ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (0) 0
CURZON ASHTON YOUTH (1) 2
NWYA Premier Division Neil Thomason Cup, Final
at Ashton Town, Sunday 3 May 2015, k.o. 2.35pm.
LINE-UP
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks) 1. Jamie Burrows, 2. James Campion, 4. Will Foster, 5. Sam Heathcote, 3. Jake Foy; 7. Sean Arrowsmith, 6. Laurence Taylor (capt), 8. Rhain Davis, 11. Harry Cain; 9. James Clancy, 10. Reece Dwyer. Subs: 12. Boris Melingui, 14. Jimi Folagbade, 15. Marc Bellingham, 16. Aaron Goldman, 17. Treyvon Simpson.REPORT
Altrincham went into this game on the back of a run of fourteen games without defeat in the NWYA Premier League. For the Robins, James Campion returned from injury at right back so Jimi Folagbade moved to the bench.
The kick off was delayed by more than 35 minutes because of the late arrival of the Tameside club. When play eventually started, Altrincham were playing uphill as Curzon kicked off on the well maintained surface.
Altrincham started quite brightly before Curzon came into the game. But neither side created any clear opening in the game's first ten minutes. Then Arrowsmith did well on the right before cutting in and forcing a save from the keeper (12 mins).
It was also Altrincham who got in the next shot of note, a well-struck effort by Harry Cain, after the Curzon's number six had cleared the ball to the Alty winger. Cain's shot was beaten out by the keeper and then cleared by a defender for a corner. Though nothing came of this, Alty soon forced another response from the Ashton custodian with a shot from Dwyer (22 mins).
But it was slack defending which allowed Curzon to capitalise on their first corner of the match. From the right, the ball was met by the Curzon number two, one of the smaller players on the pitch. He had been left unmarked and his header, which did not have a lot of power, somehow evaded both keeper Burrows and a defender on the goal line (28 mins).
Soon afterwards, Curzon carved opened the Alty defence but were finally halted. Altrincham almost levelled in the 35th minute when a Cain corner from the left was well headed by Heathcote but it went wide (36 mins).
Alty remained shaky at the back as a header was missed before the ball was hacked clear in desperation (38 mins). As half time approached, Arrowsmith did well on the right but his cross was marginally too high for Cain at the back post (43 mins).
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 0 CURZON ASHTON YOUTH 1 |
Playing now down the slope, Altrincham won four corners in the opening stages of the second half. The fourth one had come from a goalbound shot from Cain, which was deflected, but all four flag-kicks were dealt with by the Curzon defence. But then, just as in the first half, Altrincham themselves conceded from a Curzon corner, their first of the half. The ball came from the left and from beyond the back post the no.11's well struck shot was beaten out by Burrows. But the loose ball was put into the net by a Curzon player to make it 2-0 (53 mins).
Immediately, Alty brought on Melingui and Goldman. soon afterwards the Curzon no. 11 was booked for a rash challenge on Arrowsmith and soon afterwards, he was subbed by Curzon's no.12 (57 mins).
Altrincham were unable to threaten the Ashton goal before another change occurred as Bellingham replaced Arrowsmith (66 mins). Next, from a right wing cross, Curzon's no.9 headed wide (68 mins) and, when the Ashton no.9 fouled Heathcote he was cautioned by the referee (70 mins). Alty won the next two corners of the game. From the first, by Cain, Melingui headed downwards to the keeper (70 mins). From a Goldman freekick from the right, Foster now hit the outside of the post with a header from the left byline (76 mins). It was not to be Alty's day.
Curzon threatened again when they got behind Goldman on the Curzon left but the resulting cross was headed over by their no.9. As time ticked on, a Bellingham shot from a freekick, forced the keeper to tip the ball over the bar for another corner.
The best Alty shot of the game arrived in the 87th minute when Taylor blasted goalwards but the keeper made a fine save. Alty continued to press in the closing stages but could not find a way through. For some reason the referee found seven minutes of added time but Curzon held out to record a deserved victory.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 0 CURZON ASHTON YOUTH 2 |