BACKGROUND

This was the fourth league match of the season and Altrincham were unchanged from the previous Sunday's game against Hyde, except on the bench, where Tom Westall returned after injury in place of Matt Hancock.

LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks) 1. Josh SAMBERG, 2. David BROWN, 3. Matt GRAETZER, 4. Tom CLARKE, 5. Derek UBAH, 6. Spencer CUNLIFFE (capt), 7. Rob GILROY, 8. Matt TODD, 9. Max POUNCEY, 10. Kane HUGHES, 11. Louis POTTS. Subs: 12. John DAWSON, 14. Joe COFFEY, 15. Louis BROWN, 16. Richard BARNES, 17. Tom WESTALL.

REPORT

Altrincham kicked off and started quite brightly. A good ball forward from Ubah found Pouncey and then a Brown cross gave Potts a header at the back post, but both half chances came to nothing (3 mins).

Left: Max Pouncey is on the ball as Kane Hughes (right) and Rob Gilroy (no.7) await developments.

However, Curzon won the game's first corner before Alty went close through Hughes, from a Potts feed (6 mins). Todd was impressing in central midfield and then an impressive run from Gilroy won his side a corner. Gilroy repeated the act and the outcome a couple of minutes later but neither corner produced a goal.

Curzon now had a good spell and their number nine threatened to get free in the box before being halted. Another surge forward from Gilroy led to a cross which found Potts beyond the back post but he was blocked off (24 mins). Curzon again threatened but apart from a blocked shot and another which went comfortably to Samberg, there was no real threat of a goal. But then the visitors took the lead as they advanced up the inside right channel and via the no.9 and no.4 the ball was played to the unmarked no.11 who took his chance well, curling a shot into the far corner from the edge of the box, left of centre (32 mins).

At this stage Curzon remained on top but before the break Alty lifted their game and Gilroy had an effort cleared off the line after Pouncey, Hughes, Cunliffe and Todd had all been involved in the build-up. But Alty did not have long to wait for an equalizer as Potts and Hughes got the ball to Pouncey, who battled well to hold off a challenge before scoring (40 mins).

Altrincham now had their tails up, unlike the spectator's dog on the touchline, but the teams remained level at half-time.

Right: Alty keeper, Josh Samberg, clears his lines.

After an Alty corner had been cleared an excellent shot from Hughes was tipped out by the keeper for another flag kick but an error at the back then allowed a Curzon counter attack to end with a fine shot by the visitors and an equally good save from Samberg, as the hour mark passed.

Gilroy's cross produced another corner which Ubah headed firmly but over the bar as Altrincham continued to have the better of the second half.

Alty now brought on Dawson for Hughes (64 mins) and Westall for Potts (65 mins) before Gilroy won another corner. But Altrincham were tending to overelaborate and manager Heslop instructed them to "Get the ball into the area more quickly".

The next ten minutes saw Alty still going forward but Curzon produced several counter-attacks which the hosts survived with their goal intact. As the game went into the final five minutes Cunliffe went close but it was now beginning to get quite dark as street lighting-up time passed. After Pouncey had gone close his no.9 counterpart volleyed narrowly off target at the other end. With three minutes left Louis Brown replaced Pouncey as Alty continued to go forward.

However, a goal would not come and the last significant action saw Curzon's no.9 booked as he conceded a freekick on the edge of his own box. Louis Brown's freekick hit the wall and Altrincham had to settle for a point despite a strong second half showing. Nevertheless, they remain unbeaten in the NWYA Premier league.