Any team travelling to Dalton will be glad to come away with something from the game, and in a match that could easily have gone either way, Ian Kirkpatrick’s second half winner made the long homeward trek a lot more pleasant for the Villa faithful. 

It was clear from the outset that this was going to be a close affair, with play ebbing and flowing as both sides took turns at probing for an opening.  But although far from a sterile affair, clear-cut chances were scarce at either end during a first half in which both defences had the upper hand and coped comfortably with everything that their opponents could throw at them.

The second half began in much the same vein, and it became increasingly likely that not much would separate the two when the ninety minutes had elapsed. With defences on top, it also became more and more likely that a set piece might provide the breakthrough, and indeed at the start of the second half the game was punctuated by a plethora of stoppages for corner kicks and niggley free kicks. And sure enough, it was from one of a series of corners at both ends that the deadlock was broken, and fortunately for Villa it was they who hit paydirt.  A corner from the right, well flighted by Gavin Copper, up went the heads, the ball fell kindly for George Craddock, allowing him to pick out the lurking Ian Kirkpatrick with a clever back-heel, and he in turn took careful aim and smashed the ball through the crowd from just inside the box, keeper no chance.

 What happened thereafter is exactly what usually happens at any level when two closely matched teams find themselves in such a situation. The visitors with the slender lead dropped deeper and deeper as they came under ever increasing pressure from the home side, as they in turn strove ever harder to get themselves back on terms. And of course with that came chances on the breakaway as the space in behind the trailing team became ever wider. 

Indeed Craddock had a glorious chance on one such break to open up clear blue water between the teams. Having sprung the off-side he found himself with just the keeper to beat, whom he rounded with ease, but a covering defender made a spirited run to cover, and in trying to lob the ball over him he failed to find the target.

The match followed the same pattern right to the end, but the Villa defence hardly put a foot wrong all afternoon, with full backs John Salisbury and Sam Bolton on top of their game, and in particular two immense performances from Ross Dickinson and skipper Darren Davies at centre back. Ian Kirkpatrick had very influential afternoon, and the form of he and others will add to Mark McDonnell’s selection headaches when some of the nine or ten missing from action become available again. Aidrian Briggs joined the fray with six or seven minutes to go, and his hold up play helped relieve some of the pressure. More than that, he had the chance to wrap things up when clear and away right at the death, but the keeper spread himself to make a fine save.

The final whistle followed immediately, bringing to a close a fascinating encounter which the sizeable crowd enjoyed, even if the outcome pleased only the travelling few.

Villa line-up: Baxter, Salisbury, Dickinson, Davies, Bolton, Woodman, Kirkpatrick, Cooper, Atherton, Dunn, Craddock (Briggs83) (SNU Swift, Whewell, Leigh)