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ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (red & white striiped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Ross BOOTH, 2. Alan TANSINDA, 3. Josh PALMER, 4. Mark NAPIER-HEMY, 5. Sam GRIMSHAW (capt), 6. Alex WEATHERBY, 7. Jonathan MAKELA, 8. Oliver RILEY, 9. Denico WALTERS, 10. Derryn OFORI, 11. Liam RUTLEDGE. Subs. 12. Thomas DAVIDSON, 14. Shakeel DEPEIAZA, 15. Josh MASON, 16. Jack COTTRILL, 17. Jordan MAINOO-HAMES.

REPORT

Before this match, Altrincham were faced with a long list of injured and unavailable players. The latter category included goalkeeper Adam Reid and striker Duncan Watmore, who were both likely to be involved in the first team squad on Tuesday night and therefore were not risked today.

In addition, Matt Fearon is with Clitheroe FC gaining match experience and Joe Coombs is out for 3 or 4 weeks after being injured whilst away training with the County squad. Added to this, fellow defender Ben Hamilton is still out with his cruciate ligament damage and goalkeeper Cody Wharton is awaiting hospital treatment. Filling the goalkeeping position today was debutant Ross Booth.

Sam Grimshaw captained the side but was playing at centre-back rather than his normal left-back role. And Josh Palmer was at left-back whilst Alex Weatherley played in midfield.

Playing conditions were difficult, with a strong, gusty wind and occasional blustery showers, whilst the pitch was heavy and bobbly after the incessant rain of the previous week.

Booth, in the Alty goal, will have pleased to receive an early touch (2 mins) but he was soon seeing rather more of the ball than he might have hoped. First, Warrington spooned a good chance over the bar but a minute later they did better and took the lead (5 mins).

It nearly got worse when Town's no.11 was allowed to dribble through the midfield and defence to get in a shot which Booth did well to hold at the second attempt. But the visitors soon doubled their lead when a slip by Tansinda allowed a Warrington player to slide the ball into the bottom corner of the net (14 mins).

Playing into the strong wind, Alty continued to struggle but when they finally got forward midway through the half, Makela was ruled offside (23 mins). But then, at the other end, Palmer had to do well to clear off the line when the visitors' number nine got the ball past Booth.

Tansinda was then lectured by the referee after he had caught the keeper when he dived at the Alty man's feet. Warrington continued to threaten as Booth made a good save, tipping the ball round the post for a corner. A second corner immediately followed, from which the Warrington captain scored with a firm header to make it 0-3 on the half-hour mark.

Altrincham were unable to threaten the visitors' goal as their over reliance on long balls forward produced no dividends. Indeed, Warrington went close again, from a counter-attack, at the end of which their no.4 fired narrowly wide (37 mins). Another Warrington shot soon fizzed past the post before Town gained two more corners to maintain their dominance.

But following these, Altrincham finally scored a good goal of their own as Walters's excellent threaded ball forward found Ofori, who did well to slip the ball past the keeper to make it 1-3. But any hopes of a comeback were soon undone as the visitors' no.8 saw his shot parried by Booth. To the left of goal, the visitors' no.11 lashed the loose ball at goal where it came off the framework of the goal and appeared to have crossed the line before Booth tried to claw it away.