ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (2) 5
WARRINGTON TOWN YOUTH (1) 4
NWYA Premier Divison match
played on Sunday, 16October 2016, k.o. 2.30pm
at Hale Country Club & Spa
LINE-UPS
ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Cameron TERRY, 2. Will HALL, 3. Sam BOWN, 4. Deklan HILL, 5. Tom KELLY, 6. Jordan MILNE, 7. Darius PALMA, 8. Peter IACOVOU (capt), 9. Jordan HENRY, 10. Aaron CLAYTON, 11. Enis HOLTI. Subs: 12 Kieran FUSE, 14. Alex FOORD, 15. Ricardo PEMBELE, 16. Andy MATISHI, 17. Dylan SCANLON
REPORT
On a sunny but breezy afernoon at Clay Lane, Warrington kicked off but it was Altrincham who had the first threat on goal when Henry charged down the visiting keeper's clearance but he redeemed himsef with a save from an Alty follow-up shot (3 mins).
And when Palma turned past his marker, he won a freekick which he himself put wide of goal (9 mins).
But it was Warrington who took an early lead. A fine pass from the visitors' no.3 allowed the no.7 to get in a shot from right of goal. Alty keeper, Cameron Terry, saved this well but the ball ran out towards the centre of the box where the incoming no.8 struck it firmly, low into the net (12 mins).
Altrincham were caught offside aseveral times but, otherwise, did not threaten to equalize before they made a change with Pembele replacing Holti in the 24th minute.
Altrincham now won two corners but they went closer soon afterwards when the visitors' keeper had to come out to clear and Henry's lob from wide left only just cleared the crossbar (29 mins).
The home side were having more of the attacking momentum but were not seriously threatening to score. But the game was transformed on the stroke of half-time. After Pembele had shot wide into the sidenetting, the resulting goalkick was poorly taken and went to an Alty player about 40 yards out. From this, Palma was played into the box and he finished well with a shot to the keeper's right to make it 1-1 (45 mins).
And in the second minute of added time, Altrincham scored again. Centre back Hill did well to keep the ball and, from his own half, played the ball up to Pembele, left of goal. Via Henry's shot, the ball was deflected across the face of goal to Palma, who volleyed the ball home from five yards or so (45+2 mins).
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 2 WARRINGTON TOWN YOUTH 1 |
Fuse came on for Clayton at the break, and the home side started well. Soon after a good run by Henry had been halted by a fine tackle, Alty's right-back made an impressive run up the middle. He was stopped outside the box but the ball ran to the right from where a cross was headed goalwards by Pembele. The keeper stopped this effort but it fell for Henry to net from close range (53 mins).
Each side made a change before Warrington got back into the game. A foul on their no.10 gave the visitors a freekick on the edge of the "D". From here, the no.11 found the top corner of the net to Terry's right with a superb freekick. So it was now 3-2 (59 mins).
Town's no.5 was booked for a foul on Pembele, whose pace was a constant threat to the Warrington defence (62 mins). After Holti had been booked for dissent by the efficient, young referee, the Alty man was substituted.
Both teams made further changes before Alty fell asleep at a freekick. The ball was chipped over the static backline, leaving two Warrington men free to confront the Alty keeper. The no.7 finished smartly to make it 3-3 (72 mins).
In what was now an open game, Alty's Scanlon, who had just come on, got clear but the visitors' keeper saved well at the cost of a corner. Not long afterwards, Hill had a shot saved. When the no.6 fouled Foord, he was booked and Alty punished him further by gaining a penalty from the freekick as Scanlon was felled in the box.
Hill smashed the spot kick into the net to make it 4-3 (77 mins). Just four minutes later it was 4-4 as the Warrington no.9 scored a fine goal from 25 yards (81 mins).
Pembele then chased the visitors no.11 towards the Town goal, outmuscled his opponent and drove the ball past the keeper to restore Alty's lead at 5-4 (85 mins). Warrington's no.12 almost snatched a 90th minute equalizer but his goalbound shot was brilliantly tipped away by the Alty keeper, Terry.
Altrincham played out some three minutes of added time to claim all three points in what had been a highly entertaining game.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 5 WARRINGTON TOWN YOUTH 4 |