YOUTH REPORT

Altrincham were without the injured Ben Oliver and Alex Murphy, whilst several other members of the starting-line up were playing just 24 hours after taking part in a tough Cheshire FA representative match win against Northumberland F.A.. Captain Jack Kimber moved to left-back today as Jason Melling-Fong came in at right-back. Tom Cosgrave replaced Murphy at centre-back and Dominic Lillie was also out injured so Charlie Weir came into the squad on the bench,

After kick-off, Altrincham enjoyed four early throw-ins as they progressed up the left side of the field but it was the visitors who then won the game's first two corners and from the second of these they won a header which cleared the bar (5 mins). Alty's Madeley then had a shot saved (10 mins) before Jones had to beat out an effort at the other end from Craig. The follow up shot from Johnson was well blocked by Tom Cosgrave (15 mins). Soon after this, Madeley chased a ball into the box and after a tussle with a defender the referee went to consult his linesman, who had raised his flag. The outcome was a freekick for the Wirral rather than a penalty for Altrincham. However, Bailey soon won Altrincham a corner with a shot which the keeper beat out (17 mins).

Bailey soon had another chance as Seargeant rushed the taking of a freekick and sent the ball straight to the Alty striker. But Bailey's shot went wide of the target from 15 yards out (18 mins). The sides were proving to be evenly matched and each side now won a corner, the Alty flag-kick arising from a deflected Bailey shot. Next, a cross from the left by Francis struck the top of bar (33 mins).

The referee now stopped play and went to the away dugout to get treatment to what appeared to be a groin strain. Immediately after the man in black had resumed his position, the Wirral's Davies took a corner from the right, which Chris Riley headed unchallenged into the net (37 mins). It was good compensation for the Wirral defender who had earlier suffered a blow to the face and was playing with a plug in his bleeding nose. As half-time approached The Wirral had the better of the play but Alty almost scored when Crane's long shot was beaten out to Madeley and his effort came, in turn, to Bailey, whose shot was blocked (43 mins). But manager George Heslop was not a happy man; "We're second best to everything" he told his team from the technical area. As the half ended three players were down injured, two from Wirral and Alty's Madeley. After treatment Madeley hobbled off for more attention off the pitch. But, despite almost five minutes of added time, Weir who was waiting on the touchline, could not get on as a substitute.

Weir finally got onto the pitch at the start of the second half, in place of Madeley. Alty's first real effort of the half came after 49 minutes when Francis fired across goal from the left. After Wirral had brought on Hogan for Duress (56 mins), each side won a corner. Then, the Wirral made another change as goalscorer Chris Riley was replaced (61 mins). After a foul on Bailey in the penalty area "D", Francis fired a good freekick narrowly over the bar (62 mins). But Alty then equalised when Browne played a good ball forward and Weir kept his composure to drive the ball home (64 mins). However, parity did not last long. The Wirral won two successive corners and, from the second, the ball came out to Murphy, who fired home from right of goal (65 mins).

Alty won another corner before replacing Bailey by Ladu, up front (71 mins). The Wirral were able to contain Altrincham fairly comfortably and it was they who won two corners in succession as the game headed towards its final ten minutes. Indeed, Noakes had the ball in the net for The Wirral soon afterwards but his effort was ruled out for offside. Alty then brought on Declan Wakefield for Tom Cosgrave. Though Alty mounted a late charge at the Wirral goal, they were unable to get an equaliser and The Wirral emerged the deserved victors.

With two group-stage wins already recorded, Altrincham remain in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals. Whether today's below-par performance was due to several players having had a gruelling game the day before for the Cheshire FA is not clear but that factor, allied to the absence of one or two regulars with injury, certainly cannot have helped.