ALTRINCHAM YOUTH "REDS": 1. Lee BERRILL, 2. Jack KIMBER, 3. Ben OLIVER, 4. Alex MURPHY, 15. Tom COSGRAVE, 6. Luke FLANAGAN, 7. Daniel KILLILEA, 8. Nick ROBERTS, 9. Charlie WEIR, 10. Sam MADELEY, 11. Chris FRANCIS. Subs: 12. Joe SIMCOCK, 14. ?, 15. Daniel CLARE, 17. Osebi ABKDAKI, GK. Andrew JONES. .

ALTRINCHAM YOUTH "YELLOWS": 1. Ben RIGBY, 2. Paul BARRY, 3. Danny BOCOTT, 4. Declan WAKEFIELD, 5. Reza ZAREH-OURANG, 6. Dominic LILLIE, 7. Lucas THORNTON, 8. Adam HORNER, 9. Adam ALWILL, 10. Rob COLQUITT, 11. Rohin LALLI. Subs: 12. Chris SUSSEX, 14. Emanuel LADU, 15. Jacob BENNETT, GK. Lee BERRILL

Manager George Heslop arranged this match to assess his many trialists with a view to reducing his squad to a size of no more than twenty players. Several of the players who had played regularly this pres-season were not involved today, including Tom Bailey, Danny Browne, Steven Crane, Ryan Daley and Simon Williamson. Today's game was played in hot conditions on the all-weather pitch at BTH, Altrincham. As manager George Heslop watched from the far side of the pitch, coach Tony Spilsbury oversaw the Reds whilst Stelios, a coaching friend of former Altrincham FC captain Mark Maddox, ran the Yellows side. Next Sunday, Mark brings his own youth team from Merseyside to take on Altrincham at Wythenshawe Town.

Above: Rigby saves from Alex Murphy's header in the opening minutes.

The Yellows kicked the game off 20 minutes late as the changing rooms were not opened until 2.15pm. As there were only two match officials, Jim Vince found himself running the line as referee's assistant, a role he passed to another spectator in the second half.. The Reds won a corner in the first minute and from this Murphy headed powerfully at goal but Rigby got behind the header well to keep it out (see above). The Reds began to get slightly the upper hand as Madeley shot wide and then Killilea did well up the right and got in a good cross. At the back Murphy was leading the defence well for the Reds.

Next, Francis shot wide (11 mins). before the Yellows threatened when Alwill was played into the box but Berrill was out quickly to block and, with the help of Kimber, the danger went (14 mins). The Reds had to make a change after 17 minutes when Roberts limped off and Simcock came on. The Yellows' first corner soon followed and Berrill caught the header that came from this flagkick. But the Reds won a freekick and then a corner, which arrived when Madeley's well struck deadball kick was tipped over the bar by Rigby (23 mins).

The deadlock was broken after 25 minutes when Weir fed Madeley who went down under a challenge in the box. But the referee waved away the penalty claims and the ball came out to Killilea who blasted a good shot into the net. The Reds soon threatened again when Killilea put Madeley through but Rigby saved his well struck shot (27 mins). At the other end, Lalli got behind the defence but was pulled up for offside (31 mins). The Reds now changed their keeper, with Jones replacing Berrill (32 mins). Jones was soon confronted by a Yellows' corner from which Zareh-Ourang headed narrowly wide (33 mins). Next, Killilea and Kimber combined with the full-back's shot forcing a good save from Rigby (35 mins). Barry was having a good game in an unaccustomed right-back position for the Yellows whilst Flanagan was much involved in the Reds' engine room. The Yellows came at the Reds as half time approached but the half ended with Simcock miskicking his shot following good work from Flanagan (45+1 mins).

Above: Paul Barry's equaliser hits the back of the net.

At the interval the Reds brought on Clare, Abkdaki and a third sub, with Roberts, Weir and Madeley coming off. The Yellows took off Thornton and Lalli as Ladu and Bennett came on. The Reds almost doubled their lead after 48 minutes when Killilea's rasping shot came back off the cross bar from 20 yards out. Soon afterwards Killilea laid the ball off for a 25 yard effort by Kimber which also rattled the Yellows' bar (52 mins). The Reds then won two corners before Thornton and Alwill retuirned for the Yellows at the expense of Horner and Colquitt (58 mins).

After Abkdaki had forced a save from Jones, the Yellows upped their game as first Thornton shot wide and then Jones had to save from Lillie (62 mins). Then Lillie did well and fed Barry on the left and his firm low shot flew past Jones to level the scores (63 mins). With their tails up, the Yellows' forced a good save from Jones (66 mins). But the Reds responded with a fine goal from 25 yards by Killilea, his shot dipping under the bar to make it 2-1 (68 mins). Now the Reds replaced Alwill by Sussex (69 mins).

Right: Charlie Weir in action.

The second half was providing good entertainment as play switched from end to end but as the game drew towards its closing ten minutes, the Reds got the upper hand again. Clare forced Rigby to tip the ball over for a corner and from this, from the right, Cosgrave was left unmarked to head home firmly (81 mins). The Yellows now changed their keeper as Rigby gave way to Berrill who was now playing for the opposite side to the one he represented at kick off (83 mins). But the Yellows did not give up and Barry, who was now pushed forward from defence, advanced well but shot wide. The Reds hit the bar for the third time in the game when another fine shot from distance by Killilea came back into play and fell for the no.14 to score the fourth goal for his side (85 mins).

The Reds were now well on top and Flanagan fired over from 35 yards and also, did the same from 25 yards moments later (87 mins),. But a fine cross from Clare from the right landed on the unmarked head of Weir who had rejoined the match to make it 5-1 (88 mins). There was still time for a couple of more attacks before the end of the game. The Altrincham management had been left with a difficult task of selecting a squad for next season from an embarrassment of riches.