"Having come into what would turn out to be a tricky opening game of the season with high hopes, Altrincham left empty handed and disappointed. The game started off slowly with both sides battling to win possession and take control of the match and, after a few promising periods of play, the game's first talking point came in what could be said WAS a dubious fashion. Curzon’s tricky number 10 found himself inside the box and went down under light pressure from the Altrincham defence. But justice was done as Altrincham keeper Steve Bullen pulled off a superb stretching save to deny Curzon the lead.

The game then settled to pedestrian pace. With Altrincham not really into full flow, disaster struck a few minutes before half time as Curzon took the lead through a first time finish. This seemed to spark the Reds into life, as they stepped up the pressure, making pass after pass but to no avail as chances went amiss for Adam Bezzina and Derryn Ofori, who was assisted by a delightful back-heel by sixteen year-old Spencer Cunliffe.

The Reds came out in the second half determined and focused on closing the deficit. Intricate passages of play involving captain Oliver Riley and right-winger Sam Bowles led to even more chances but Alty still could not convert and they paid the price. A lack of concentration led to a Curzon break which resulted in a one on one chance leaving the Altrincham keeper helpless as Curzon increased their lead.

However Alty rallied together and did not give up, showing a fighting spirit which will surely help them progress throughout the season. Oliver Riley beat the Curzon keeper with a stunning 25 yard effort, only to be denied by the bar, and chances came and went for the right footed left-winger Jordan Mainoo-Hames.

The game was then to be sealed through a Curzon free kick as an unlucky bounce surprised keeper Steve Bullen, who had been immaculate in goal all day, pulling off numerous stunning close range saves to deny Curzon sealing the game at an earlier point.

But Altrincham still continued to push forward until the final whistle, showcasing a togetherness and spirit which will only help them progress. Coach Anthony Small is clearly looking for a reaction from his team as he had this to say about the defeat, "I’m looking for a positive response on Thursday, the result today was disappointing but I think we can all learn things from it. I’m confident that we’ve got what it takes to have a successful campaign".

Altrincham FC Youth: Steve Bullen, Sam Rowley, Alex Weatherby, David Brown, Callum Harkin, Sam Bowles, Oliver Riley, Spencer Cunliffe, Jordan Mainoo-Hames, Derryn Ofori, Adam Bezzina. Subs Used: Joe Hand for Sam Bowles, Tom Lyons for Jordan Mainoo-Hames, Rory McGoldrick for David Brown. Subs Not Used: Cameron Pritchard, Matthew Kemp, Louis Brown