LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Lee BERRILL, 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. Rick CRAWFORD , 11. Anthony DAVIES. Subs: 12. Reza ZAREH-OURANG, 14. Paul BARRY, 15. Kyle JOHNSON

REPORT

After their friendly against Wuhan FC (China) on Thursday night, Alty Youth now faced further strong opposition in the shape of Morecambe. The first rain for a fortnight or more had fallen just before kick off but it held off during th game leaving the pitch still hard and bobbly. Alty made two changes, with trialist Lee Berrill making his debut in goal and up front Rick Crawford started as Kyle Johnson moved to the bench. Alty almost gained an early breakthrough as Bailey got clear but his shot was saved and the flag was up for offside in any case (2 mins). Soon afterwards the confident Morecambe keeper cheekily dribbled the ball past Crawford. The game was soon settling down into an entertaining contest as Morecambe played good passing football and Altrincham matched them at this stage for effort. Indeed, Alty had a good chance after 12 minutes, following a foul on Bailey 40 yards out. Davies's well struck left footed freekick from the right found Crawford but the ball ran off the striker's legs wide of the post. Next a Colulo volley cleared the bar (16 mins) before Morecambe got to the other end where Berrill gathered the ball as the Morecambe no.5 closed in, after which the Morecambe man needed treatment. But warning signs for Alty came soon afterwards when, first, Murphy had to make a good tackle to see off the no.11 and then the Shrimps' no. 2 was allowed to advance up the middle and fired in a shot only narrowly wide (20 mins).

But then Morecambe won a corner on their right taken by the number 6, left footed. It curled to the outer reaches of the box where the unmarked no.4 was allowed a free header towards goal. As the ball looped towards Berrill the no.4 nodded it over the keeper giving him no chance to keep the ball out (21 mins). Morecambe threatened again soon afterwards when the no.7 advanced on the left wing and from his cross the no.11's half-hit shot prompted a good save from Berrill (23 mins). The visitors were now getting on top as they passed the ball round accurately from one to another. At the end of another such impressive passing move, Berrill made a good catch from a cross from the right. With Alty manager George Heslop exhorting his team to close their opponents down more quickly, the home side were compounding their problems by giving the ball away cheaply. Though they held Morecambe at bay for the next quarter of an hour, they conceded a second goal just before the interval. This goal arrived after an excellent ball forward had set the visitors' no.7 free on the left and he laid the ball inside to the advancing no.6 whose mishit shot fortunately, for him, ran to the no.10, inside him and he gave Berrill no chance with his drive into the net.

Morecambe had an early long range shot at goal which went just wide before an effort at the other end, from Bailey, forced a save (49 mins). Not longer after this, Bailey needed treatment for a leg injury. Altrincham were doing better now and when Bailey cleverly advanced on the left the ball came via Baxby to Crawford but his shot went off target (57 mins). The visitors now won a corner,which Raynes cleared but, as the hour mark came, the Shrimps threatened again but Berrill made a good block from close range from the no.10 who then handled the ball. After a Browne shot had gone wide, Alty brought on Johnson for Crawford up front (62 mins).

Altrincham were battling to get back into the game but Morecambe always seemed to have something in hand. After they had won a corner, they pressed again and from the no.6's cross from the right, a glancing header by the no.10 went across goal into the far side of the net to make it 3-0 (66 mins). Beerill then had to come out to clear from the Morecambe no.10 before the visitors gained another corner.

But after this Alty broke forward, only to be caught offside . At this point Paul Barry replaced Simcock in midfield (72 mins). Soon Berrill was busy again, saving to his left from the visitors' no.6. Left-back Colulo was doing well for Altrincham and after he had won the ball well he got in a shot from 22 yards which ran to the keeper. Then he forced an excllent header off the line with an excellent header from a Davies corner from the right (75 mins).

Reza Zareh-Ourang now replaced Alex Murphy in the Alty defence (76 mins) and soon, an error by Morecambe's no.2 saw him concede an unnecessary corner on the Alty left. As this was cleared, the no.10 for Morecambe was allowed to advance 50 yards up the pitch unchallenged, but his shot was well held by Berrill (77 mins). Bailey went close for Alty when he hooked a pass from Johnson into the side-netting (79 mins). By now Morecambe had introduced two substitutes and their side continued to look dangerous as it won another corner. This was seen off but the nearest effort from Alty at this stage was a shot from Browne which was saved (87 mins). Not long afterwards the final whistle came to signal Alty's second 3-0 reverse of the week but their opponents Morecambe would give most teams a severe test with their excellent passing and fine running off the ball.