Altrincham 3 AFC Fylde 1

Match report by Alty player Joel Bailey

Both sides began this National League under-19s fixture strongly and created chances in the opening phase, but it was AFC Fylde who were able to get the better of the early exchanges.

Around the 15-minute mark, Fylde crossed the ball into the Altrincham box, and a scrappy phase of play allowed a Fylde attacker to tap home a rebound from close range, giving the visitors the lead.

Altrincham responded well to the setback and began controlling the game. Just after half an hour had been played, an Altrincham cross from the left-hand side found Harrison Howells, who converted the chance expertly to level the scores.

Using the momentum that they created from their first goal, Alty quickly doubled their tally to take the lead. It came in a very similar fashion to the first, with Howells heading the ball into the goal after a cross from Altrincham’s left.

After being 1-0 down earlier in the half, the young Robins went into the half-time break with a 2-1 lead.

Altrincham managed the game well in the second half. They missed a few chances, however they retained possession exceptionally well and gave Fylde no
opportunities to mount a comeback.

Heading into the final stages of the match, Altrincham won a free-kick in the Fylde
half. They crossed the ball into the Fylde box, and after a bit of a scramble in the
area, the ball landed at Joel Bailey’s feet, and he half-volleyed the ball into the top left corner.

Even after scoring their third, Altrincham dictated the possession and ensured that
they protected their lead effectively. It was a fantastic performance from Altrincham, and it deservedly won them all three points.

Squad on the day

Louie Fallon
Kaiden Powell
Ajani Oshidin
Harrison Howells
Max Whittle
Kian Gonzalez
Nathan Wood
Jack Chandler
Tom Whyte
Vladislav Shtyhlian
Sekouba Camara
Oscar Cooper
Remi Raymond
Lucas Edwards
Joel Bailey
Charley Jarrald