Liverpool FEFA 2 Altrincham 2

(Liverpool won 4-2 on penalties)

Match report by Louie Fallon

Alty looked to continue their 100 per cent start to the season in this National Youth League Cup tie against a hard-working Liverpool side.

It was a steady first 15 minutes, with both sides figuring each other out and looking to play a possession style to break the opposition down.

However, neither team had much success in the final third. The Robins then faced a period of pressure towards the end of the first half, where miscommunication and a long ball beat the back line and left the Liverpool striker one-on-one with Alty keeper Louie Fallon.

Despite Fallon saving the initial attempt, the rebound was put away to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

Further misery for the Robins followed, as a blind pass from the Alty midfield was intercepted, and the Liverpool striker was calm and composed to take it round the keeper and slot it into an empty net.

Alty picked it up towards the end of the half and started to look dangerous in the final third, with Harley Renshaw and Afernee Denise terrorising their wingers and getting crosses into the box, while also having a few possible penalty shouts turned down.

Altrincham picked up where they left off and started the second half strongly, without create much. Indeed, it was Liverpool who had the first few chances, but they were thwarted by Fallon in the away net.

The 60-minute mark saw substitutions made, and the oncoming players made a difference.

The Alty pressure proved too much for the opposition defence as a swift move from defence into attack saw the deficit halved as Denise smashed the ball home off a rebounded shot saved by the Liverpool keeper.

After dominating the ball, it felt as though an equaliser was coming. A series of quick passes and one-twos saw the ball worked out wide, and after beating his man, Callum McCormack set the ball to the edge of the box for Kian Gonzalez to smash into the top corner.

The opposition then piled pressure on the Altrincham defence, but they stayed strong with a series of clearances and blocks from Jimmy Taffe and Henry Watts that preserved their second half clean sheet.

With the game finishing in a draw, it went straight to penalties, where Altrincham controversially fell short. A frustrating end to the game, but it was a second half to be proud of for the young Robins.

Squad on the day: Louie Fallon, Will Knowles, Chris Antoniades, Nathan Taylor, Jacob Hill, Jacob Martin, Afernee Denise, Ryan Knowles, Finn Coburn, Kian Gonzales, Callum McCormack, Harry Watson, Harley Renshaw, Kaiden Powell, Henry Watts, Jimmy Taffe.