ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (1) 2
SKELMERSDALE UNITED FC YOUTH (3) 3
NWYA Neil Thomason Trophy match
played on Sunday, 6 March 2016, k.o. 2pm
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Alex ROBBINS, 2. TBC 3. Callum FISHER, 4. Ashley KNOWLES, 5. Harry DULSON, 6. Laurence ROBINSON, 7. Jude OYIBO, 8. Brad ASPINALL, 9. Ashley LEATHER, 10. Peter IACOVOU, 11. Dylan WAGSTER. Subs: 14. Dominic O'GARA
REPORT
With regular keeper Daniel Havern injured, right-back Alex Robbins kept goal for Altrincham in this Neil Thomason Trophy match, a competition named after the late Altrincham FC coach.
Altrincham gave themselves a mountain to climb by conceding three times inside the first 26 minutes. The opening goal arrived in the ninth minute when Altrincham lost the ball in midfield. Skem broke forward up the right before their no.10 fired in a fierce shot which Robbins could not stop.
The Alty defence parted after 15 minutes allowing the visitors' no.15 to slip the ball past the exposed Robbins as he advanced off his line, to make it 0-2.
But Altrincham then improved and were unfortunate to gain no reward when Oyibo dribbled into the box and seemed to be upended (21 mins). Alty were camped in the opposition half for some ten minutes but the visitors extended their lead when their no.19, looking well offside, was allowed to advance and score (26 mins).
Alty immediately brought on striker O'Gara to replace their right back. But they continued to look vulnerable at the back, never more so than in the 35th minute when a long throw caught the back line asleep and the Skem no.8's unchallenged header only narrowly cleared the bar,
Going forward Alty looked more impressive and they now saw a Iacovou shot saved (39 ins) before O'Gara's effort went narrowly wide (40 mins). Finally Alty made their dominance of possession and territory pay as a long ball from Robinson saw Leather bravely get in ahead of the keeper and poke home a goal to make it 3-1 (43 mins).
The visitors then looked very shaky and Alty could easily have been level before the interval. Firstly, a fine run by Oyibo ended with a shot which hit both posts before being cleared (45 mins). Then, in added time, the keeper just beat O'Gara to a ball before Robinson had a long-range shot saved.
But 1-3 it remained at the interval.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED FC YOUTH 3 |
Alty started the second half well and got the score back to 2-3 in the 53rd minute. A foul on Oyibo led to Iacovou's freekick from left of goal. The ball came out to Wagster whose shot was flicked into the net from close range by Aspinall.
Altrincham remained on top as the game passed the hour mark but they still looked fragile at the back, not least when another long throw from the visitors' no.10 was allowed to bounce onto the Alty crossbar. Moments later the visitors no.9 hit the top of the crossbar with a long range shot.
The visitors were showing recurrent signs of dissent and had two players booked in the closing stages. But, despite dominating possession, Altrincham were unable to send the tie into extra time as the visitors ran out 3-2 victors.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 2 SKELMERSDALE UNITED FC YOUTH 3 |