LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (All red): 1. Lewis BISHOP, 2.Tom BARCLAY (capt), 3. Rick COLULO, 4. Alex MURPHY, 5. Kieran RAYNES, 6. Michael SIMCOCK, 7. Danny BROWNE, 8. Marcus BAXBY, 9. Tom BAILEY, 10. Kyle JOHNSON, 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Reza ZAREH-OURANG, 14. Jason MELLING-FONG, 15. Joe STEENSON, 16. Paul BARRY

REPORT

For the second time in a fortnight, Alty and Prescot were meeting at Wythenshawe Town. Alty had won the earlier encounter, 4-2, in the Neil Thomason Trophy semi-final. This time Alty were without defender Michael Howe, so Rick Colulo came into the defence. The game was played on the warmest day of the year so far on a dry pitch. Inside two minutes Michael Simcock and the visitors' number nine clashed heads but after treatment both continued. Alty went close after seven minutes when Johnson and Davies combined on the left and from the latter's low cross, Bailey almost turned the ball in at the near post but the keeper parried his effort out and only just regathered it as Baxby closed in. Though Alty were giving the ball away too often for the manager's liking, they won an early corner. Soon afterwards, Bailey made a good advance but skied his shot over the bar (12 mins).

After a stoppage for treatment to the visitors' keeper, after he had been caught by an Alty player, the Robins won another corner but nothing came of this. Though Altrincham had done more of the pressing, it was Prescot who took the lead when the home midfield allowed the skilful number 10 for Prescot to run 40 yards diagonally from the right towards goal before finishing well past keeper Bishop (28 mins). "We've given them that goal" manager George Heslop told his team. The teams traded attacks before Alty won another corner just after Johnson had nodded wide from Davies's cross from the right.

Then, after Johnson had caught the visitors' keeper, Prescot's number nine got his second lecture of the afternoon for a foul on Baxby. Just after a Browne shot had been saved, a long and high ball into the Alty box saw Barclay challenged by the number nine and the attention of the striker was enough for Barclay's header to loop past keeper Bishop on the line and give Cables a 2-0 lead (39 mins). But Altrincham got a lifeline two minute later when a Prescot player was judged to have handled Browne's cross. Davies allowed the keeper to commit himself to his left before slotting the ball into the other corner from the spot.

The Prescot keeper is already going the wrong way as Anthony Davies, partly hidden, strikes the ball from the penalty spot.

After this Alty won another two corners before the break but they remained a goal adrift at the interval.

Alty started the second half better than they had begun the first period and soon won a corner. From Baxby's kick Raynes rose well but headed over the bar. The visitors' number five then needed treatment for a foot injury but Alty were now getting on top. However, Bishop had to make a good stop at his left post from the number 7 of Prescot. Alty then went to the other end, up the left, and Davies passed to Colulo whose good cross was met by an excellent leap above his marker by Browne, whose header levelled the scores (61 mins).

Soon afterwards Melling-Fong replaced Simcock, who was still troubled by the knock to his head suffered in the early stages of the game (65 mins). But Prescot then caused a scare when Davies lost possession on the edge of his own box and an interchange of passes led to the no.9 heading against the upright (67 mins). The visitors' no.7 was lucky not to be booked when he fouled Baxby and then pushed the Alty player with both hands afterwards. The visitors then replaced their no.9 by a number 12 (72 mins).

A fine ball from Melling-Fong soon set Bailey attacking the goal but his shot was blocked, though from the follow up Baxby won a corner on the Alty right. Alty were now pressing, especially up the left with Colulo and Davies but,at the other end, Bishop had to save low, at the cost of a corner, from the visitors' no.11 (76 mins) The visitors now brought on no.14 for no. 6 (78 mins).and then no.15 replaced no. 5 (79 mins).

Davies and Bailey than combined to win a corner as Alty had the upper hand now. When Bailey had a shot deflected wide soon afterwards, another corner resulted. Though Alty continued to press, Prescot came close to taking all of the points when the no.14 shot past Bishop only to see the ball rebound to safety off the inside of the upright (88 mins). Though Melling-Fong won his side a late corner, the score remained locked at 2-2.