Euxton Villa (0) 1 Blackrod
Town (2) 6
O'Loughlin
Villa can have no complaints
over the final outcome of this game, they should however
have concerns regarding the reasons for the final
scoreline. Individual defensive errors were responsible
for gifting the visitors with at least three of their
goals. On a positive note this defence has been rock solid
over the last two seasons, and in James O'Loughlin they
had the man of the match. This result was a one off blip,
and should be regarded as such.
Both teams started the game in
a cautious manner and for the first ten minutes cancelled
each other out, the first chance fell to Villa on 12
minutes when a great header from Ian Curwen put through
Liam Conway, only for him to be bundled off the ball.
Blackrod responded immediately a minute later with a low
shot which was just wide of the mark, they came close
again two minutes later but the effort was well saved by
Justin Johnson. On twenty minutes Liam Conway played
through Sam Shone with a great pass, but the Blackrod
keeper saved the low shot.
With twenty three minutes
played Liam Conway got behind the visitors defence with a
great run down the right, only for his dangerous cross to
be headed out for a corner. Villa were at this time
creating the better chances. On the half hour John
Winstanley cut in from the left and set up a chance for
Liam Conway, only for his effort to be blocked by a
defender. The best openings were still falling to the home
side and on 33 minutes Sam Shone headed over the bar. Two
minutes later things started to go wrong for Villa. A ball
into the box was not dealt with and it seemed to ping
around for an age before the Blackrod centre forward
stabbed it into the net. Villa came back and John
Winstanley saw a good effort turned away for a corner. The
visitors added to their lead on forty minutes with a well
worked goal, as they split the Villa defence with an
incisive through ball for 2-0.
The second half started with
Villa raising their game and putting the visitors defence
under real pressure, with two minutes played Liam Conway
broke clear down the right and his cross forced the keeper
into a save, this was followed by a similar run on the
left from John Winstanley who whipped in a great ball
across the face of goal. On fifty minutes Sam Shone came
close as his point blank effort was beaten away by the
keeper. The Blackrod keeper was now working overtime to
keep Villa out, on 51 minutes Liam Conway, who was finding
acre's of space on the right, cut in, only for his shot to
be saved, he was in again a minute later, this time trying
to chip the keeper, but the ball was again blocked.
Villa's pressure eventually told on 55 minutes when they
forced a corner, the ball in was flicked on by Ian Curwen
and met by James O'loughlin who turned the ball into the
net.
At this point in the match it
was Villa who were in the ascendancy and looking the most
likely to score, but things started to go badly wrong on
the hour when they failed to clear a ball on the right,
leaving a Blackrod forward a clear run in on goal which he
took full advantage of to restore the visitors two goal
advantage. Villa tried to respond again, and on 65 minutes
Brad Dowling curled in a left foot shot forcing the keeper
to save in the top corner. The following minute saw Ian
Curwen's low shot saved at the foot of the post by the
Blackrod keeper.
With fifteen minutes remaining
Villa were still in the game, but it was put beyond their
reach on 75 minutes when Brad Dowling conceded a penalty,
to make matters worse he was then sent off for contesting
the decision. The visitors duly dispatched the spot kick,
leaving Villa with little chance of saving the game. To
their credit the home side went to three at the back as
they attempted to salvage something from the game, but in
the last ten minutes they were caught out twice more as
they pushed men forward.
All credit to the visitors who
are a very good side, but Villa contributed massively to
their own downfall, and this must be a lesson well
learned, at this level mistakes will be punished, and you
must make your chances count.
Team - Johnson, Walker, (
Martin ) O'Loughlin, Crombie, Dowling, L.Conway, Stanway,(
Bradshaw ) Broadbent, Winstanley ( Robinson) Shone, Curwen
