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Richardson Cup Round 1 – 13 Dec 08
Neither manager was
happy to ask his players to risk jeopardising their
livelihood by risking injury on a pitch that was clearly not
fit for play, but the referee made it clear that he was
under pressure to get the fixture played and that the match
was going ahead regardless of the danger, or indeed the long
term damage that would undoubtedly be done to the playing
surface.
Nevertheless, although
it was never going to be a day for the ball players to
display the finer points of the game, both teams did their
best to put on a show, resulting in a spirited and closely
fought tie, during which both keepers stood out on an
afternoon during which they were kept fully employed.
Villa were first to
carve a meaningful opening not long after kick-off, when
Pavel Zverina held the ball up till George Craddock got into
position in the box, but although the pass was accurate
enough, the ball got stuck in the mud and the chance was
gone.
From then, play ebbed
and flowed during the first quarter, with the visitors
finding particular joy down their left where Craig Chambers
found himself exposed without much in the way of defensive
cover from the middle. And it was from that direction that
Coppull first tested Ross Baxter in the Villa net, but the
big man was equal to it. Then it was Villa’s turn with good
work down their left, and Craddock was on the spot again,
but saw his powerful header flew just over.
To and fro it went,
Craddock fed Zverina who twisted and turned inside the box
before firing a low drive inches wide, and Baxter had to
look lively to tip over another shot from the left. Villa
should have had a penalty when Zverina was brought down from
behind, at the very least it must have been a corner if
indeed the defender got something on the ball, but the
referee somehow construed it as a goal kick. To rub salt
into the wound, after being asked to nicely by the Coppull
players, he went back and yellow carded the unfortunate
striker for ..... well because he was asked to!
Matt Atherton was next
to go close for the home side with a well struck shot from a
tight angle, them a minute later, Dean Cooper fired over
when he found himself unexpectedly in the clear, should have
done better. But he didn’t have long to wait to make
amends. Not for the first time Villa were beaten to the
second ball, allowing delivery into the box, where although
Dean Cooper miscued with his first effort, was allowed to
spin and bury at the second attempt.
The second half
continued in much the same vein, with both keepers having to
keep their concentration as play continued end to end. Chris
Farrer made a welcome return to the fold, and his pace and
power made a difference going forward, and Villa probably
shaded it on number of chances created, with Atherton twice
going close, Gavin Cooper shooting narrowly wide from close
range, and Andy Almond being called on several times to keep
his side’s narrow advantage intact. If the home side had the
greater number of chances, then arguably the visitors had
the more telling ones, and Ross Baxter produced a couple of
top drawer saves to keep the tie alive.
Despite the best
efforts of both teams, there was to be no addition to the
solitary strike, allowing the visitors to progress, at the
expense of their local rivals to the next round, where we
wish them well.
Villa line-up: Baxter, C.Chambers,
Davies, Bolton, Clitheroe (L.Chambers 45), Dunn, Cooper,
Bingham (Kirkham 84), Atherton, Zverina, Craddock (Farrer
60)
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