Dawson 2
M.Conway

Villa returned to league action with a good win against a side third in the table, not a classic but both sides tried to play football in worsening conditions.

Euxton could not have had a better start taking the lead after just three minutes. The move began with a ball down the centre which was cleverly headed on by Sam Shone to Danny Dawson who showed great strength to hold off the centre half before rounding the keeper to put the ball into an empty net. With twenty minutes played Villa looked to have increased their lead when a ball in from the left was chested down by Sam Shone and put into the net, only for the linesman to flag for offside.

As the half progressed the weather gradually deteriorated making playing conditions difficult, but Villa continued to press back the visitors. They were rewarded for their efforts after thirty five minutes. The move began when James O'Loughlin released Sam Shone on the right, his early ball in was met perfectly by Danny Dawson who gave the keeper no chance from close range. Within a minute Danny Dawson had the ball in the net again only for the effort to again be ruled offside.

Given the poor conditions Villa were happy to grind out a result and they continued to control the game. With five minutes of the half remaining they came close again as Liam Conway attacked at pace down the right before seeing his low shot saved at the foot of the near post. The half ended with Villa forcing a couple of corners which the Blackpool defence managed to clear.

The second half continued much as the first ended with Villa trying to wrap the game up with a third goal. On fifty minutes Liam Conway again came close cutting into the box from the right before putting a left foot shot just over the angle of post and bar. The visitors started to get more into the game, having more possession, but without really troubling the home defence.

Another good chance came for Villa after sixty eight minutes. A high ball in from the right by Liam Conway was flicked on by Danny Dawson and James O'Loughlin was inches away from turning the ball in at the far post. A minute later Danny Dawson came close to completing his hat trick running onto a through ball which the Blackpool keeper just managed to keep out.

With fifteen minutes remaining and against the run of play Blackpool pulled a goal back with a low shot inside the post. Villa now had to be careful, but they came close three minutes later when the Blackpool keeper just managed to hold a fierce drive from outside the area from Matt Conway. The visitors tested the Villa defence again on eighty minutes as Shaun Gibbs was forced to turn a low shot around the post.

Villa gradually reasserted themselves and came close to a third goal when firstly James O'Loughlin was just wide following a corner, then Martin Whewell saw his top corner shot, tipped over the bar. Rhenden Pillay and Liam Conway then combined well on the right before Damien Stewart put his shot over the bar. Villa wrapped up the points in the last minute when Matt Conway capped his man of the match performance with a perfect drive into the top corner from well outside the box. In the end a hard won but deserved three points.

Team - Gibbs, McAlister, O'Loughlin, Crombie, Winstanley, L.Conway, Salisbury, ( Whewell ) M.Conway, Stewart, Shone, ( Pillay ) Dawson ( Thompson )

Not Used Swift, Peralta.