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James Farrington, left-back for Altrincham FC Youth, has kindly provided the following match report...

Alty opened the game brightly, looking to be the team that broke the deadlock first. A glorious chance fell to Alty in the first ten minutes; a trickling ball on the edge of the area was met by Folagbade, whose shot just narrowly missed the post. Altrincham continued to press; the deadlock was broken on the half-hour mark, when a low corner from Cain was met by Arrowsmith in the six-yard box. He dinked the ball past the helpless Prescot keeper.

Arrowsmith’s deadly pace repeatedly threatened the home side’s defence. Numerous times he got beyond the Prescot full back and delivered some inviting low driven crosses which Alty failed to capitalise on. Alty had several clear chances to take a greater lead into the interval but, two minutes before half-time, a shot was cleared off the line by a Prescot defender, which added to the frustration from the players and management. Alty went into the half 1-0 up but were left wondering why they had not capitalised on the pressure they had mounted to deliver more goals.

For fifteen minutes into the second half Alty continued how they had left off by creating opportunities which could not be converted. The Robins hit the cross bar on two occasions and should have killed the game off early into the second half. Failure to do so led to the inevitable Prescot late siege to snatch something from the game. And they got their chance to do so.

Forty minutes into the second half, a penalty was awarded to the home side for a trip on a midfield runner who was bursting forward. Burrows saved the penalty with a strong right palm that knocked the ball out for a corner. Altrincham again had a chance to seal the game in added time with an ambitious effort from Cain on the edge of the area, which was saved by the keeper.

Right at the death Altrincham looked like they had got away with missing so many chances and would take all three points. However, Prescot thought otherwise. A Prescot midfielder bent a shot right into the top left hand corner, which happened to be the last kick of the game, leaving the young Alty lads and spectators watching wondering how the away side had not taken all three points.