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Blackrod
Town 1 Euxton Villa 0
( 0 ) ( 0
)
This was a
game Villa did not deserve to lose, a goal two minutes from
time gave the home side an undeserved three points when on
the balance of play a draw would have been a fair result.
Blackrod won
the all important toss, starting the game with the sun and
wind behind them. On a very uneven pitch good football was
very difficult and Villa were happy to play a containing
game to get through to half time with a clean sheet. In
fairness to the home side this allowed them to hold the bulk
of the possession during this period. On five minutes
Blackrod won a free kick on the left of the Villa box, the
kick was driven in, but handled comfortably by the Villa
defence. The home side continued to press and on 14 minutes
whipped in a dangerous corner which the Villa defence again
coped with. A minute later Villa had their first chance of
the game when Ian Curwen forced the keeper to turn his back
header for a corner.
With the
advantage of the wind the home side kept pumping balls high
into the Villa half, they came close after twenty minutes
with a shot from distance which flew over the crossbar.
Villa also had chances. On the half hour Brad Dowling shot
wide following good work on the right from Liam Conway. With
38 minutes played Blackrod were awarded a free kick on the
corner of the Villa box, but the effort was wide of the
goal. On 41 minutes Justin Johnson produced a stunning save
to turn over a well directed lob shot. Villa finished the
half strongly and came close themselves on the stroke of
half time when a speculative shot from skipper Craig
Chambers flew just wide. Given the home sides first half
advantage great work by the Villa midfield and defence
restricted them to very few goal scoring opportunities.
From the
start of the second half Villa started to push the home side
back, with three minutes of the half played they were
awarded a free kick ten yards outside the box, Craig
Chambers drove in the shot but the effort was blocked. After
52 minutes the visitors won a corner, Blackrod cleared the
kick, but only to Rob Marquis whose shot flew over the
crossbar. Villa were now starting to exert pressure on the
home defence and on 67 minutes great work by Liam Conway on
the right resulted in his cross being driven across the face
of goal, and an incoming Rob Marquis inches away from
turning the ball into the net. The home side still had
chances and they headed wide on 70 minutes following a good
cross.
On 71
minutes Villa had their best chance of the game, James
O'Loughlin played a peach of a through ball which allowed
Sam Shone to beat the offside trap, unfortunately the
Blackrod keeper managed to get his hand down to keep out the
low shot. Euxton kept pressing and two minutes later great
persistence from Ian Curwen saw him win the ball before
seeing his angled shot fly over the bar. One minute later
Villa had the ball in the net, from Liam Conway only for him
to be ruled offside, following good work on the left from
Matthew Atherton.
The game was
looking more and more like a goal-less draw, with Blackrod
having the first half and Villa the second, it was always
going to be tight between these two great rivals, but there
were danger signs for the visitors, as on 85 minutes
Blackrod hit a dangerous cross from the left across the face
of the Villa goal. With two minutes remaining disaster
struck as an innocuous ball was played into the Villa box,
this should have been a standard clearance, but the uneven
pitch came to the home sides aid as the ball unexpectantly
changed direction creating an opening for the Blackrod
centre forward who took his chance. Villa did not play badly
and were unlucky not to take something from the game. The
man of the match for Villa was Rhys Crombie who gave a
faultless display in the art of defending.
Team
Johnson, C.Chambers, Dickinson, Crombie, Marquis, Bradshaw,(
Shone ) Broadbent, O'Loughlin, Dowling, ( Atherton )
L.Conway, Curwen.
Not used -
Walker
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