Altrincham F.C. Youth Team: Match Report.

Bolton & District N.W. Youth Alliance Open Cup Final, played on Saturday, 11 May, 2002, at Moss Lane, Altrincham, at 2pm.

The relatively new centre-back pairing of Mark Drew and Vernum Rowland continued, whilst the midfield of MacDonald, Tilley, Smith and Thompson was the one that has served Alty well for much of the season. Up front, Lee Shillito partnered Mario Daniel.

The game was played on a glorious sunny afternoon but in a moderate wind and Moss Lane boasted a very respectable crowd for this cup final. Altrincham took a very early lead when Lee Shillito chased a long cross from the left which had gone beyond the back post to the right of goal. As the defence froze, Lee hooked the ball back into the centre for Mario Daniel to head home from close range (3 mins).

Alty almost doubled the lead a minute later when Lee McDonald almost got on the end of a Mark Drew free-kick. Lee Thompson kept up the pressure by winning a corner and then, from another Drew free-kick, the ball was allowed to bounce by Prestwich and it only just evaded both Mario Daniel's head and the crossbar (9 mins). Immediately after this another Daniel effort was scrambled clear as Heys were fortunate to keep their deficit to one goal at this stage. But with Alty well on top disaster struck in the tenth minute when a routine ball up the centre caused confusion between the retreating Vernum Rowland and keeper Jordan Broxson.

Vernum fell and the ball ran free to Denham who slotted the ball into the empty net for the equaliser. Prestwich now began to get into the game but the next good chance again came Altrincham's way. Smith won possession well in midfield and fed Paul Tilley, whose fine ball found Daniel on the left. His cross found MacDonald who drove his shot narrowly wide from 17 yards (22 mins). Soon, the lively MacDonald won a corner from which Daniel's free header looped to keeper Scott (25 mins).

The first half was littered by petty fouls from both sides but Alty continued to have the better of things as Smith, who had a good game, shot wide from 25 yards (30 mins). However, Rowland then had to cover well at the back but conceded a corner, which was cleared by Horton. Robinson then prompted a move, via Tilley and Shillito, from which Daniel laid the ball across the box, only for the keeper to claim the ball just ahead of Shillito.

Mark Drew was also having a good game at the back for Alty and at this stage both keepers had relatively little to do. However, Broxson was soon called upon to tip the ball round the post (37 mins), after Garmory had got round both MacDonald and Horton on the Alty right and crossed for O'Brien to shoot at goal. The game was now evenly contested and Smith appeared to be booked, presumably for dissent. Prestwich finished the half strongly before Morley was booked a minute before the break for a foul on MacDonald.

Alty started the second half well, with Thompson winning an early corner. Wide shots from Tilley and then Thompson soon followed. However, it took a fine saving tackle from Horton to clear danger on the edge of the Alty box after Danny Smith had got past Rowland (57 mins). Richard Smith then initiated a fine Alty move which ended with a cross from the right by MacDonald which Tilley left for Thompson, who drove his shot wide (58 mins). MacDonald then had a shot saved by the visitors' keeper before a Heys free-kick was driven into the Alty wall. Daniel soon made a good run into the box but his progress was halted by the strong Prestwich defence (68 mins).

After the impressive O'Brien had shot narrowly wide of the Alty goal, Thompson did well to feed the incoming MacDonald who, from the right of goal, could only find the side netting (75 mins). After a Prestwich corner had been cleared, Mark Drew made a fine tackle to stop an opponent. Prestwich then replaced Evans with Edgington (80 mins). A Shillito deflected shot next won a corner for Alty. From the flag-kick, taken by Thompson, Daniel and a defender clashed heads and both required treatment.

Eventually Mario got to his feet and walked towards the touchline, away from the accident scene near the penalty spot. He was unable to get to the touchline and had to receive further extensive treatment for concussion, before being stretchered off and taken to hospital in an ambulance (82 mins). Steve Lunt came on to replace Mario up front. After an Alty corner had been cleared, Broxson had to parry and then collect a good shot at the end of a 30 yard run by Edgington (84 mins). Thompson's volley, just wide of the target was Alty's best effort in the closing stages of normal time (87 mins) but the final shot came from Paul Tilley, over the bar (90 mins). Alty had had the better of the second half without playing as fluently as they can do.

In the first minute of extra time a 22 yard free-kick from Drew won a corner as the keeper parried it wide. From this a Smith header hit a colleague and prompted a fine save by Scott in the Heys goal. Shillito and MacDonald then combined to win another corner as the Robins maintained some pressure (92 mins). Another corner soon followed before Scott got down well to a shot from Lunt from the edge of the box (96 mins). Although Alty had dominated the first period of extra time, the score remained locked at 1-1.

Domain Esdale came on for Richard Smith and Pollard replaced Wharton for Prestwich (106 mins). Broxson was soon required to make a save as Alty passes began to go astray. However, Lunt won a corner but this was cleared (112 mins). A long throw by Heys then gave Edgington a header which just cleared the bar (116 mins).

A repeat of the clash of heads which had seen Daniel stretchered off occurred just before the end of extra time, with Lunt the Alty player needing attention to his head on this occasion. Thankfully, both he and his opponent were able to play on. Prestwich had a much better second period of extra time than they had in the first, but the Cup Final now went to penalties.

The penalties were taken at the Golf Road End. Paul Robinson struck a fine first spot-kick to put Alty one up. Holt then smashed his reply into the top of the net to equalise. Lee MacDonald hit his effort low to the keeper's right to make it 2-1, before Broxson, diving to his left, made a fine save to Denham's effort. Vernum Rowland sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 3-1 to Alty before Garmory likewise flummoxed Broxson to make it 3-2. Lee Shillito scored well and then Edgington did the same, so the score was now 4-3.

A penalty conversion by Mark Drew would now have won the game but Scott made a good save and then Morley netted to level the score at 4-4. Lee Thompson took the first of the sudden death efforts but Scott saved this, to his left. Prestwich substitute Harris then strode up and despatched his spot-kick to clinch the trophy for his side. It had been a well contested match and after their disappointment last year, when Alty won in extra time after netting a very late equaliser in normal time, Prestwich had earned their win. Mario Daniel was named Man of the Match, an awrd collected on his behalf by Alty coach Neil Thomason.

Though Alty ended the season without a trophy, they had contested the league title and both cup competitions to almost successful conclusions. The regular need to supply Youth team players both to the first team and the reserves, combined with a fixture backlog caused by bad weather meant that the task of winning a trophy was just beyond the Alty lads.

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

PRESTWICH HEYS TEAM: 1. Colin Scott, 2. Tommy Goggins, 3. Matty Wharton, 4. Matty Evans, 5. Kevin Holt, 6. Sean Kelly, 7. Bernard Morley (capt), 8. Danny Smith, 9. Chris Denham, 10. Lee O'Brien, 11. Patrick Garmory. SUBS: 12. Matty Edgington, 14. Mark Pollard, 15. Andy Moore, 17. Chad Harris, 18. Alister Queen.