Altrincham 4 Farsley Celtic 2

Match report by Alty player Kaiden Powell

Altrincham Academy hosted Farsley Celtic, a team placed at the top of the table, at a changed venue in a crucial National League game.

The young Robins flew out of the blocks and dominated possession in the opening 15 minutes. They probed forward but were punished for not making their control count.

Against the run of play, a long ball was played from a Farsley defender towards the Alty backline. Ajani Oshidin met the ball but was unable to clear it far enough to prevent the oncoming danger.

Farsley managed to latch onto the second ball, and they broke through to open the scoring and make it 1-0.

Despite continuing to dominate, Altrincham struggled to complete the final pass, meaning chances in the first half were hard to come by. Their end product was limited, and the Robins headed into the break 1-0 down.

After the break, Alty continued to dominate possession but crucially moved the ball far quicker, managing to isolate their wingers in one-on-one situations.

Just 10 minutes after play resumed, a well-worked move led to the ball being played in to Afernee Denise’s path.

He beat his defender and pulled the ball back to Remi Raymond on the penalty spot. Raymond struck the ball towards goal with his first touch, finding the roof of the Farsley net to equalise.

This shifted the momentum firmly in Altrincham’s favour. Alfred Igbinake, a player freshly substituted on to the pitch, received the ball from keeper Louie Fallon and drove towards the opposition goal.

The Farsley keeper attempted to smother the ball, but Igbinake beat him to it and chipped it into the goal to give Alty a 2-1 lead.

Altrincham showed no mercy to their opponents as they went in search of more goals.

Shortly after going in front, Denise picked up the ball on the right-hand side and began to dribble at the Farsley defence. In a brilliant solo effort, he cut inside on to his weaker foot and slid the ball into the bottom corner, doubling Alty’s lead.

The flow of goals did not stop there for the young Robins, as Denise was able to tackle a Farsley defender only eight yards out. The ball fell to Igbinake, who was free in the box, and the forward converted the chance for his second and Altrincham’s fourth.

The hosts finally took their foot off the gas in stoppage time, as a late mistake gave Farsley a consolation goal. A cross into the box from Farsley was deflected, and the ricochet took the ball into the Altrincham net.

This was the final action of a stellar performance from Altrincham, who have now won three in a row and face the Steven Gerrard Academy on Friday hoping to keep the run going.

Squad versus Farsley:

Louie Fallon, Ajani Oshidin, Caden Gibson, Kaiden Powell, Edson Cata, Jacob Hill, Remi Raymond, Kian Gonzalez, Alfie Curwen, Tom Whyte, Afernee Denise, Sheriff Njie, Charley Jarrald, Alfred Igbinake, Kyran Webster, Ollie Dixon.