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29 November 08
By winning
the Lancashire Shield, the boys bagged a break from the
bread and butter of league business, having the honour
instead of representing Lancashire in The Northern Counties
Cup. Sculcoates made it through the fog all the way from
Hull to play their part in a very entertaining game, with
Villa proving once again that given a decent surface and top
quality opposition, they are capable of producing a brand of
flowing football that is as good as you will see anywhere in
amateur football.
Mark
McDonnell faced some early soul searching when, already
missing both Chambers brothers from defence, Ross Dickinson
failed to come through a late fitness test, and so he handed
a first team debut to Adam McAlister, who responded with an
outstanding display of thoughtful and mature full back play.
He and fellow full back Michael Clitheroe, who had probably
his best ever game in a Villa shirt, were the pick of the
bunch in what was a superb all round team performance. In
the end the East Riding side ran them very close, but Villa
could, and indeed should, have been out of sight had they
converted just some of the gilt-edged chances their build-up
play carved out.
Matt
Atherton picked up from where he left off last week, and it
was he who gave the Sculcoates defence most to think about
during the early exchanges. Working well off the front
pairing of Pavel Zverina and George Craddock, he was first
to go close with a well met header from a Clitheroe cross.
Zverina also saw a shot just wide, and not to be outdone
Craddock had the keeper worried with a snap shot after a
fine chest trap.
Then on
thirty three minutes, the increasingly penetrating runs from
full back brought just reward, and Atherton it was who rose
to meet a pinpoint McAlister cross and send a looping header
over the stranded keeper into the top corner.
Villa
continued to control the direction of play for most of the
half, and Craddock went close again with another low shot,
though Lancashire side were content to take the one goal
advantage in at the interval.
Early in
the second half, the less than fully fit Stuart Bingham gave
way to the less than fully fit Elliot Dunn, and the loss of
the influential ‘bite’ in midfield served to offer
encouragement to Sculcoatse, who began the half with their
tails up. Inside ten minutes they tested the metal of Ross
Baxter in goal, and he responded with a courageous block at
feet, and two minutes later turned a stinging free kick over
with both palms. Villa quickly readjusted, and with Dunn’s
artistry asking the visitors a whole new set of questions,
and in spite of their opponents increased confidence, were
able to double their advantage and regain the upper hand.
And again McAlister was the creator, with yet another fine
cross, this time picking out Zverina at the back post, who
guided a header down the feet of Craddock for him to smash a
half volley low past the rooted Sowersby.
Villa
pressed on, should have stretched their lead five minutes
later. Gavin Cooper fired a free kick from the edge of the
D, which Sowersby could only palm up into the air, and
Craddock was presented with a golden opportunity from the
loose ball, but somehow he headed wide. Kirkpatrick missed
the target with the keeper nowhere, from yet another
searching McAlister cross.
Then
suddenly, a sweeping Sculcoates move saw them right back in
it when Goundry found the finish to match the quality of the
approach work.
Thus
reinvigorated, the visitors tried to apply the pressure that
might bring them the equaliser, but in fact it was Villa who
produced the more telling openings. Craddock could easily
have had a hat-trick, missing twice in quick succession, in
both cases with the goal gaping, and Zverina was unlucky to
see a clever lob headed out from under the bar, but in the
end they had to settle for a scoreline which probably did
not reflect their superiority over the piece.
A
tremendous effort from everyone involved. Davies and Bolton
were solid at the back, and the box to box work from
Kirkpatrick and Cooper, augmented in turn by the steel of
Bingham and the guile of Dunn, in the end saw Villa as
worthy winners of the tie. Their ‘reward’ is an away tie
sometime in January against the representatives of Liverpool
FA. Watch this space. Meanwhile, try to get to Victory Park
tomorrow night (Monday 1st Dec – 7.30) where
another entertaining match is assured in the Goldline
semi-final against Stoneclough.
A big
thanks to all at the LFA for their splendid hospitality on
the day.
Villa
line-up: Baxter, McAlister, Davies, Bolton, Clitheroe,
Cooper, Bingham (Dunn 49), Kirkpatrick, Atherton, Craddock
(O’Neil 89), Zverina.
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