7th October 2007

Fulwood Amateurs (0)  1   Euxton Villa  (0) 1

                                                                 O'Loughlin

In the end a draw was a fair result, with both sides cancelling each other out for long periods of the game. Although with a bit of luck Villa could have nicked it, having a goal disallowed and conceding a dubious penalty.

Fulwood started the game well and on an excellent playing surface they set a high tempo pushing Villa onto the back foot. For the early part of the match the home side were in control forcing the visitors into mistake's with the pace of their play. Villa had an early warning when after ten minutes a Fulwood shot flew past the foot of the post. This continued for the first twenty minutes as Villa struggled to get into the game, but gradually they adapted to the pressure and started to create chances of their own. With 24 minutes played Villa had their first strike on goal as Liam Conway played through Sam Shone, but his shot was straight at the keeper. A minute later Mick Bradshaw had a shot deflected for a corner.

The home side still had plenty of possession and tried their luck from distance on a number of occasions, but due to determined defending by the Villa defence Guy Clarkson did not have a serious save to make throughout the half. In the latter stages of the first half Villa started to look dangerous as the began to catch out the home defence. On 35 minutes a Villa free kick on the right was whipped into the Fulwood box, and was eventually scrambled clear. After 43 minutes Neil Bretherton released Adrian Briggs on the left with a great through ball, he cut inside only to see his low shot curl past the foot of the far post. A minute later Villa had the ball in the net, Sam Shone was fouled on the left, from the free kick James O'Loughlin's goal bound header was turned into the net by Neil Bretherton, only for the linesman to flag for offside. This lifted Villa and in injury time they came close on a further two occasions. Neil Bretherton on the left whipped in a good ball which was turned over the bar by Liam Conway, a minute later a good turn in the box by Adrian Briggs created a shooting chance for Mick Bradshaw, but again the effort was high.

During the early part of the second half the play was mainly in midfield as both sides strived to get the upper hand. With an hour played Sam Shone saw his strike on goal fly over the bar. Five minutes later James O'Loughlin saw his lob shot saved by the keeper. The pace of the game had now started to slow, as the home side started to tire following their first half efforts.

They were lifted however on 75 minutes when they were awarded a penalty. A ball into the Villa box was chested down by Ross Dickinson who used his upper body strength to hold off an attacker as he cleared the ball. To everyone's amazement the referee awarded a penalty, which was duly converted to give Fulwood the lead.

To their credit Villa came back strongly and for the remainder of the game pressed the home side back. On 76 minutes Craig Chambers drove in a free kick, which was met by Liam Conway, only to see his shot saved at the foot of the post. Euxton increased the pressure forcing corner after corner. On 80 minutes they were level, great work in the box by Anton Martin saw him release John Winstanley, his dangerous cross was met by James O'Loughlin who headed powerfully home. It was all Villa now as the home side clung on, on

86 minutes a good ball in by Craig Chambers found Anton Martin whose effort was headed clear for a corner. Villa continued to attack, but the home side saw out the remaining minutes. Both sides could have won it, but in the end the result was correct.

Team - Clarkson, C.Chambers, Dickinson, Crombie, Winstanley, L.Conway, Bradshaw, O'Loughlin, Bretherton,

( Wood ) Shone, ( Broadbent ) Briggs, ( Martin ).