Words Tom Tattersall Picture Jonathan Moore

Pro Elite Academy NWC 2 Altrincham 0 

Altrincham kicked off against Pro Elite looking for a positive result and performance to give the team a boost in morale.

The game was tight and cagey early on, as rain and hail lashed down, with neither side dominant in terms of quality, though the Bradford-based team looked a bit more intense and determined to win the ball back when dispossessed.

Both sides had chances in the first half, with Mensah (pictured) contributing significantly upfront with some tremendous hold-up play.

With nothing clear-cut for either side, the first half looked like it was going to end goalless, until Pro Elite edged ahead.

The breakthrough came when their winger dispossessed the Altrincham defence, after they were caught out of position, before crossing the ball into the box for one of their attackers to finish tidily.

Several  changes were made at half-time, with Tattersall, Gbolagun and McCormack entering for Cain, Broderick and Diomande.

The second half started better for the young Robins as they attacked the wide spaces, which gave Gbolagun and Abanwa more one-on-one opportunities against their full-backs.

With both sides feeling they were building momentum, the tricky Pro Elite right-winger took on one of Alty’s defenders and squared for what should have been a tap-in for one of the attackers, who somehow failed to make contact.

Pro Elite then seized on an opportunity given to them by a miscommunication at the back about who was going to clear the ball, which allowed a home attacker to nip in and finish well.

However, it seemed to be a turning point after this goal, with the young Robins working hard and pressing away for a ticket back into the game and creating great opportunities down the flanks.

As the pressure built up, McCormack hunted down the Pro Elite centre-back and dispossessed him, leaving him one-on-one with the keeper.

It looked a certain goal, but the Alty forward was denied by a Pro Elite defender, who chased back and made a goal-saving block from the resulting shot. This was the best chance of the half for Altrincham.

Gbolagun was a nuisance for the Pro Elite defenders, creating many opportunities for Altrincham with crosses into the box.

Pro Elite were eventually relieved to hear the full-time whistle, as the game finished in a close 2-0 defeat in Bradford for the young Robins.

Squad for the game:
Theo Bunting
Ben McNamara
Harry Cain
Callum Dakin
Connor Summerfield
Archie Rowlands
Will Sneyd
Amara Diomande
Josh Herreman
Lewis Broderick
Saviour Abanwa
Ben Mensah
John Gbolagun
Callum McCormack
Tom Tattersall