Airbus 1 Alport 3
 
Alport cantered to victory in their first pre-season encounter on the Welsh border. Their opponents, Airbus, were relegated from the Welsh Premier League last season and they were made to look second best for most of the evening as Whitchurch enjoyed themselves on the artificial surface. Luke Walley was the hero for the Reds scoring all three goals having recently committed himself to the club, and at times he looked unplayable. He scored twice in the first half and completed his hat-trick with 20 minutes left to give Alport a lift before the weekend friendly at home to Altrincham.
 
The starting XI was packed full of players that had represented the club last season with trialist Clayton McDonald the only face new to Reds fans. Elliot Ledwards had already clattered the post before Walley drew first blood after 24 minutes. Player manager Carl Everall slipped a delightful pass into Walley whose first touch was excellent. And although his strike of the ball wasn’t the best, it bobbled into the far corner with retreating defenders wrong footed by the scuffed shot. Ten minutes before the break came a superb second. Some really good build up play saw Joe Minshall deliver a wicked low cross and there was Walley who was first to the ball to net from close range.
 
In the second half the hosts were thrown a lifeline when Minshall was harshly adjudged to have climbed on the back of an Airbus striker and Aaron Bowen found the corner from the resultant penalty. Both teams made plenty of changes with Alport using every one of their 18 man squad and the result was put beyond any doubt when a suicidal backpass put Walley in a one-on-one situation with a helpless Airbus keeper. The youngster was calmness personified as he casually rounded the goalie before walking the ball into the unguarded goal.
 
It was a really good first workout for Whitchurch who were without the services of last season’s Player of the Year, Nick Marley, keynote signing, Ben Mills, last year’s top scorer, Mike Blundell and the promising Keaton Webster who made a few starts in 2016-17.