ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (3) 4 GLOSSOP NORTH END YOUTH (0) 2
Pre-season Friendly
played on Sunday, 8 August, 2010 at Blessed Thomas Holford, Altrincham at 2.30pm
LINE-UP
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Adam REID, 2. Liam RUTLEDGE, 3. Sam GRIMSHAW, 4. Jake BARNABAS, 5. Kyle CUNNINGHAM, 6. Owen DAVIES (capt), 7. Ashley WOODS, 8. Stewart WALLACE, 9. Theo KIDD, 10. Ansima MATABARO, 11. Sam LANGFORD. Subs: 12. Kieran MADDEN, 14. David KING, 15. Luke WALKER, 16. Greg STEWART, 17. Asante GILBERT, GK. James FOSSDYKE.
REPORT
With only 15 of his 23 registered squad members available for this game, Altrincham manager George Heslop drafted in three unregistered players for this friendly on the artificial surface at Blessed Thomas Holford School, Altrincham. Altrincham started well winning a corner in the first minute. Matabaro saw an early effort blocked but three minutes later the Altrincham striker put his side ahead when he poked home the ball after a 35-yard freekick from Owen Davies had been deflected to him (7 mins).
Altrincham continued to pass the ball well with central midfielder Davies prominent in most moves. Kidd saw a good shot saved and, soon afterwards, from Matabaro's feed, Kidd's cross from the left just evaded his team mates in the box (17 mins). When Grimshaw was fouled just inside the front left corner of the box, Alty gained a penalty. Woods took this impressively, his powerful low shot beating the keeper despite his guessing correctly and diving to the left. So it was 2-0 after just 18 minutes.
Just a minute later it was 3-0 when Woods dispossessed a Glossop defender on his left by-line and cut in to beat the keeper. Glossop responded with their no. 4 forcing a good save from Reid. The sides shared four corners equally over the next ten minutes with the visitors' no.11 going close amidst this action. As the half hour passed Altrincham were still playing well but it took excellent cover from Cunningham to see off a Glossop threat (35 mins).
Davies then went close for Altrincham but half time arrived with Altrincham looking comfortable at 3-0.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 3 GLOSSOP NORTH END YOUTH 0 |
Altrincham made three changes at the break, as Fossdyke came on in goal, and Madden and Gilbert also joined the game. After an early Alty corner, Glossop made another change, after which Madden had the ball in the net but the whistle had already sounded. Alty's next change saw Grimshaw give way to Stewart at left-back (53 mins). Glossop were not lying down despite their three goal deficit but, as the game reached the hour mark, they had made no impression on the score line. At this point King and Walker replaced Rutledge and Kidd for Altrincham.
After 63 minutes, Woods completed his hat trick following a freekick. It was his fifth goal in two games for Altrincham. Woods and King then combined well up the right in a move which ended with the right back's shot being saved at the near post (64 mins).
Matabaro now returned in place of Wallace in midfield (69 mins) before Glossop were awarded a dubious freekick. From 35 yards the freekick found the head of the unmarked Glossop no.4 who headed into the net to make it 4-1 (75 mins). After King had conceded a freekick, Fossdyke saved a shot at the second attempt. Then, Madden hit the post with a header from a Woods freekick at the other end (78 mins).
On the linesman's say-so, the referee then awarded a penalty to Glossop for an alleged foul but the Glossop no.4 hit the spot kick well wide with Fossdyke committed in the opposite direction. Woods then saw a header cleared off the Glossop line before a shot from the Glossop no.9 struck Barnabas and the referee awarded the visitors their second penalty. This time their no.14 converted it well, to make it 4-2 (87 mins). Altrincham rode out four minutes of added time to record a 4-2 win in a game where their impressive first-half performance had not been matched by the same levels in the second period. Nevertheless, this result, achieved without eight of their squad, bodes well for the coming season.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 4 GLOSSOP NORTH END YOUTH 2 |