ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (2) 6 ASHTON ATHLETICYOUTH (0) 0
played on Sunday, 13 April 2008 at 2.30p.m. at Wythenshawe Town FC.
LINE-UP
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Andrew JONES, 2.Jack KIMBER (capt), 3. Declan WAKEFIELD, 4. Alex MURPHY, 5. Jake LEIGH-WATSON, 6. Dominic LILLIE, 7. Daniel KILLILEA, 8. Danny BROWNE, 9. Tom BAILEY, 10. Matthew NEE, 11. Charlie WEIR. Used subs: 12. Sam MADELEY, 14. Steven CRANE, 15. Ben OLIVER, 16. Gavin O'CONNOR, 17. Lee BERRILL.
MATCH REPORT
Above, Ben Oliver (15) heads home Alty's fifth goal against Ashton Athletic.
Ashton Athletic arrived as league leaders whilst Altrincham were in the chasing pack. After the recent heavy rain, the pitch at Wythenshawe Town was soft and the surface bobbly. Ashton won the game's first corner, in the second minute, before an Alty throw gained the home side's first corner three minutes later. From Killilea's corner, Nee poked the ball narrowly wide. Two more Ashton corners followed as the visitors tested the Alty defence which was to play excellently throughout the game. They withstood two more corners from the visitors before a fine shot at the other end from Lillie just cleared the bar from the edge of the box (15 mins). Lillie went even closer soon afterwards when a neat move involving Wakefield, Nee and Bailey set the midfielder in on goal with the keeper having rushed out and found himself stranded. As Lillie's shot headed towards the net, a defender cleared the ball off the line (18 mins).
Alty's keeper Jones then gathered a 25-yarder from Ashton before Nee walked off the pitch apparently feeling ill. Jones dealt well with the Ashton number four's 25 yarder which reared up unpredictably off the surface (22 mins). Next, Gavin O'Connor came on to replace Nee up front for Altrincham (25 mins). Murphy then got in a superb tackle to stop an Ashton attack before a slick Altrincham move brought the first goal of the game. Bailey fed Killilea up the right wing and his low cross was met by a well-timed run from Weir who netted from close range (34 mins).
O'Connor added Altrincham;'s second goal in the 40th minute when he converted Bailey's cross from the right. The lead was almost increased two minutes later when another low cross from the right by Killilea, from Bailey's feed, was almost converted in front of goal by O'Connor. But the interval arrived with Altrincham two goals to the good.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 2 ASHTON ATHLETIC YOUTH 0 |
Right: Pictured playing Ashton Athletic are left-back Declan Wakefield (foreground), central midfielder Danny Browne (no.8) and right-winger Daniel Killilea (no.7).
The latest Altrincham FC Youth team league table is here. Alty Youth play Nantwich Town tonight (Tuesday) at Chorley FC (7.30pm kick off) - come along and help them in this Neil Thomason Memorial Cup Final match.
Youth team manager George Heslop has kindly updated the NWYA Premier Division results grid. Altrincham started the second half very well, almost scoring four times in the opening minutes. Firstly, from Bailey's freekick from the left, Wakefield nodded the ball on to O'Connor whose effort was heading towards the back post where Browne almost turned it in. Next, Killilea went close before a fine ball from Weir set O'Connor free but the keeper saved his effort well (47 mins). Then, Bailey made a good run up the left and fed Killilea whose shot was deflected wide (48 mins). But on a quick counter-attack Ashton almost grabbed a goal when their nos. 16 and 9 fed the no.10 whose shot went narrowly wide (50 mins). But it was Altrincham who were on top and who were playing some very good football on the difficult surface. O'Connor was then put through but elected to cut inside rather than shoot and the chance disappeared before a fine shot from 20 yards by Bailey was well saved by the keeper (57 mins).
Ashton now brought on number 3 for number 10 (58 mins). But a minute later Alty scored their third goal. This came when Bailey fed Lillie, who was bundled over in the box, but the ball broke loose to O'Connor whose shot was turned in by Bailey at the far post from close range (59 mins). After Bailey had gone close again, O'Connor fired wide when put through on goal. But then Browne made it 4-0, driving the ball firmly home from 15 yards (61 mins). Danny Browne and the Ashton captain were soon both booked after the Alty player reacted to a late challenge. Soon after this Ashton won a corner (67 mins) which was dealt with, before Alty brought on Steven Crane for Daniel Killilea and Ben Oliver for Danny Browne (72 mins).
In the 81st minute Lillie, who had a fine match, sent in a well directed freekick from the right which was met by Oliver at the back post. Although he collided with team-mate Crane in the process of going for the ball, Oliver's header was of sufficient power to go through the keeper's hands into the net. An Altrincham corner arrived four minutes later but this was cleared and, at the other end, Leigh-Watson had to make a fine covering tackle to stop Ashton's substitute (no.3). Altrincham were not finished, however, as a minute from the end, Lillie played a good ball through to Bailey whose shot was parried but fell for Oliver to tap in at the back post to make it 6-0, a remarkable result against the league leaders but reflective of a fine performance from Altrincham.
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