ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH TEAM MATCH REPORT

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (1) 4 VAUXHALL MOTORS YOUTH (1) 1

FA Youth Cup, 2nd Qualifying Round
Thursday, 10 October, 2013, 7.45pm, at The J Davidson Stadium, Moss Lane.


LINE-UP

ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Josh SAMBERG, 2. David BROWN, 3. Matt GRAETZER, 4. Tom CLARKE, 5. Derek UBAH, 6. Pat CRILLY, 7. Spencer CUNLIFFE (capt), 8. Matt TODD, 9. Max POUNCEY, 10. Louis POTTS, 11. Rob GILROY. Subs: 12. James FARRINGTON, 14. Tom WESTALL, 15. Joe COFFEY, 16. Louis BROWN, 18. Steve BULLEN.

VAUXHALL MOTORS YOUTH (white shirts, blue shorts and socks) 1. Joel SORBY, 2. Aaron TOOTLE, 3. Jacob LEWTAS, 4. Luke HITCHMAN, 5. Joe JONES (capt), 6. Joe CASWELL, 16. Danny CROSS, 8. Tom EDWARDS, 9. Ryan EDWARDS, 15. Mike McLEAN, 11. Adam HUGHES. Subs: 14. Kieran DARTNELL, 17. Sam WATERSON, 18. Alex MERCER.


REPORT

Altrincham got off to a good start as David Brown's ball forward led to a smart interchange of passes from Potts to Pouncey and back again before Potts drove home the opening goal, with just two and a half minutes having elapsed.

Altrincham were playing some good, passing football and when the visitors' captain, Jones, was first lectured for a foul and then booked for a subsequent challenge, it looked like it might be a long night for the Motormen. Indeed, Alty went close again when Cunliffe's freekick was met by Graetzer's header but it went off target.

But Vauxhall rallied and now won three corners between the 13th and 18th minute. Following the last of these, Vauxhall struck an upright but Alty failed to clear the danger and moments later the ball was crossed in from the left and Hughes directed a looping header into the net from 15 yards to make it 1-1 (18 mins).

The game now went through an entertaining spell as play switched from one end to the other but neither keeper was seriously troubled before the half-hour mark. However, Vauxhall almost went ahead when they got behind the Alty defence on the visitors' left and, from the resulting shot, Samberg made an excellent save, diving to his left to tip the ball round the post for a corner (34 mins).

The visitors continued to have the better of things in the period up to half time but the interval arrived with the scores level. It had been a game in which Altrincham had started brightly but had slightly lost their way .


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 VAUXHALL MOTORS YOUTH 1

The second half started with Hughes shooting over the bar for Vauxhall, before the visitors won their fifth corner of the match. And the the Motors now hit the woodork for the second time as Hitchman got past Todd to fire in a shot (54 mins). But, after Vauxhall had won another corner, a stunning goal put Altrincham ahead. Wide on the right, and some fifty yards out, Cunliffe spotted Sorby off his line and lobbed him brilliantly (56 mins).

Vauxhall then squandered a chance to equalize when, from another corner, Lewtas was allowed a free header but he misdirected it. Next, Hughes fired a promising freekick miles over the bar. Vauxhall were made to pay for their errors when a ball into their box came out towards Todd and he produced an impressive low volley into the net to make it 3-1 (68 mins).

One of several menacing surges forward by David Brown now produced a corner from the resulting shot by Gilroy. After making changes, as Waterson and Dartnell replaced Lewtas and McLean (73 mins), Alty keeper Samberg again had to be alert to push over the bar, for a corner, a shot from Hughes (78 mins).

Motors' final change arrived as Mercer replaced Cross (78 mins). There was then a hiatus as no match ball was available, several having been booted out of the ground by wayward shooting and clearances. When play resumed, Altrincham made it 4-1 when a slick one-touch passing move between Cunliffe, Pouncey and Todd, sliced open the visitors' defence and ended with Cunliffe slotting the ball home (81 mins).

Alty now made a change as Crilly gave way to Westall which meant Gilroy moved into central midfield as Westall occupied the left flank (82 mins). Having spent much of this season on the first-team bench, this game had been Gilroy's first competitive match for seven weeks.

Two more corners brought Vauxhall's tally to eleven and, between these, Alty brought on Louis Brown up front for Potts (89 mins). With the game into added time, a well struck 30-yarder from Vauxhall crashed against Samberg's crossbar to underline that it was not the Merseysiders' night. Three times the woodwork had saved Altrincham and the Motormen had won the corner count by a substantial margin.

But the crowd had been privileged to see four excellently taken goals by Altrincham which had proved more than enough to secure a place in the next round, at home to Nostell Miners' Welfare from Wakefield.


Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 4 VAUXHALL MOTORS YOUTH 1