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ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Stefan FIELDING, 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. Paul BARRY, 15. Name to be confirmed.

REPORT

Altrincham FC Youth team had been honoured to be invited to play the visiting Wuhan FC under-18s team from Manchester's twin city in China. The game was organised under the umbrella of the Manchester/Thai Sports and Cultural Festival, being held at the impressive Sport City complex adjacent to Manchester City's stadium in east Manchester.

Above: Before the game, the players shook hands.

The Altrincham side showed one change from that which had played against Prescot Cables the previous Sunday, with goalkeeper Stefan Fielding starting his first game for Alty since the end of last season, since when he had been sidelined by a serious leg injury. Watched by a crowd approaching 200 people, including a sizeable Chinese and Thai contingent, Wuhan kicked off in bright sunshine. As at all athletic stadia where football is played there were inevitable delays throughout the game when the ball went out of play, given the distance between the playing area and the perimeter fencing.

An early exchange on the left between Colulo and Davies yielded a corner for Altrincham off the Chinese no.3 but Baxby's kick went behind the near post. The visitors had the ball in the net after eight minutes but the Chinese no.14 had clearly held off the covering Alex Murphy before he slotted the ball past Fielding so his effort was ruled out. The Wuhan side were playing some good passing football and kept possession well. But Alty responded with a neat move of their own and from Simcock's feed, Johnson tried to lob the Chinese keeper who had come well off his line but the ball dropped wide (14 mins). Wuhan continued to look the more likely to score as their ability to hold possession was matched by some direct running at goal. Raynes then had to do well to see off the number 14 and forced him to the right of the Alty goal but he fed the no.7 who, from the by-line right of goal got in a cross which was just too long to threaten the Alty goal (24 mins). However, the Chinese were not to be delayed for long in taking the lead when a well worked move, finished off by the no.15, made it 1-0 (26 mins).

Wuhan continued to look the more comfortable on the ball and from another slick move Fielding made an excellent stop from close range and a defender cleared the loose ball for a Wuhan corner. However, Alty themselves won a corner soon afterwards, from Davies's cross from the left, but Bailey's flag-kick was cleared. Altrincham threatened again after 37 minutes when a move on the left ended with Colulo's cross but the keeper caught the ball. As half-time approached Fielding was called upon to make another save as the Chinese no.14 was allowed to advance on goal (40 mins). Altrincham wer losing possession too frequently and were lucky to benefit from a bad miss by Wuhan after 43 minutes when a superb dink forward by their impressive no.35 found the no.20 whose feed presented the no.14 with a clear sight of goal but, from barely six yards out, he fired wildly over the bar. Two minutes of injury time included a corner for Wuhan but the interval arrived with Alty just a goal behind.

Manchester City's stadium forms the backdrop as Alty take on Wuhan.

Alty boss George Heslop took advantage of the game being a friendly to rotate his players and at the break Kieran Raynes was rested, allowing Reza Zareh-Ourang to replace him at centre-back. Alrincham started to look more threatening in the opening stages of the second period but had no clear chances in the first ten minutes of the half. After 57 minutes the Chinese made their first change (no. 8 for 35) and two minutes later made another swap (no. 5 for 16). An excellent advance into the Alty box by the no.24 was then only halted by an excellent tackle from Zareh-Ourang (62 mins). After a Chinese corner had been and gone, Davies and Bailey came off and Alty introduced Barry and a new face [name to be confirmed] (65 mins). But the Wuhan side doubled its lead soon afterwards when a surge up the middle from their no.14 saw him advance into the box and score well, before he came across the running track to his supporters to indulge in a good natured celebration (68 mins). In contrast to the incisive attacking play from Wuhan, Alty's build-ups were more measured and rarely produced a clear sight of goal. However, the persistent Barry now did well to hold off a challenge and get towards the by-line, right of goal but Baxby, leaning back, put Barry's lay off comfortably over the bar (77 mins). This proved to be Alty's last chance of getting back into the game as, two minutes later, Wuhan went three up from the penalty spot. The penalty came when Colulo brought down an advancing Chinese player in the box. Before the kick could be taken Alty made a triple swap as Barclay, Browne and Johnson gave way to the returning Bailey, Raynes and Davies. The delay did not put off the Chinese no.10 who cheekily used a stuttering run up to commit Fielding to his dive and then coolly dinked the ball into the unguarded corner of the net - to the delight of the Chinese supporters (80 mins).

The Chinese now made two changes as nos. 7 and 24 went off. At this stage there was the bizarre scene of an Anglo-Chinese football match being played out to the strains of swirling Scottish bagpipes which were drifting into the ground from the adjecent City of Manchester Stadium where, presumably, they were part of an event in the function rooms - unless they were part of a new training regime devised buy Stuart Pearce for his Manchester City players. Alty won a corner, followed soon after by one for Wuhan but, despite some late pressure from Altrincham the score remained at 3-0 for the visitors who fully deserved their victory.