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ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, red shorts and socks). 1. Steve BULLEN, 2. David BROWN, 4. Matt GRAETZER, 5. Alex WEATHERBY, 3. James FARRINGTON, 7. Spencer CUNLIFFE, 6. Oliver RILEY (capt), 8. Robert GILROY, 11. Michael KING, 9. Adam BEZZINA, 10. Derryn OFORI. Subs: 12. Jordan HAMES, 14. Rory McGOLDRICK.

REPORT

This match was played on a Moss Lane pitch which had seen very heavy use since the end of the first-team's season, numerous local cup finals and charity games having been played on its surface.

Altrincham took an early lead when a defensive error led to an excellent volley into the net by Michael King, from left of goal with just three minutes on the clock.

After a fairly uneventful spell, Alty doubled the lead in the tenth minute when Bezzina received the ball and impressively drifted across the outside of the box before planting a shot into the bottom corner of the net. With the bobbly pitch not helping the flow of the game, there was little goalmouth action in the next fifteen minutes, a period which saw the Vics caught offside several times. Indeed, the visitors had the better of the period either side of the half-hour mark.

Bullen held a goalbound Vics' freekick (33 mins) before the visitors missed a great chance with their number two doing well to feed the number 10 but he shot wide (36 mins). Then the Vics also wasted a promising freekick from a central position, thirty yards out; the ball was hit high over the Golf Road terrace's roof.

As half-time approached, Alty rallied with a good move culminating in Riley's fine ball to Ofori, who forced a good save (40 mins). Ofori won a late corner but half time arrived with Alty holding a 2-0 lead but the score could have been 2-2 had the visitors taken their chances.

Just as in the first half, Alty again scored very early in the second half. Once again it was Michael King who netted from Spencer Cunliffe's pass from the right, at the end of a good move (47 mins). Altrincham were now playing better than in the opening 45 minutes as they played the ball around with a better tempo.

However, the Vics got a toehold in the game when, following a freekick, the number two's cross-shot hit Riley and entered the net for an own goal. So it was now 3-1 (60 mins).

There was almost an own goal at the other end when a Vics' defender's header struck their own bar. But the ball was not fully cleared and Gilroy pounced to make it 4-1 (71 mins). Alty made a double change as McGoldrick and Hames came on for Ofori and Graetzer (72 mins). Northwich also made a change at this point.

After an Alty corner had come and gone, Northwich won two corners in succession, which were sandwiched by their making two further substitutions (77 and 82 mins). Hames went close and an Alty corner was won as the game neared its conclusion but the final score remained 4-1.