ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (0) 1 FORMBY YOUTH (0) 1 a.e.t.
Altrincham won 6-5 on penalties
NW Youth Alliance Open Cup quarter-final match
played on Sunday, 28 March, 2010 at Wythenshawe Town at 2.00pm
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. James THORN, 2. Rory BRADBURY, 4. Dominic BATES, 5. Ryan MARSDEN, 3. James SMART; 7. Jamie BROWN, 8. Andy GAMBLE, 6. John BENNETT (capt), 11. Niall SHERIDAN; 9. Kieran MADDEN, 10. Michael LINNEY. Subs: 12. Glodi KUBA-KUBA, 14. Harry McAUGHTRIE, 15. Konstantinos NEOS, GK. James FOSSDYKE
FORMBY YOUTH (Blue/green): 1. Kirk, 2. Brownlow, 3. Butterworth, 4. York, 5. Brown, 6. Smith, 7. Belger, 8. Saeed, 9. Smart, 10. Shirley, 11. Joinson. Subs: 14. Radford, 15. Morgan, 16. Davidson.
REPORT
Left: Rory Bradbury, Jamie Brown and Kieran Madden are pictured here against Formby.
For the third successive game, Altrincham lost a player in the warm up - this time it was goalkeeper James Fossdyke, who twisted his knee. James Thorn replaced him in a side without captain Dan Shaw, striker Blaine Whiteside, winger Joel Brownhill and right-back Ben Shawcross. So, Rory Bradbury again showed his versatility by playing at right-back. He normally plays at centre-back but had played on the right-wing last week, from where he had scored twice.
The first decent chance fell to Formby's Belger who got free but sliced his shot wide (6 mins). A minute later Gamble rose well to head a cross narrowly wide of the Formby net. The visitors were having slightly the better of things, winning a corner and then rueing a missed chance as Smart shot at keeper Thorn (9 mins).
However, Alty went close when Brown's cross from the right just evaded everyone as it went through the goalmouth and the same player won a corner in the 17th minute as Alty's performance improved. But the Alty bench was not happy at its players backing off when Formby went at them.
The very bobbly pitch and strong, gusty wind were not making it easy for the players and Smith was the first player in the ref's notebook for a foul on Bradbury (27 mins). But Formby soon threatened again when it took a block in the Alty six-yard box to halt an attack. Each side won a corner and after Formby's corner, Thorn punched clear the ball, which came out to Smith who just cleared the bar with a shot from the edge of the box (38 mins). Brownlow then underhit a shot at Thorn as the visitors continued to have the better first-half chances (41 mins).
A good Alty move ended with Madden's excellent lob into the net but the offside whistle prevented any Alty celebrations (43 mins). A minute later, Formby's Brown and Alty's Sheridan were involved in a spat, following a midfield challenge and the ref showed both players a straight red card (44 mins). There was time for an Alty corner in added time but the interval arrived with the game goalless.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 0 FORMBY YOUTH 0 |
Alty started the second half more brightly than they had the first period with Madden just unable to stretch to reach a pass which would have given him a good opening (49 mins). For Formby, Belger fired over the bar as Alty made a change with Kuba-Kuba replacing Madden up front (55 mins). Just before the hour mark, Thorn had to make a finger-tip save, to his left, to keep out a Formby shot; a corner resulted to the visitors.
Left: Glodi Kuba-Kuba
In the 64th minute Alty made another change as Harry McAughtrie replaced Ryan Marsden. Bradbury moved to centre-back as the new man slotted in at right back. Altrincham now got themselves caught offside every few minutes and, although one or two decisions might have been dubious, the players should have done better to keep onside.
Following the award of an Alty freekick, Formby's Brown was booked for dissent (73 mins). McAughtrie was displaying an impressive long throw and from one of these Kuba-Kuba turned well in the box to force a fine save from Kirk. Altrincham were now on top but could not break through. Belger then received a yellow card (87 mins) before Gamble fired well over the top in the closing minutes. The whistle concluded full-time with the game still goalless.
Extra Time
It took just 29 seconds of extra time for the deadlock to be broken as Kuba-Kuba got on the end of a move up the right involving McAughtrie and Brown to shoot at goal, though the effort seemed to be turned over the line by defender Butterworth (91 mins). Belger fired over for Formby as the visitors pressed forward. They then brought on Radford for Joinson (101 mins). When Smith manhandled Bennett to the ground in front of the referee, the Formby number six saw a second caution then a red card to reduce his side to nine men, against Altrincham's ten.
In the second half of added time a good early effort from Kuba-Kuba was well tipped over the bar by Kirk. But the Alty striker then got caught offside twice in a minute and picked up a caution which seemed to be for time wasting. The bookings now came thick and fast as Formby's Smart levelled the scores and then removed his shirt to celebrate and earn the yellow card (109 mins). The goal came from a long ball forward which bounced back off Bradbury's head and allowed Formby to get in their shot.
McAughtrie was then booked for a foul (112 minutes) just before Kuba-Kuba was again given offside. The game ended with yet another offside, this time against Linney.
And, so the game went to a penalty shoot out with the Wythenshawe Town groundsman dropping a strong hint that the clubhouse end should be used for this purpose as he rushed down to the Stockport Road end with his stepladders, intent on taking down the nets for safe storage. The officials took the hint and Alty won the toss to take the first kick, which Bennett converted confidently. Belger replied for the visitors before Kuba-Kuba made it 2-1 for Altrincham. Formby's Smart then scored, before McAughtrie put Alty 3-2 ahead.
York then hit the bar for Formby before Bradbury struck the upright to leave the score at 3-2. Butterworth levelled things and then Linney shot Alty ahead again at 4-3. Thorn almost saved Brown of Formby's kick and then, as the kicks went beyond the initial five named takers, Gamble made it 5-4. Morgan equalised at 5-5 before Alty's Dominic Bates beat Kirk, to his right, to give his side a 6-5 lead. Formby's Brownlow then saw his shot blocked by Thorn's legs, as he dived to his left, and Altrincham had won 6-5 on penalties.
| Full-Time A.E.T.: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 FORMBY YOUTH 1 Altrincham won 6-5 on penalties. |