ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS


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ALTRINCHAM YOUTH (1) 2
CURZON ASHTON YOUTH (1) 2

Curzon Ashton won 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out, after extra time
FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round Qualifying match
played on Thursday, 5 September 2019, at 7.45pm


SUMMARY:

In this Preliminary Round Qualifying of the FA Youth Cup, Altrincham lost, after extra time and a penalty shoot out. The game got off to a slow start, but as Alty grew into the game Mercurius put them ahead in the 42nd minute with a good finish from left of goal following Donnachie's advance up the middle. But a handball decision gave Curzon an equalizing penalty just before the break.

Three minutes after the interval Mulvey turned and shot past keeper Torrance to give Curzon the lead but, in the 66th minute, Alty equalised when Donnachie netted following a corner. The score remained unaltered at 2-2, even after extra time, and so a penalty shoot-out ensued. Despite Torrance making three fine saves from Curzon spot-kicks, Alty spurned the chance to win the shoot-out at 3-3 when they put a kick over the bar and then put their seventh effort wide, for Curzon to win 4-3.


SCORERS:

  • 42 mins: Raheem MERCURIUS (ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 Curzon Ashton Youth 0)
  • 45 mins: Jack WORRALL (penalty) (ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 Curzon Ashton Youth 1)
  • 48 mins: Keaton MULVEY (ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 Curzon Ashton Youth 2)
  • 66 mins: Theo DONNACHIE (ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 2 Curzon Ashton Youth 2)


REFEREE: Mr Darren Daly
ATTENDANCE: 131
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were unchanged from the team that had played their only competitive match so far this season, a 1-1 league draw against AFC Fylde.

Curzon were, likewise, unchanged from their 6-0 away win at Southport last Sunday.


LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Joel Torrance, 2. Josh Finlay, 2. James Matthews, 4. Theo Donachie, 5. Dam Gavagham, 6. Niall Butchart, 7. Luigi Mongan, 8. Sonny Dean, 9. Ben Brown, 10. Joe Haggerty, 11. Raheem Mercurius (c). Subs: 12. Ben Glendon, 14. Alfie Johnson, 15. George Howarth, 16. Robert Hughes, 17. Matthew Sumner, 18. Abayomi Shitu, 19. Liam Blackburn.

CURZON ASHTON (Neon shirts, grey shrts and socks) 1. Liam Lovell, 2. Jack Worrall, 3. Jack Sloan (c), 4. David Wain, 5. Cody McCann, 6. Niall Dolan, 7. Rhys Owen, 8. Nnandi Ehigator, 9. Branson Dawson, 10. Aaron Grewal, 11. Keaton Mulvey. Subs: 12. Sean O'Mara, 14. Luke Bertenshaw, 15. Tom Gemmell, 16. Tom Lord, 17. Alfie Edmondson.


BACKGROUND:

The Nash arrived as the team at the top of the NWYA Premier, after three wins in their three outings this season. And they had won those games 10-0, 5-1 and 6-0, two of those results being away from home!


REPORT:

After changing ends, Curzon kicked off towards Golf Road. The game's first fourteen minutes were largely unmemorable, with neither side posing any danger, until Alty keeper Torrance had to make two superb reaction saves in quick succession, from point-blank range, from Mulvey.

Torrance was again soon in action as he got down well to block a Curzon effort (18 mins). Indeed, the home keeper remained the busier of the two when he dealt with a testing cross in the 25th minute. At this stage Curzon looked the better side but the home team improved and a good run from Mercurius on the left was soon followed by Finlay's fine through ball which Dean relayed to Mongan, whose fine shot was well saved, with the rebound just avoiding Brown.

Following their slow start to the game, Altrincham now were the better side and, soon, Mongan slid a dangerous low cross across the goalmouth which just evaded Bown (37 mins).

Matthews received a lecture for holding but, a minute later, when Owen pulled back Mongan as he got by the defender, the Curzon man was booked (40 mins). Two minutes later, Altrincham took the lead. Donachie advanced up the middle and, via Dean, the ball came to Mercurius. From left of goal, the Alty captain did well to slide the ball ino the bottom far corner of the net (42 mins).

However, Curzon got back into the match in the forty-fifth minute when an apparent handball decision was awarded to them and Worrall made no mistake from the penalty spot to level the score.


Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 1
CURZON ASHTON YOUTH 1

Curzon started the second half well and went ahead in the 48th minute. After a Worrall effort had been beaten away, the ball was only half cleared and Mulvey was allowed time to collect the loose ball, turn, and plant a shot into the roof of the net.

Curzon continued to have the upper hand after their second goal, but the game then witnessed a bizarre episode as first The Nash were penalised for a foul throw, only for Altrincham likewise to be punished from the re-take (55 mins).

Alty's first-team manager Phil Parkinson and his assistant Neil Sorvel had now arrived to watch the game, following first-team training.

Just before the hour mark, Johnston replaced Finlay for the hosts and Mongan shifted to right back in Finlay's place as Johnston, like his first-team namesake, occupied the no.7 role. The match now became a much better spectacle than the first half as the teams traded attacks. After a fine tackle from Gavagham had cleared the danger at one end, Alty won a corner at the other. From this, the ball ran loose to Donachie who slotted home the equalizer (66 mins).

Another fine tackle by Gavagham yielded a Curzon corner before each side made a swap. Sumner replaced Brown for Alty and the visitors' no.9 was also withdrawn in favour of Lord (71 mins).

Three minutes later Gemmell replaced Nash for the visitors with Mulvey being booked for a clear tug on Mongan just beforehand. The changes continued as Alty brought on Howarth for the injured Mercurius, who had to be helped off the pitch (77 mins).

Cramp then struck Curzon's Worrall before Dean shot narrowly wide for Altrincham (83 mins). At the other end Owen threatened but could only win a corner from an acute angle. But no breakthrough arrived for either side and extra time was needed.

Edmondson replaced Dolan for the visitors (94 mins) as did Bertenshaw for Grewal (104 mins) as the score remained deadlocked.

At the start of the second period of added time Hughes came on for Alty's Haggerty (106 mins). Cramp became a theme of this final period of the game, afflicting Mongan and Matthews for Alty. The hosts were unable to capitalise on a freekick from the front edge of the box after a foul on Sumner (119 mins) and so the game went to penalties.

The penalties were taken at the Golf Road end and went as follows:

  • Curzon's McCann put his side ahead before Mongan levelled, 1-1.
  • O'Mara scored before Alty's Gemmell saw his effort saved, 1-2.
  • Torrance saved Mulvey's kick impressively before Butchart made it 2-2.
  • Sloan hit his penalty high into the net but Dean had his spot-kick saved, 2-3.
  • After scoring a penalty in normal time, Worrall had his shoot-out attempt well saved by Torrance and then Edmondson converted calmly to level the score at 3-3.
  • Curzon keeper Lovell's penalty was saved by his opposite number before Matthews missed a chance to win the game by firing over the bar, 3-3.
  • Bertenshaw restored Curzon's lead but Glendon hit his effort wide to leave Curzon the winners, 3-4.
. After a slow start it had turned into a good game and Alty had acquitted themselves well against an in-form Curzon, who now have a home tie in the next round.
Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 2
CURZON ASHTON YOUTH 2