Euxton Villa 4 Tempest United 2
( 2 ) ( 1 )
Dawson 2
Stewart 2

Villa eventually gained the upper hand and took the points against a strong and determined side, throughout both sides played some attractive football with Villa finally deserving the three points.

The game could not have started in a worse way for the home side. With only two minutes played a long range low shot crept inside the foot of the post when it appeared to be going wide. Euxton responded immediately with Liam Conway testing the visitors down the right before seeing his shot blocked. He caught the Tempest defence out again after five minutes, running onto a through ball down the middle, the keeper blocked his shot but Danny Dawson following up was on hand to turn the ball home.

For the next thirty minutes Villa had the upper hand as they gradually increased the pressure on the visitors defence. They got their reward after fourteen minutes when a ball down the right released Danny Dawson who outpaced the visitors defence before beating the keeper with a low shot into the far corner of the goal. At this point Tempest were being reduced to spasmodic attacks. They nearly caught the home defence out after twenty three minutes when Shaun Gibbs was forced into a point blank save.

It was still mainly pressure from the home side, Danny Dawson played a ball in from the right and Damien Stewart saw his flick go just wide of the post. Next a good run from Liam Conway on the right created an opening for Danny Dawson, but his effort was just over the bar. In fairness to the visitors they rallied for the remainder of the half and pressurised the home defence, but with a minute remaining Villa could have increased their lead as Danny Dawson set up Damien Stewart, only for his shot to flash across the face of goal.

The game was now quite close and five minutes after the restart the visitors drew level with a very dubious goal. Following a scramble in the Villa box a Tempest player appeared to scoop the ball into the net with his hand, the referee unsighted allowed the goal. Justice was done two minutes later when Mark Swift was clearly tripped in the box. Damien Stewart made no mistake from the resulting penalty.

Euxton were in no mood to concede again and for the remained of the match were the better side, with fifteen minutes remaining a shot from Liam Conway was heading for the top corner before the Tempest keeper managed to get a hand to it. Then a free kick from Adam McAlistair was headed over the bar.
Danny Dawson then came close with a lob shot which flew just wide. Villa wrapped the game up with two minutes remaining. A surging run down the right from Liam Conway saw a low cross fly across the face of goal to be met at the far post by Damien Stewart who drove a low shot home.

A tough contest against a team that will do well in the division, but in the end Villa were worthy winners as they maintain their good start to the season.

Team - Gibbs, McAlistair, Brown, O'Loughlin, Crombie, Bradshaw, ( Thompson ) Swift ( Pillay )       ( Whewell ) M.Conway, L.Conway, Dawson, Stewart.

Not used - Wood