Bolton & District N.W. Youth Alliance Premier League Match played at Wythenshawe Town FC on Sunday, 20th January, 2002. Kick-off 2pm

The Altrincham team was much changed as a result of the representative games yesterday, when more than half a dozen Altrincham Youth players were involved for either the Cheshire F.A. (who drew 4-4 with Cumberland) or Manchester F.A. (who lost 0-8 to Northumberland). Striker Steve Lunt started in midfield alongside Richard Smith, whilst Mark Drew reverted to his favoured right-back position after a recent outing up front.

Most of the participating players in yesterday's games were rested or started on the bench. Alty had won the league game at Euxton 9-2 earlier this season and the previous season put ten past the Chorley side. Alty started the game second in the league whilst Euxton were bottom. There was a strong wind blowing across the pitch which was bare and uneven in places. The game kicked off 28 minutes late owing to the late arrival of the match officials.

Altrincham started well and a mis-header by one of the Euxton defenders dropped for Mario Daniel, who scored well with a low shot after just two minutes. Lee Thompson soon got in another good shot which the keeper parried as Euxton found it difficult to get out of their own half. Steve Lunt was proving effective in his new role and one of his several acute passes forward from midfield was bizarrely caught in both hands by the Euxton number five, who was duly booked (16 mins).

Eventually Altrincham's sustained pressure yielded a second goal when Mario Daniel picked up the ball on the half-way line. He turned expertly past his marker and headed directly for goal down the centre of the pitch. Although his final shot, as he got into the box, was not the strongest, it was still good enough to beat the keeper to double Altrincham's lead (23 mins).

At the back Ian Horton was having a fine game at left-back whilst the central pairing of Bailey and McGrath looked solid, and right-back Mark Drew, captaining the side in the absence of Paul Tilley, made several impressive long and accurate diagonal passes forward from defence. Lee McDonald made a number of promising forays up the right wing, whilst David Walsh was a constant menace to the visitors' defence, alongside the blistering pace of Mario Daniel.

Neil Wolszczuk in the Alty goal was almost as inactive as substitute keeper Jordan Broxson on the Altrincham bench as Euxton failed to penetrate the Altrincham midfield and defence at all at this stage. At last the Alty keeper got a touch of the ball, albeit only with his feet, after 38 minutes. Lunt then played another well directed ball up to Lee Thompson, who rounded the keeper but was unable to steer the ball into the net. Euxton's first real threat to the Alty goal came almost on the stroke of half-time when Mark Drew fouled the Euxton number six, who looked their most impressive player, just outside the left side of the Altrincham penalty area. However, the free-kick was cleared and a curtailed half-time period of just five minutes began.

The second half started with a fine 70 yard precision pass from right back to outside left by Mark Drew, but the recipient, Lee Thompson was judged to be offside (46 mins). It took Alty no longer than it had in the first half to notch a goal when Walsh fed Daniel, who took the ball expertly round the Euxton keeper to complete his hat-trick from ten yards (47 mins).

Horton continued to impress at the back whilst Smith, too, was much involved in midfield. Another long pass from Drew gave Daniel a shot at goal, which went just wide. Lee Thompson then went past three defenders on the Alty left but, from his cross, the keeper saved well at the feet of Daniel. Euxton got in their first proper shot of the game when their impressive number six got up the left and fed the number eleven but Neil Wolszczuk was equal to the effort (57 mins).

The hat-trick scorer Mario Daniel now gave way to Paul Tilley (61 mins) and the Alty captain soon got involved. Within a minute he had hit the right-hand upright with as fine curling shot from outside the box- just the type of shot he had been rehearsing against Jordan Broxson in the warm-up! Lee Thompson then picked up the ball some 25 yards out and moved inside to deliver a crisp shot into the back of the net from a central position, some 20 yards out (63 mins). Yet another pinpoint long pass from the back by Drew arrowed in to Thompson and his useful cross was just cleared by the defence (68 mins).

The nearest Euxton came to a goal was when the no.6 got past Neil Wolszczuk but a fine saving tackle by Bailey kept the scoresheet clean (67 mins). Lee Shillito now came on for Richard Smith, Lee adopting a right-flank position (69 mins). This was probably Euxton's best period of the game but Altrincham continued to press as well. Just after Steve Lunt had, to everyone's amusement, kicked the corner flag as well as the ball, Ian Taylor came on for Lee Thompson (75 mins). Lunt was now playing up front with Walsh and Paul Tilley was looking dangerous in midfield. Shillito then got in a cross-shot which was narrowly wide of the target (80 mins).

Lee McDonald then made a fine surging run as Euxton once more were forced into defence before Lunt made an interception and ran at the keeper, who blocked him well (86 mins). Lunt went close again with a right foot shot before Shillito made good ground on the right. Alty's fifth came just before the final whistle when Paul Tilley finished well from the edge of the box (89 mins).