ALTRINCHAM FC MATCH REPORTS
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ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH (1) 1
IRLAM TOWN UNDER-21s (4) 8
played at Manchester Health Academy, Wythenshawe
on Sunday, 25 March 2018, at 2.30pm
LINE-UP:
ALTRINCHAM (Red & white striped shirts, black shorts, red socks): 1. Matt LOIZOU, 2. Shaun WALKER, 3. James O'HARA, 6. Harry SHERIDAN, 5. Ollie OKUNOWU, 4. Calvin BOYD (c), 7. Fergus GROGAN, 8. Curtis MILLER, 9. Matt MCGREAL, 10. Dylan SCANLAN, 11. Dontai GABIDON (capt). Subs: 12. HOPKINS, 14. Louie BARRETT, 15. Scott MILNER, 16. Bailey RICHARDSON, 19. Kane HUSSAIN.
REPORT
Altrincham FC Youth's scheduled NWYA Premier game at home to Southport on Sunday was cancelled at short notice when the National League club was unable to raise a team for the match.
So, Alty Youth manager, Paul Fay, hastily arranged a friendly instead, pitting his under-18 side against the under-21s of Irlam Town.
On a sunny, but breezy, afternoon Altrincham started well but fell behind against the run of play in the sixth minute. A low cross from the visitors' no.11 was bundled home at the near post by Irlam's no.9 to make it 0-1.
Following an Irlam corner, an Alty counter attack was halted by a foul on Grogan and, from the freekick, a Sheridan header went narrowly wide (16 mins). Then, a kicked clearance by the Irlam keeper rebounded off a team-mate, setting McGreal in on goal and he beat the keeper wuth a well-struck, rising shot to level the scores at 1-1 (17 mins).
The visitors took a 21st minute lead when their no.3 won a challenge with Gabidon just outside the box. His low shot beat Loizou from 18 yards (21 mins).
Alty almost immediately had a chance to equalize but the Irlam keeper saved from Miller (22 mins). When Okunowu was penalised against the visitors' no.14, the freekick from their right wing was allowed to bounce in the goalmouth and it found the back of the net, possibly with a touch from the no.9 (28 mins).
After the sides had traded a corner apiece in the eight minutes before the interval, a second corner by Irlam, from their right, reached their no.5, left of goal. His cross was turned home by the unmarked no.10 to make it 4-1 on the stroke of half-time.
| Half-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 IRLAM TOWN UNDER-21s 4 |
In the opening ten minutes of the second half, Alty introduced all their substitutes whilst Irlam also made swaps of personnel. Irlam capitalised on a slip by Walker to take a 5-1 lead as their no.11 got free and slotted the ball past Loizou (50 mins). Alty responded with a corner but it was the visitors who scored the next goal. Their skilful no.6 fed the no.16 who forced a fine save from Loizou but the ball ran to the left where the no.12 slotted home Irlam's sixth goal (54 mins).
Irlam won a couple of corners as the game passed the hour mark but Alty defended solidly. With ten minutes remaining, Grogan got in a couple of shots which both went narrowly wide. But after two corners for Irlam had been dealt with, Alty conceded an eighth goal when the visitors' no.10 rounded keeper Loizou (84 mins).
Alty then survived a penalty appeal when the visitors' no.2 went down but Altrincham went close to a second consolation goal in the 88th minute. Scanlan, who had been playing well at right back for much of the second half, got forward and his low cross was turned against the upright at the back post by Hussain.
So, Irlam secured a convincing win but the younger Altrincham side will have gained valuable experience in the process.
| Full-Time: ALTRINCHAM FC YOUTH 1 IRLAM TOWN UNDER-21s 8 |