Altrincham F.C. Youth Team: Match Report.

This Page 9 May, 2002

Bolton & District N.W. Youth Alliance Premier League game, played on Thursday, 9 May, 2002, at 7pm.

Having lost the chance of winning the league title, Altrincham nevertheless fielded a strong side tonight with the squad keen to impress the management and secure their places in Altrincham's Open Cup Final team to play Prestwich Heys this Saturday at Moss Lane (2pm). However, Captain Paul Tilley was rested, his place in the starting line-up going to Domain Esdale, whilst Vernum Rowland wore the captain's arm band. Mark Drew continued at centre-back, alongside Vernum, but there was a late change at full-back. Paul Glynn turned his ankle in the warm-up and was replaced before kick-off by Paul Robinson, who was returning from injury. This meant that Ian Horton shifted to right-back from left-back, to accommodate Paul Robinson. Morecambe had made a number of changes from the side which beat Alty recently in the Premier Cup Final.

Morecambe started the game the better side and won an early corner (3 mins). Then after their number seven had been fouled, a free-kick from their right side found a Morecambe head at the back post but Jordan Broxson dealt capably with the header. Alty's first shot at goal came after 15 minutes when Lee Thompson cut in from the right and beat a defender before his shot was fielded by the visitors' keeper. A sliding tackle from Horton broke up a Morecambe threat soon afterwards before a superb pass by Thompson to Shillito on the right saw the Alty striker beat his man and fire in a good cross which was cleared by the strong Morecambe defence (17 mins).

The lively Mario Daniel then won a free-kick but following this Morecambe broke away and it took a superb tackle from Mark Drew to see off the Morecambe number ten as he prepared to shoot from inside the box (20 mins). Drew made another fine saving tackle on the half-hour mark but the ball broke for a Morecambe shot which Broxson saved comfortably. The recalled Domain Esdale was having a good game in central midfield. Fellow midfielder Lee MacDonald, playing on the right, was also prominent but he picked up a booking after a run-in with the Morecambe number six in centre-field (33 mins). Shillito then did well to win the ball but as he shot at goal the ball bobbled badly on the dry pitch and sailed over the bar (35 mins).

Altrincham were now looking the better side after their slow start and from a Rowland free-kick from half-way they won a corner, but this came to nothing. The best chance of the half came when Richard Smith won the ball well in midfield and played an excellent ball forward for Mario Daniel. Mario steered his shot wide, his aim again not helped by the uneven bounce of the ball as he struck it (41 mins). After Lee McDonald had been brought down, Paul Robinson's excellent free-kick from the left found Daniel's head at the back post but his header went wide (42 mins).

Esdale continued to impress in midfield before Thompson beat a man and fed Mario Daniel who in turn laid the ball off for MacDonald to lift his shot over the bar (43 mins). There was still time before the interval for Daniel to win a corner from a good shot. Thompson's well-flighted corner caused trouble in the box but a goalkick was the end result and the half ended goalless.

Lunt and Walsh were combining well up front and they set up Smith for a shot which went narrowly wide (77 mins). Alty were now firmly on top but clear openings were few and far between as both keepers had relatively quiet second halves. However, the outfield players were battling hard for these two fairly evenly matched sides.

MacDonald, who had a fine second half, then won a corner on the left, from which Lunt rose well to head just wide of goal (79 mins). Another corner soon followed when a fine ball from Lunt found MacDonald who won the flag-kick. Again, Lunt rose well to meet MacDonald's corner but the ball skimmed wide (79 mins). Richard Smith then made a fine tackle to win a throw and keep the pressure on Morecambe. However, on the break, Ian Horton had to clear the ball off the line for a corner at the other end (81 mins). Morecambe now enjoyed some late pressure but the Alty defence stood firm. MacDonald then had another long range pot at goal before Richard Smith's cross yielded another corner (83 mins). This corner kick then came off Walsh to the Morecambe keeper.

Yet another Alty corner followed through Shillito's efforts (84 ins), but Mark Drew could not steer his resulting well-won header onto the target. Another Alty corner followed after Lunt had won a free-kick but Alty still could not find their way through to goal. Indeed, the last chance of the game came to Morecambe's number seven who was left in space, twenty yards out, but he shot well over the bar (89 mins). Altrincham may have been disappointed not to win a game in which they had much the better of the second half but Morecambe also contributed a lot to an entertaining encounter.

ALTRINCHAM TEAM: 1. Jordan Broxson, 3. Ian Horton, 4. Vernum Rowland (capt), 5. Mark Drew, 15. Paul Robinson, 6. Lee MacDonald, 7. Richard Smith, 8. Domain Esdale, 9. Mario Daniel, 10. Lee Shillito, 11. Lee Thompson. SUBS: 2. Paul Glynn, 12. Steve Lunt, 14. Paul Tilley, 16. David Walsh.