Altrincham F.C. Youth Team: Match Report.

The Altrincham F.A. side was a mixture of Altrincham FC Youth team's first-choice regulars and a number of "fringe" players and they were deserving winners of this match despite having to play most of the second half with only ten men. Due to several late cry-offs, Altrincham had only one outfield substitute in their squad and injuries left them undermanned once Mark Drew had limped off within five minutes of the restart. The game had started well with Altrincham going ahead after only five minutes of the first half when a cross from the right by Lee Thompson was well met by Paul Tilley's head in a central position inside the box.

The keeper got a hand to Paul's goalbound effort but Steve Lunt finished things off by putting the loose ball into the vacant net from very close range (5 mins). Altrincham continued to impress in the early stages with Thompson and Taylor, on the flanks, doing very well as Tilley orchestrated play from midfield. Ian Horton and Dean Marley were also showing some nice touches at the back, where Mark Drew and Mike Bailey for the most part had the better of the Stalybridge attack even when the visitors began to get into the game after Altrincham's initial pressure.

A free-kick from 30 yards out allowed Mark Drew to show once again his prowess with dead-ball situations as his shot forced the visiting keeper to dive to his right to tip the ball round the post for a corner (31 mins). The referee, who generally handled the game very well and was very clear in his instructions, booked the Stalybridge number seven for a foul on Horton but the offender well deserved the caution as he had already made one or two dubious challenges (33 mins). The nearest that the visitors came to a goal at this stage was when Drew was seemingly fouled on the Alty left by the number nine and the number ten went on to shoot at the Alty keeper, Richard Harrison, who made a good save. Horton finally cleared the ball for a corner to the visitors.

At the other end, four minutes before half-time, Dean Marley won the ball on half-way and strode forward to lash a shot at goal which the Stalybridge keeper did well to tip onto the post. Then, as the interval approached, the influential Tilley (seen, above left) was caught by an opponent and needed treatment before resuming in a less than fully fit state.

Stalybridge replaced their numbers 2 and 7 with 14 and 16 at half-time, whilst Alty brought on Neil Wolszcsuk in goal for Styal's Richard Harrison, in what was presumably a pre-arranged move as Richard had not put a foot wrong in the first period. Just two minutes after the re-start things started to go wrong for Altrincham.

A ball played forward towards the Altrincham box evaded Mark Drew and the visitors number nine found himself one-on-one with Wolszcsuk. Whilst the odds were on the striker scoring anyway, his task was made easier as Neil appeared to be slightly disorientated, positioned well to the right of his goal, allowing the striker plenty of space, to the keeper's left, to equalise.

A minute later Alty had to make a change, the hobbling Paul Thorne (no.10) having to leave the fray to be replaced by Chris Pfeiffer. Stalybridge, buoyed by their goal, almost got a second but Wolszcsuk made a good save from their number ten before things got worse for Altrincham, with only five minutes of the second half gone. Mark Drew had to go off with what appeared to be a groin strain. As Alty had no other substitutes available, they were thus reduced to ten men for the remainder of the match (48 mins).

Stalybridge now enjoyed some dominance, winning two corners in quick succession. But then Marley read a Stalybridge free-kick well and made an interception. His good cross from the right found Pfeiffer at the back post and his firm header was only narrowly over the bar. Bailey was then booked before the visitors' number five hobbled off to be replaced by their number 17 (62 mins).

Altrincham now regrouped and began to assert themselves, with Smith (pictured right) and Tilley playing strongly in midfield. A fine 25 yard run deep into the box by Paul Tilley was only halted by a foul but the referee did not see anything amiss and the ball was cleared (65 mins). Then, a Lee Thompson effort from the right only narrowly cleared the bar as Altrincham pressed for the winner.

A superb 40 yard run through the left-centre by Horton yielded a corner and from a resulting cross by Pfeiffer, Bailey headed narrowly wide (68 mins). The Alty pressure finally yielded a goal when Lee Thompson dispossessed the Stalybridge left back some 20 yards from goal but despite nearly losing his shorts as the trailing defender attempted to tug him back by pulling on them, Lee kept his balance and curled a fine shot over the keeper (70 mins).

A turning point came a minute later when the visitors number nine forced a fine save from Neil Wolszcsuk. Altrincham nearly scored again when Paul Tilley's header from a Thompson free-kick went just over the bar, but it took another excellent stop from Wolszcsuk to field the Stalybridge number three's blockbuster shot from 30 yards.

Altrincham certainly did not look to be playing with a man short and the whole team was now working hard and none more so than Steve Lunt up front. Indeed, it was the striker's knock-on to Tilley which produced the third goal. The Altrincham captain got past the visitors' no.17 and into the box where his low shot from left of centre, 15 yards out, found the right-hand corner of the net, with some four minutes remaining. This 3-1 win was a fair reward for Altrincham and the way they overcame the adversities of an equaliser and two injuries inside the first few minutes of the second half was testimony to their team work.