ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS

Return to News Page

ALTRINCHAM YOUTH (0) 2
CITY OF LIVERPOOL YOUTH (0) 0

FA Youth Cup Second Preliminary Round Qualifying match
played on Friday, 9 October 2020, at 7.45pm
behind closed doors.

SUMMARY:

Altrincham welcomed City of Liverpool to the J. Davidson Stadium for an FA Youth Cup Second Preliminary Round match, played behind closed doors.

After an entertaining and fairly even first half, the score remained goalless, though the visitors had twice struck the woodwork.

The second half was also good entertainment from two well-matched sides and Alty were indebted more than once to the legs of keeper Forde in keeping the opposition from scoring. But the deadlock was broken in the 65th minute when the lively Alty striker, Matthew Sumner, was upended by the Liverpool keeper and a penalty was awarded. Sumner's penalty-kick was well saved but he converted the rebound to give his side the lead.

But Alty's lead was not finally doubled till the 89th minute when good work from substitute Graves and Waller saw Billingsly drive home a low shot from the outer left-hand reaches of the box, into the far corner of the net.

City of Liverpool had given a good acount of themselves and a two-goal margin of defeat was perhaps a little harsh on them.

SCORERS:

REFEREE: Mr Barclay
ATTENDANCE: Behind Closed Doors.
TEAM NEWS:

Altrincham were without Goulden, the scorer of their two league goals this week.

LINE-UP:

ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts and red socks): 1. Ryan Forde (gk), 2. Joshua Finlay, 3. Joshua Jordan, 4. Theodore Donachie, 5. Alfie Johnston (c), 6. Oran McGowan, 7. Luigi Mongan, 8. Lewis Waller, 9. Matthew Sumner, 10. Joel Jennings, 11. Lewis Billingsly. Subs: 16. Dionicio Bohe, 22. Ted Graves, Scott Johnston, Maxwell Toms, Rayan Radi.

CITY OF LIVERPOOL (Black patterned shirts, purple shorts and socks) 1. NcCoy, 2. Lewis Fenton, 3. Charlie Gresham, 4. Harrison O'Donnell, 5. Lewis (c), 6. Alex Murphy, 7. Bahoola, 8. Johnny Bucknall, 9. Tyler McGree, 10. Lucas Rogers, 11. Matty O'Brien. Subs: 12. Kyle Henshaw, etc

BACKGROUND:

It had been planned to admit supporters to this game but Trafford Council not only refused permission for that to happen but also declared the away changing room to be out of use as well.

City of Liverpool wore a striking shirt described on the teamsheet as "Black coloured pattern" which featured a variety of bright colours on a black ground, together with the club's traditional purple shorts and socks. Purple is the club colour because it mixes the red of Liverpool and the blue of Everton.

REPORT:

After a minute's applause in memory of former Altrincham Youth manager George Heslop, the game kicked off at a J. Davidson Stadium devoid of paying spectators but 91 people had tuned in to watch the tie via a streamed television relay of the action.

Altrincham started brightly but the nearest threat to a goal came with Jennings's shot wide from a Mongan feed (7 mins). But the visitors soon grew into the game with Bahoola looking lively and his deflected shot hit the side netting and earned the game's first corner (10 mins). Rogers then found himself in space at the back post but rather than heading at goal he tried to head the ball down to a team-mate before Alty cleared the ball (12 mins).

The visitors were now having the better of things but it was Altrincham who recovered to gain the mmatch's next two corners. The second of these arrived after a fine freekick by Billingsly had had to be tipped round the post by McCoy (20 mins).

Alex Murphy then fired a long shot narrowly over the bar after Alty had lost possession (22 mins). Two more Alty corners were won by the half-hour mark but it was an Alty name that was to be the first in the referee's book, when Jennings fouled Murphy, near halfway (34 mins).

Following a foul on O'Brien, Gresham's freekick was headed firmly against the bar by Murphy (36 mins). With Alty on the back foot, Theo Donachie, a grandson of the former City defender Willie Donachie, was booked for a trip on Bucknall just outside the front of the Alty box (37 mins).

Although Alty then won another corner, Liverpool now hit the crossbar for a second time in the match after Lewis's shot had been cleared out for Bahoola to strike the woodwork (39 mins).

As half-time approached, a foul on Sumner earned Bucknall a yellow card (42 mins). Half-time brought an end to an entertaining and well-balanced first half in which Alty had twice been thankful to the frame of their goal.

Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 0
CITY OF LIVERPOOL YOUTH 0

In the very first minute of the second half Liverpool went close to taking the lead before the game settled back into more routine action.

Then, just before the hour mark, Jennings was replaced by substitute Graves for Altrincham (59 mins) and Liverpool also made a change as no.17 replaced Rogers.

Alty keeper Forde then did well to block a Bucknall effort and, two minutes later, the Alty keeper's feet again stopped a good Liverpool chance, this time from O'Brien (63 mins).

But then came the turning point as Sumner chased a ball into the box and went down, as McCoy dived at his feet. After a pause, a penalty was awarded. Sumner saw his spot-kick well saved by McCoy but the Alty striker netted the loose ball to make it 1-0 (65 mins). Altrincham now won three more corners over a six-minute spell which also saw Henshaw replace Bucknall for the visitors (70 mins).

With twelve minutes left Alty's Bohe came on for Finlay, who had twice been afflicted with cramp.

Hevay rain then started falling, as Sumner won a corner, following which Bohe glanced a header wide (80 mins).

Next, Liverpool replaced Fenton by Kilcorse (84 mins) after which Sumner got himself booked for a push on an opponent (86 mins).

Altrincham were looking reasonably comfortable with their slender lead but the evening was finally settled by a second Altrincham goal in the 89th minute. This came after Graves had fed Waller and, from his pass Billingsly drove a low, left-footed shot, from the outer reaches of the box, across McCoy and into the far corner of the net.

Finally, Bahool got himself booked in added time, a period which concluded after more than three minutes with Altrincham progressing to the next round. A two-goal margin of victory was a little harsh on the visitors who, especially in the first half, had threatened to take a hold of the tie.

Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 2
CITY OF LIVERPOOL YOUTH 0