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Villa continued
their centenary celebrations by entertaining local Unibond
side Chorley FC in a prestigious friendly, played in what
turned out to be ideal conditions and in front of a sizable
and appreciative crowd.
Mark McDonnell again used the opportunity
to give a run out to virtually every available squad member,
having seen his previous pre season plans annihilated by the
unseasonable weather. Chorley similarly fielded several
fringe and trial players alongside the backbone of regulars.
On a day when the result itself was of
only passing interest, Villa were far from overawed by their
more illustrious rivals, and indeed were unlucky to find
themselves three adrift, Chorley’s first coming via an
unfortunate ricocheted own goal, and the second being
clearly off side. However, Danny Nolan’s stunning volley on
the turn for the third fifteen minutes from the end was
worth the admission money alone. That said, there is no
doubt that Ross Baxter was the busier keeper, and an
outstanding show of defiance on his part was the highlight
of Euxton’s afternoon. Anthony Parkinson contributed to an
entertaining spectacle with an assured and unfussy
refereeing display.
Plus points fro Villa? Excellence from
the aforementioned Baxter and the usual sound performance
from the dependable Bolton, Dickenson and Chambers at the
back. Tom Whittaker was probably the pick going forward.
Minus points ? After Nolan’s eye-catching
performance in stripes, it’s questionable whether we’ll see
him in a Villa shirt for a while!
A big thanks to Chorley FC management
team for bringing a strong squad and helping set the scene
for a very enjoyable afternoon.
Villa Squad : Baxter, Yates, Walker,
Dickenson, L.Chambers, Bolton, Crombie, O’Loughlin,
Whittaker, Bingham, Loughlin, Stewart, Heald, Atherton,
L.Conway, M.Conway, Parkin, Shone, Southern, Wood
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