Euxton Villa 3 Freckleton 2
                ( 0 )               ( 1 )
Stewart
Guttridge
Martin (Pen)

A very close game, which Villa just about edged to take the points. Both sides worked hard on the day, and Freckleton will feel a little hard done by to end up with nothing to show for their efforts.

From the start both sides were committed to attack, with the visitors taking Villa by surprise with their positive approach to the game, which enabled them to take an early grip on the game as the home side struggled to inject some fluency into their play. Villa were caught cold after ten minutes when Freckleton broke down the left, a ball into the box resulted in a low shot coming back off the inside of the post and the visitors reacting fastest to turn the loose ball into the Villa net. If the home side needed a wake up call then this was it. Euxton increased their efforts and started to put the visitors under pressure. On fourteen minutes determined work on the right by Liam Conway allowed him to put over a dangerous cross which was met by Sam Bolton, his ball back across the area was just too high and flew over the bar.

At this point in the match there was little to chose between the sides as Freckleton continued to look dangerous. They nearly punished the home side again after twenty minutes with a low ball into the area which flashed across the face of the Villa goal. Two minutes later good work by Alf Guttridge released Liam Conway who was able to round the keeper, but unfortunately he ran the ball out of play. On the half hour Villa thought they had a penalty when Anton Martin was pushed in the box, but the referee waived play on, the ball fell to Sam Bolton, but his shot flew wide of the mark. Both sides were still creating chances and in the next few minutes both Liam Conway and Alf Guttridge caused the Visitors problems but again Villa failed to score. Freckleton then came back, coming close with a header from a left wing cross. In the remaining minutes of the half Villa upped the pressure, they won a free kick on the edge of the area, Damien Stewarts effort was just too high. The resulting goal kick fell to Alf Guttridge who forced a corner, from the kick Ross Dickinson headed just wide, on the stroke of half time David Heald drove powerfully into the box, only to see his effort fly wide.

Villa were without doubt in the ascendancy, they started the second half as they finished the first. With only a minute played a ball into the box found Alf Guttridge, his quick turn gave him a yard of space, and his shot hit the foot of the post. Villa continued to press and great work on the left by Damien Stewart saw him burst into the box before beating the keeper with a rising shot. At this point Villa felt the match was there for the taking. On fifty five minutes they found the net again as Damien Stewart headed home a right wing cross, only for his effort to be ruled offside. A minute later a subtle lob by Anton Martin played through James O'Loughlin who was unlucky to see his shot hit the side netting. Villa eventually went ahead on the hour with the goal of the game. Alf Guttridge picked the ball up midway in the Freckleton half, as defenders backed off expecting a pass he unleashed a shot which hit the underside of the bar, then the inside of the post, before hitting the back of the net.

The home side now looked in control as the visitors started to tire from their first half efforts, but as Villa went looking for a third to wrap up the game the visitors came back at them levelling the scores on sixty five minutes with a shot right into the top corner. They rattled Villa again a minute later with a goal bound effort from the left which Keeper Adam Stone had to tip over the bar. Villa had to start again and once more they lifted their game putting the visitors on the back foot, but time was running out.
On eighty minutes Villa won a corner, the cross was headed over the bar by Anton Martin, two minutes later Liam Conway won a free kick, but the visitors managed to keep the effort out. Euxton continued to probe, on eighty three minutes a determined run into the box by Sam Shone resulted in him being upended. Anton Martin took the spot kick to put Villa back in front. This time there was no way back for Freckleton as Villa saw out time, but the visitors will know they contributed much to a very close game.

Team - Stone, Winstanley, Dickinson, L.Chambers, ( Salisbury ) Bolton,
L.Conway, O'Loughlin, Heald, Stewart, ( Curwen ) Guttridge, ( Shone ) Martin.
 

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