ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (0) 0
NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH (0) 1
NW Youth Alliance Premier Division match
played on Sunday, 6 March, 2011 at 2.30pm, at Wythenshawe Town FC
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Adam REID, 2. Harry McAUGHTRIE, 4. Jake COOMBS, 5. Joe COOMBS, 3. Konstantinos NEOS; 7. Ashley WOODS, 6. Matthew FEARON (capt.), 8.Stewart WALLACE, 11. Sam LANGFORD; 9. Theo KIDD, 10. Kieran MADDEN. Subs: 12. Oliver RILEY, 14. Danny COLLINS, 15. Liam NOON, 16. Ibk MODUPE-OJO, 17. Sam GRIMSHAW.
REPORT
The previous home game had been an entertaining match which Alty lost narrowly to FC United. This match was not to live up to that standard as the two teams struggled to play fluid football on a bobbly surface at Ericstan Park.
Alty were again without injured captain James Smart and started with Konstaninos Neos at left-back and Theo Kidd and Kieran Madden as the front pairing. Alty started by forcing a punch clear from the visitors' keeper, following which Langford fired the losse ball narrowly over the bar. It was evident from its sound that the ball was not fully inflated and was therefore changed after just four minutes, after which Altrincham won a corner as they had the better of the early proceedings.
Alty threatened again when Madden sent a ball from the right across the face of goal. Then, in the 14th minute, a good cross from Langford on the left was met by Madden's shot which just cleared the bar. It then became clear that Neos was injured as he limped off for treatment but came back on to play after this.
Nantwich now began to settle and they forced a fine save from Reid, diving to his left to push a good shot away to safety (31 mins). Now Neos was unable to continue and Grimshaw replaced him at left-back (32 mins). A Woods shot was then deflected out for an Alty corner but it then took a superb tackle inside the Alty box, from Fearon, to stop a dangerous Nantwich attack (35 mins).
The remainder of the first half was very scrappy and the interval arrived with Fearon needing treatment as the referee sounded his whistle.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 0 NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH 0 |
Alty introduced Oliver Riley in central midfield to replace the injured Fearon (46 mins). Play was fairly even and unremarkable for the opening quarter of an hour of the second half, at which point Coombs did well to get on the end of a freekick but his header went wide at the back post. Woods then forced a good save from the Dabbers' keeper (60 mins). The same Alty player got in another shot (66 mins) whilst Nantwich's attacks were repeatedly being halted for offside.
A Woods freekick was then deflected off the wall to Wallace who forced a save from the Nantwich keeper. But Reid in the Alty goal also had to be alert as he blocked a Nantwich shot. Nantwich were then awarded a freekick just outside the box. From this their number seven's deflected shot beat Reid to give the visitors a 1-0 lead (74 mins).
Nantwich were then warned for timewasting before Alty brought on Modupe-Clio for Madden (80 mins). Coombs then did well to clear off the line after the Nantwich no.8 got free and dribbled past Reid to the right of goal. Altrincham pressed for an equalizer but were unable to get one as they went down to their fourth successive league defeat.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 0 NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH 1 |