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Villa made the short trip to Coppull and
allowed themselves to be out muscled and ultimately
outplayed on a ground where, in truth, they have never
enjoyed much in the way of success. Their normally
outstanding goalkeeper Ross Baxter was strangely silent and
clearly suffering from injury, and the lack of his usual
cool assurance seemed to permeate through most of the team.
The back four, albeit shorn of it’s two most experienced
members, were single handedly run ragged by Greg Bricknell,
though Craig chambers could be exempted from culpability,
being one of the more effective of those in orange on the
night.
Villa actually looked the better side for
the first half hour, but when Lilley scored cutely on the
half hour with virtually his only contribution of the
evening, one could only but fear the worst. But you can’t
help but think that a fully fit Baxter would have cleaned
the lot out! Grimshaw added a second ten minutes later with
a powerful drive after a Cooper shot came crashing back to
his feet off the post.
Nothing much changed after the break. On
the hour, Coppull should have put themselves out of sight
when Bricknell was comprehensively upended when bursting
into the box, but the same player got up to blast the spot
kick high, wide, and not very handsome!
The score-line was given a lop sided look
in the dying minutes, when the usually unflappable Sam
Bolton spurned the gift of a soft penalty by passing the
kick straight into the arms of a grateful Almond. That would
have made the score 2- 1 and given the Euxton side a late if
unlikely life-line, but before they could re-group,
Bricknell took advantage of having been left with half the
pitch to himself to wrap things up for the home side.
The defence were at sixes and sevens, the
mid-field started as a three, went to a four and still came
second. Up front George Craddock worked tirelessly but
lacked support when it mattered, though Tom Whittaker
continues to impress this season. A bit of a reality check
then, for the lads who have been excellent in all previous
outings this season. Must, and surely will, do better.
Villa : Baxter, C.Chambers, Dickenson,
Bolton, Bronham (Walker), Loughlin, Beech, Stewart (L.Conway),
Whittaker, Heald, Craddock (not used,Yates)
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