BACKGROUND

This was the first game of the 2013-14 league season. Macclesfield were new to this division.

LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH. 1. Stephen BULLEN, 2. Matt HANCOCK. 3. Tom CLARKE, 4. David BROWN, 5. Derek UBAH, 6. Pat CRILLY, 7. Spencer CUNLIFFE (capt), 8. Matt TODD, 9. Max POUNCEY, 10. John DAWSON, 11. Rob GILROY. Subs: 12. Joe COFFEY, 14. Kane HUGHES, 15. Richard BARNES, 16. Louis BROWN, 17. Dino JONES, GK. Joe HANKINSON.

REPORT

The game kicked off in breezy but sunny conditions and it was the visitors who won the game's first corner (3 mins). As manager George Heslop and his new assistant manager, Paul Jones, pointed out to the players, they were "doing too much with the ball" and losing possession in the opening stages of this match.

Things improved as good work from Hancock led to the first corner for the hosts after 10 minutes, a second soon following, on the left, after good work from Rob Gilroy.

Though Altrincham were having the better of things, the nearest they came to a goal at this stage was when a shrewd through ball from Cunliffe played Pouncey into the box but a defender jostled him off the ball (15 mins). Soon more good work from Cunliffe won his side a corner following which a flicked effort from Dawson was saved by the keeper.

But it was not all one-way traffic as Brown had to smartly stop the advance of the visitors' number nine. And, soon afterwards, Bullen had to save from the visitors' number six (19 mins). Alty's play was disrupted when Todd had to come off with a mouth injury but shortly afterwards his side took the lead.

Cunliffe started and finished the move, his goal finally arriving after Macclesfield had blocked two goalmouth efforts (21 mins).

Altrincham immediately brought on Coffey for Todd and Alty continued to have the better of things as the Macc keeper was forced to divert the ball away from the advancing Dawson. Macclesfield made a change as no.14 replaced no.7 (25 mins).

Over the next ten minutes Altrincham won three corners to Macclesfield's one before play was halted for a discussion of the rules! Altrincham attempted to return Todd to the game but the match officials had not been informed of a change in the NWYA rules whereby rolling substitutions are now allowed. The referee, who had an excellent game, consulted the visitors' bench and it was agreed that rolling subs would be allowed. A telephone call at the interval confirmed that Alty boss George Heslop was correct about the rule change... as ever! The League had simply not informed the match officials of the change.

So Coffey was withdrawn and Todd returned to Altrincham's central midfield (39 mins). In the final minute of the first half, Crilly fed Gilroy who, in turn got the ball to Pouncey whose first effort was blocked but he converted the follow up to double his side's lead at the break.

Kane Hughes replaced Dawson at the interval for Altrincham. After a few uneventful minutes, an excellent half volley from the Macclesfield no.6 came back off the crossbar and the same player's follow-up just cleared the bar, prompting manager Heslop to tell his players that their lack of concentration had led to them having a "let off" (54 mins).

Coffey returned to the game in place of Crilly (57 mins) but it was Macclesfield who earned the next two corner kicks as they enjoyed a good spell in the game. Played continued fairly uneventfully until Hughes turned well and had a shot deflected narrowly wide for a corner (70 mins).

Hughes did even better soon afterwards as he collected the ball near halfway and advanced up the middle before firing in an excellent shot which came back off the underside of the crossbar (72 mins). Now Barnes replaced Hancock, prompting Brown to move to right back (73 mins).

With ten minutes remaining, Louis Brown came on for Pouncey. Gilroy now had an outstanding spell as, firstly, he advanced up the left but his final shot just cleared the bar. En route he had evaded a lunge by the visitors' no.2 who was now summoned for a booking by the referee (81 mins).

Following a cross from the right by Hughes, Gilroy fired in a shot from left of goal which was deflected into the net to make it 3-0 (84 mins). Next, a neat step over led to a Gilroy cross which Hughes stroked wide of the net. Following a Macclesfield corner, Crilly returned to replace Cunliffe (87 mins) before another excellent surge up the left by Gilroy led to Hughes finishing well to make it 4-0 (89 mins).

Clarke was then penalised for a foul but got himself booked for comments on the decision. To make matters worse, the foul cost Alty a clean sheet as the visitors' number nine cleverly curled a shot from the right round the near side of the wall and into the bottom corner of the net, which the wall was not protecting adequately (90 mins).

Despite this disappointing finale, Altrincham had acquitted themselves well despite employing a team which included just four regulars from last season's team.