Match Reports, 2002-03
MARINE B (0) 1
ALTRINCHAM YOUTH (0) 4
NW Youth Alliance Open Cup match,
played on Sunday, 15 December, 2002.
ALTRINCHAM TEAM
ALTRINCHAM: 1. Richard HARRISON, 2. Adam DOUTHWAITE, 3. Mark GRIFFITHS, 4. Michael BAILEY, 5. Greg BYRNE, 6. Paul GLYNN (capt.), 7. Francis EVANS, 8. Jon McEVOY, 9. Joel EKOLENGENI, 10. Luke KILLEEN, 11. Josh COLLINS. Subs: 12. Anthony POTTS, 13. Barry GEORGE (gk), 14. Andrew THORPE, 15. Stuart COOK, 16. Paul WOOD.
MATCH REPORT
Altrincham made a slow start to the game and after just one minute Rimmer got in a shot which went narrowly wide of the Alty goal. After Bailey had received treatment for a head injury (6 mins), Marine won a corner, which was cleared. However Marine were soon back attacking and Harrison had to make a fine tip over the bar from Rimmer after 11 mins, to concede another corner.
Then a fine effort by Hart kissed the Alty crossbar as the home side dominated the early proceedings (11 mins). However, Alty had the ball in the net after 13 minutes when Killeen helped on a through ball to Ekolongeni who finished efficiently , only to be ruled offside (16 mins). Harrison had to be out smartly twice in a matter of minutes to stop Marine attacks and, on the second occasion, picked up an injury (23 mins).
With first-team centre-back Mark Maddox watching the up and coming Alty players, Evans fired in a 25 yard free-kick, for a foul on Killeen, but Marine keeper McGuigan saved well at the foot of his left post (26 mins). Alty were now improving and Ekolongeni came close with a header from a good cross by Griffiths (30 mins). Byrne and Bailey were doing well at the back aided by a lack of inches in the Marine side.
Alty won two corners in fairly quick succession and from the second one, Byrne rose at the back post only to see his effort cleared off the line by a defender (36 mins). Marine's keeper then had to be alert to clear from the lively Ekolongeni as Alty now enjoyed the better of the game. A fine run by Griffiths won Alty a corner on the left two minutes before the interval but the half ended goalless.
| Half-Time: MARINE B 0 ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 0 |
Alty took the lead two minutes after the break when Collins struck a superb 30 yard lob over the Marine keeper. Then Joel Ekolongeni had a shot from the left blocked but Luke Killeen, coming in from the right drove the ball home from close range to double his side's lead (50 mins). Alty's third goal came from a fine ball up the centre by Evans which set Killeen running at goal. The striker drove the ball expertly past the keeper (66 mins).
Soon afterwards Alty brought on Potts for Collins and Marine brought on a sub for Tooley (73 mins). There was then some light relief when Francis Evans went down after a challenge. Neil Thomason, the Alty coach, arrived on the scene with his first-aid bag and asked the prostrate midfielder, "What's up? Is it your knee, your ankle or your b*lls?"
Play resumed with the rain now falling steadily. Potts soon did well feeding McEvoy whose chip evaded the keeper but was cleared by a defender for a corner. Alty now brought on Thorpe for Evans (80 mins). Thorpe soon won another corner for his side from which Glynn got in two good efforts, both of which were blocked. From the counter-attack, Douthwaite put in an important tackle (84 mins). Stuart Cook now replaced Killeen for Alty (84 mins) and soon afterwards Ekolongeni won the ball and fed Glynn.
He got the ball to Thorpe who tucked it past the keeper for Alty's fourth goal (85 mins). From the restart Marine went down to the other end and Rimmer got behind Bailey to drive home a consolation goal. Glynn then made a fine surging run of thirty yards or more to prompt a fine save from the home keeper. There was still time before the final whistle for another bit of trickery from Glynn as he got past two defenders and almost let in Thorpe for another goal. However, the game ended without further score. After a slow start Alty had run out deserved winners.
| Full-Time: MARINE B 1 ALTRINCHAM YOUTH 4 |