BACKGROUND

Altrincham were looking to end a run which had seen them fail to win any of their previous five matches in the league.

LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and socks). 1. Stephen BULLEN, 2. Callum HARKIN, 4. David BROWN, 5. Alex WEATHERBY, 3. Matt GRAETZER; 7. Callum MOONEY, 6. Oliver RILEY (capt), 8. Spencer CUNLIFFE, 11. Louis POTTS; 9. Adam BEZZINA, 10. Derryn OFORI. Subs: 14. Rob GILROY, 15. Jamie McLELLAN, GK. Joe HANKINSON

REPORT

Playing conditions were difficult, a strong gusty wind was blowing across a bobbly pitch but, at least, the threatened rain held off.

Altrincham started brightly and took a fifth-minute lead. An excellent ball from the left located the advancing Mooney, to the right of goal. His low ball into the box was turned home smartly by Bezzina.

Alty continued to have the better of things and Bezzina went close again in the fourteenth minute following good work by Mooney and Potts. Ofori was showing a lot of energy up front for Alty as Curzon made an early change when their number ten got injured and no.14 replaced him (21 mins).

Curzon then forced a goal-line clearance off Oliver Riley but the visitors had soon equalized. Their goal came when Brown was dispossessed thirty yards out in a central position. The visitors' no.8 went on to score, against the overall run of play (22 mins).

Almost immediately it could have got worse for Alty as Curzon's no.10 dragged a shot narrowly wide of the home goal. The visitors enjoyed a good spell as the game passed the half-hour mark, although their no.9 saw a yellow card from referee Martin Howe for kicking the ball away.

A fine run by Ofori almost restored the lead but his shot went narrowly wide (35 mins). But, at the other end, Weatherby had to clear off the line when the visitors' no.9 threatened (39 mins). A foul on Graetzer saw Curzon's no. 4 booked (43 mins), after which Ofori won a corner. Following this, Mooney found Cunliffe, whose excellent lob struck the top of the Curzon crossbar (45+1 mins).

Altrincham started the second half well and, as in the first period, scored an early goal. This time it was a fine individual goal by Louis Potts who dribbled his way up the middle, through several players, to score with a firm shot (48 mins).

Curzon went close soon afterwards but, apart from that effort, there were few serious chances at either end before the hour mark. After 72 minutes there was, however, a chance at each end. First, Riley's freekick was headed by Ofori but the keeper collected it. Immediately, Curzon went to the other end where their no.14 hit a good chance over the bar.

Ashton threatened again when Bullen had to save a 25-yarder from the visitors' no.4 (76 mins). Next, Alty made a change in the 78th minute when Gilroy replaced Bezzina and Potts moved forward (78 mins).

Soon after Altrincham had survived a Curzon corner, the visitors no.4 tried another long shot. This time, his effort from all of 30 yards, came back off the cross bar to the visitors' no.11, who scored comfortably to make it 2-2 (81 mins).

McLellan, who was already waiting to come on before the equalizer, now replaced Cunliffe (82 mins). Next, a Mooney run gave Potts a shot but it went wide. And, so, the game ended with the points shared which was probably a fair result and both sides should be credited with providing a decent game in adverse conditions.