Garry GRAHAM, 16. Tim BURROWS, 17. Andrew ANGELONE.

ALTRINCHAM & DISTRICT FA YOUTH (All red): 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. Reza ZAREH-OURANG, 14. Paul BARRY, 15. Jason MELLING-FONG, 16. Kyle JOHNSON, GK: David LEIGH.

REPORT

Above, the victorious Altrincham FA side. Standing, left to right: Lewis Bishop, Paul Barry, Reza Zareh-Ourang, David Leigh, Steven Roberts, Tom Barclay (capt), Michael Howe, Alex Murphy, Marcus Baxby, Jason Melling-Fong, Rick Crawford, Kyle Johnson and Michael Simcock. Front row: Anthony Davies, Kieran Raynes, Tom Bailey and Danny Browne.

Altrincham had Michael Simcock back from injury and with Rick Colulo ineligible to play, Rick Crawford returned to the starting line-up. Altrincham had six players who had participated in last year's Final but also six who will still be young enough to be eligible for the under-18s' NW Youth Alliance league next season. Stalybridge included four of the Stalybridge Celtic Academy side, with other members of that under-19s' side being over-age for this competition.

Altrincham kicked off, playing up the marked slope at the Bower Fold and also against the breeze. Almost immediately the conditions were seen to be a factor as a huge downwind kick from the Stalybridge keeper forced a corner off the back-tracking Alex Murphy. With the game just two minutes old, 'Bridge's Easter injured his foot in a block challenge with an Alty player and needed treatment before resuming. Alty's first shot was one from Crawford which went across the goalmouth from the right (5 mins). It was a fairly even start but Stalybridge won a second corner after 8 minutes when a low cross from the left evaded everyone. As that ball had come across, Alty keeper Bishop received a knock to his leg which needed treatment. The corner was half-cleared and came out to Healey whose shot was pushed round the post by the alert Bishop, diving to his right, to give the hosts their third corner (9 mins). Stalybridge were now having the better of things and another shot from Healey went narrowly wide of the Alty goal (17 mins).

The same Stalybridge player threatened again, a minute later, when his header forced Bishop to tip the ball over the bar but the offside flag had already been raised. A fourth Stalybridge corner soon arrived before a good cross from the left by Anthony Davies signalled a response from Altrincham (24 mins). Alty's best move to date came after 26 minutes when Davies and Simcock combined up the left and found Brown on the right. His cross came off Bailey to the keeper. Neither side created any clear chances in the next few minutes until the Stalybridge keeper missed a cross from the left by Davies and a resulting Alty shot had to be cleared off the line. The ball then came to Baxby and his shot, too, was blocked by a defender as the Stalybridge keeper stayed down and needed treatment when play stopped (36 mins). Alty's improvement continued when Davies was just able to keep the ball in play on the left, in his own half, and via Bailey, Crawford and Browne, Baxby got in a shot which ran to the keeper (38 mins). For Alty, Browne and Baxby were doing well in midfield but, as the game ran towards the interval it was the home side who had had the better of the game but they wasted a late corner before the interval arrived with the game still goalless.

At half time Stalybridge brought on Graham for the injured Easter but, now with the slope and wind in their favour, it was Altrincham who made the running. After 48 minutes Barclay and Browne fed Bailey but he was unable to control the ball as he got clear of the defence. But soon afterwards, from an advance on the left started by Barclay, the ball came to Crawford, just outside the box. He laid the ball off neatly for a strong shot from Bailey which the keeper could not hold and Simcock was on hand to net the loose ball at the second attempt from close range, by the keeper's right upright (49 mins).

Altrincham were now in control and had the ball in the net again after 53 minutes when Crawford finished off from Howe's feed, but it was ruled out for offside. The Stalybridge keeper now needed treatment to his ribs but he was soon beaten for a second time when a punt from Bishop was well relayed out to Davies, on the left, by Simcock. Davies's fine cross was met with an excellent glancing header from Crawford in the centre of the goalmouth, the ball skimming into the far corner of the net for an excellent goal (57 mins). The Stalybridge keeper was in the wars again soon afterwards when he and a defender collided as Crawford closed in, the defender coming off the worse and needing treatment.

Stalybridge won a corner but Altrincham came back again and might have scored once more after 61 minutes when Crawford crossed from the right and, via Simcock, Baxby poked a shot wide. The home side now brought on Jukes for Sheridan (65 mins). Alty threatened further when Crawford's header was dropped by the keeper but Stalybridge now went to the other end and won another corner. This was followed by a good move from Altrincham which produced a corner for them, followed immediately by a second flag-kick. Soon after this, Browne got the ball to Bailey and, though the keeper blocked his first effort, the Alty striker headed the loose ball from the right towards goal, where a defender cleared it off the line but only to Crawford who rushed in to blast it home from very close range and make it 3-0 (73 mins).

But Alty keeper Bishop now had to make a magnificent stop as a cross from the left was met by Jukes's bullet-header (75 mins). Stalybridge then brought on Howorth for Healey (77 mins). Moments later it was 4-0 as Simcock and Bailey fed Davies who netted at the cost of a winding as he collided with the out-rushing goalkeeper (79 mins). After treatment Davies resumed but Alty now brought on striker Kyle Johnson for Tom Bailey (81 mins). Four minutes later Paul Barry replaced Danny Browne on the right flank (85 mins). Johnson was soon fouled not far outside the penalty area, slightly to the right of centre. Quick thinking from Davies saw him plant the freekick, left-footed, past the startled keeper as Stalybridge were caught off their guard organising their wall. So it was now 5-0 (86 mins).

Jason Melling-Fong then came on for Simcock (86 mins). Soon, Altrincham won a freekick two yards inside their own half on the right touchline. Michael Howe optimistically went for goal and to the amazement of the spectators the Stalybridge keeper misjudged the ball's flight and allowed the ball to drop behind him into the net to make it 6-0 (87 mins). With the Stalybridge side now deflated, Altrincham won two successive corners but the game ended with Altrincham having retained their trophy in a very decisive fashion after a difficult first half.

Though Wirral had once scored more goals to lift the District Cup (they beat Stockport 7-2), Altrincham's six-goal margin was the best in the competition's history. And the two goals each from Crawford and Davies were fitting presents for two players who had reached their eighteenth birthdays last Friday and on match-day, respectively. It was the third time Altrincham had lifted the District Cup in the seven seasons that Altrincham FC have effectively been the Altrincham and District FA's representative side.