17 January 2009

Matches between these two are generally closely contested if relatively low scoring affairs, and despite the very testing underfoot conditions, both sides contrived to serve up a cracking encounter, the outcome of which remained in doubt right up to the final whistle. Villa took a slender advantage in at half time, and could have been home and hosed inside five minutes of the second when a couple of golden chances went begging. Fulwood on the other hand spurned a certain chance to grab a late equaliser with a shot that was blasted over from four yards with the goal gaping.

In fact, things got off to a fairly tentative start, as players tried to come to terms with the gluey surface, ant it was twelve minutes in before either keeper was called into serious action. Pavel Zverina controlled, turned and sprayed the ball wide to Matt Atherton, who beat a couple before squaring back to Zverina, but although he drilled his shot with plenty of sting, it was straight at the keeper.  Less than a minute later, Zverina again went very close. Elliot Dunn wove his magic through the inside left channel and slipped a neat pass to the big Czech. He burst through, checked inside, but unfortunately his cross-goal shot just beat the far post.

Five minutes later, Atherton had the keeper scrambling with a blockbuster from twenty yards which flew just over.  However, the relief for Fulwood was short lived. A couple of minutes later, Atherton picked the ball up deep in his own half. Looking up, he floated a perfect lob for George Craddock to run on to. Still with plenty to do, the latter kept his cool to run on and beat the keeper with a low side footer.

Although possession was fairly even, Villa were enjoying the greater number of telling chances, but half time arrived without further score.

The second half exploded into life when a Fulwood defender misjudged a header back to his keeper and the ball fell kindly for Craddock, but such was his surprise that he was unable to keep his snap shot on target. Less than five minutes later, Craddock missed a great chance with a somewhat weak header after good work down the left by Atherton.

Ten minutes into the half saw the incident that defined the outcome of the game. Fulwood were attacking in numbers, and forced Ross Baxter into a two handed save, but as he pushed the ball to the side, it struck Craig Chambers on the arm, which the referee interpreted as deliberately preventing a goal, and responded with the red card. Stead blasted the resultant spot kick with such ferocity even the big man couldn’t stop it.

Mark McDonnell shuffled things round to cater for the loss of the defender, but the visitors had their tails up now and believed they could take advantage of the change in circumstances. But as so often happens however, the ten men stepped up a gear to compensate, and Villa gave as good as they got in a game that was now end to end. In fact, for a fifteen or twenty minute spell it seemed is if it was the home team who held the numerical advantage as they pinned their opponents back with a series of attacking moves.

Fulwood weathered that, and began to hit back. Then, ten minutes from time, with the visitors attacking in numbers, a clearance fell to Atherton, who ran fully sixty yards with ball at feet before picking out Dunn, who had burst into the box. His shot on the run was well blocked by the keeper, but the rebound fell kindly for Dunn again, who made no mistake with his second effort.

A minute later, Atherton very nearly capped a brilliant afternoon’s work with a goal of his own, but his well struck shot was too straight and gave the keeper no real trouble.  Despite the energy sapping surface, there was no let up as play continued to ebb and flow, a credit to all involved. Fatigue was starting to show however, contributing to a moment of slack defending which found a Fulwood midfielder unchallenged in front of an open goal, but somehow he contrived to blast over from four yards.

Gavin Cooper conducted the orchestra throughout most of the match from centre mid, and Ian Kirkparick’s box to box play gave lie to the heavy ground conditions. Chris Farrer’s strength and ability to hold the ball up more than compensated for Villa’s shortfall in numbers, and he came close on several occasions to adding to his side’s advantage during the half hour or so he was on the pitch, and he also set Atherton up for one last effort, but a fine point blank save thwarted his powerful blast.

A cracking match, and as already observed, a credit to all involved, though it will require a mammoth effort if we are ever again to get the pitch anything like . Big match Monday night when the oft postponed Goldline semi Final should finally get the all clear at Chorley’s Victory Park (7.30).

Villa Line-up: Baxter, C.Chambers, Davies, L.Chambers, Bolton, Cooper, Dunn, Kirkpatrick (Heald 80), Atherton, Craddock (Salisbury 58), Zverina (Farrer 58)