NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH (1) 1
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (4) 5
FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round match
played on Wednesday, 8 September, 2011
at The Weaver Stadium, 7.45pm


LINE-UPS

NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH (All green): 1. ASPEY, 2. CARRAGHER, 3. HASSALL, 4. STEPHENSON, 5. OWEN (capt), 6. BARKER, 7. SCOTT, 8. ROWLEY, 9. ELCOCK, 10. LABETT, 11. GILBERT.

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Adam REID, 2. Matt FEARON (capt), 4. Ben HAMILTON, 5. Joe COOMBS, 3. Sam GRIMSHAW; 7. Liam RUTLEDGE, 8. Ryan BARRY, 6. Oliver RILEY, 11. Declan BARRY; 9. Jack MARTINY-SCHOFIELD, 10. Duncan WATMORE. Used subs: 14. Alan TANSINDA, 15. Redmond McGUIRE, 17. Derryn OFORI,

  • Attendance: 98


    REPORT

    Torrential rain in the half hour before the match had stopped as Nantwich, fielding their under-18s' side rather than the under-17s who compete with Alty in the NWYA Premier Division, kicked off. In the first couple of minutes Alty threatened as Watmore did well up the left. He elected to try to feed a team mate rather than shoot and a covering defender prevented a goal. Next a good cross from Declan Barry only narrowly evaded Martiny-Schofield. Soon, another pacey run from Watmore yielded Alty's first corner (4 mins).

    At the other end, a fine tackle by Coombs stopped a Nantwich attack as the home side now found their feet. Indeed, Coombs had to excel again in the 8th minute as he cleared danger in his own goalmouth. Nantwich then won a disputed freekick, a few yards outside the Alty box. This was well taken by Scott who found the top corner of Adam Reid's net to give the Dabbers the lead in the eleventh minute.

    Nantwich now enjoyed some dominance but Altrincham drew level in the 18th minute when a fine through ball from Riley found Watmore who kept his head well to dink the ball over the advancing keeper into the net. Moments later an impressive right-foot curler from left of goal by Declan Barry just missed the target.

    Next, Watmore broke up the left once again, his pace and ball control winning him the time to get in a cross which Martiny-Schofield headed against the Nantwich crossbar (21 mins). But Alty did take the lead in the 23rd minute when Watmore fed Rutledge, whose shot was blocked and Riley finished off the loose ball impressively to make it 2-1 to the visitors. Nantwich reacted by bringing on a no.17 for Barker and he took on the task of marking Watmore.

    Altrincham were now on top and Watmore laid on another goal in the 29th minute, beating two men, before feeding Declan Barry whose shot left the Nantwich keeper flat-footed as it went into the net (29 mins).

    Two Alty corners soon followed as the visitors played impressively. The second corner was won by a fine shot from Martiny-Schofield which the Dabbers' keeper saved well (31 mins). A fine cross from the right-sided corner by Ryan Barry was then sidefooted into the net by Watmore, making it 4-1 in the 32nd minute.

    Nantwich won a couple of corners as half time approached and went close through Elcock just before the half-time whistle.


    Half-Time: NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH 1
    ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 4

    Alty kicked off the second half but their early play was in the bench's opinion "sloppy". Their rhythm was disrupted after 52 minutes when Watmore was injured in a clash of heads by the left corner flag. A cut under his eye needed stitches so he was unable to continue; Derryn Ofori replaced him up front (53 mins). Play went through a period of stalemate as neither side could get the upper hand.

    But after 62 minutes Altrincham made it 5-1 when Riley and Rutledge combined, the latter's effort being blocked but Martiny-Schofield converted the rebound. A Martiny-Schofield volley and and a good rising shot from Declan Barry followed, before Town replaced Stephenson with a no.19 (69 mins). Martiny-Schofield then got on the end of an excellent nod on by Ofori but the keeper saved well.

    Alty manager George Heslop was lucky to avoid a yellow card when he tripped Liam Rutledge as the Alty winger chased a ball into the dugout. But George recovered his equilibrium to bring on Alan Tansinda at right back in place of Ryan Barry (74 mins). Matt Fearon moved into centre midfield where he was to give an impressive display. Nantwich also made a change, introducing a no.12.

    Not long afterwards, each side introduced a no.15, in Alty's case this was Redmond McGuire, who replaced Liam Rutledge on the Alty right (83 mins). With the game in the final minute of normal time Declan Barry got involved with an opponent who had challenged him as the ball went out of play behind the goal line. Having raised his arms to push his opponent, Declan was thankful to see only a yellow card; the same punishment was meted out to his opponent, the Nantwich no.15. The referee played five added minutes during which Alty won a corner but the game ended in an impressive 5-1 win for Alty who now travel to face Runcorn Linnets in the next round in a fortnight's time.


    Full-Time: NANTWICH TOWN YOUTH 1
    ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 5


    Copyright: ©
    Compiled by John Laidlar