Alport (3) 5 Lostock Gralam (0) 0
Whitchurch recorded a second win in four days after seeing off the Cheshire Premier Division side comfortably. First half goals from Pete Taylor, Dan Tinsley and Joe Minshull put Alport three goals to the good by half time, and two more in the last 20 minutes from sub Ryan Thomas completed the nap hand.
On a damp day at Yockings it was the visitors who created the best chances in the opening quarter of an hour. Stu Ainsworth popped up at the back post early on but found the angle too tight and soon after, the striker ran clear on goal. With Grant Hartley advancing to close down the angle, Ainsworth lifted the ball over him but saw his attempt go just over.
Alport had made several personnel changes to the side that beat Cefn Druids in midweek and it took time for the side to settle. Once Taylor struck on 25 minutes though, the result was never in doubt. Three minutes later Dan Tinsley despatched an acrobatic volley to find the bottom corner and it was all Whitchurch for the remainder of the half. Tinsley went close with a long range drive as did Carl Everall, but Jason Currie had to retrieve the ball from the back of his net for a third time with Minshull scoring on the half time whistle.
There were some decent displays for Alport with Nick Marley showing well after the interval, and the back four were rarely troubled throughout. Thomas pounced on 70 and 85 minutes to leave joint manager Luke Goddard a happy man by the end: “It was an ideal exercise for us and the game went exactly as I thought it would. We started with 5 changes from the Druids game on Tuesday night so it was going to take us a little bit of time to ease into the game, and get some organisation. Once we got the first goal, I thought their (Lostock’s) desire and commitment eased a little bit and it allowed us to relax and play our normal game.
“You’ve seen for yourself the way things have changed in just a matter of weeks, and to win football matches, it’s vital that the group stay engaged and focussed. We’ll play something like 50 games this season so squad rotation will be key, and we’ll make sure that we keep all the lads fit so that they’re ready when their opportunities come along.”
 
Team: Hartley, Ward, Ledwards, Tinsley A, Minshall, Ashbrook, Blundell, Everall C, Taylor, Tinsley D, Everall S
 
Subs: Walentowicz, Twigg, Thomas, Evans, Maclennan, McNichol, Mateusz