LANCASHIRE SHIELD SEMI FINAL

The record books will show that Euxton Villa progressed to the final of the Lancashire Shield, and at the end of the day you could say that that’s all that matters. What the records will not show is that unlucky Freckleton, reduced to ten men before half an hour had elapsed, played Villa off the park for 90 minutes, got the goal late on that their efforts deserved, before succumbing to a sucker blow two minutes into stoppage time, and eventually running out of steam as the numbers finally told in extra time.

The night began ominously for Villa when their opponents won a corner inside the first ten seconds, though in fact the first clear chance actually fell to the Euxton side when, on two minutes, Tom Whittaker found himself in the box with the ball at feet. Perhaps later in the match he may have elected to try the first time shot instead of taking the extra touch that allowed to block to come in.  On another day this might have settled the nerves, but the occasion seemed to get to the lads, and they were finding it difficult to string any kind of cohesive play together. Freckleton, on the other hand were retaining possession and passing the ball around much the better, and most of the game was being played out in the Villa half, with Ross Baxter much the busier of the keepers.

Twenty three minutes in, a long ball form Baxter found Whittaker breaking away, but a tug on the collar halted his advance, and Robert Horn was shown the red card in the aftermath.  Correct by the letter of the law perhaps, but it seemed harsh in the context, and a case could have been made for a yellow.

Villa seemed, as often happens in such circumstances, unsure as to how to exploit the advantage, and after a reshuffle, it was Freckleton who continued to carry the greater threat.

The pattern continued into the second half, with still Baxter having much more to do than his opposite number. Ironically, Matt Atherton nearly stole the lead for Euxton after good work by the hard working David Heald, but instead of going for power he opted for the dink over the advancing keeper, and the latter was equal to it in what was just about his only save in normal time.

Inside the last fifteen minutes, Freckleton finally got the breakthrough they had been threatening when Tom Watson smashed the ball inside Baxter’s right hand post on the end of a fine move. Mark McDonnell threw on all permitted subs in an effort chase the equaliser, but although there was plenty of urgency in Villa’s approach, still the quality was absent. Then, deep into stoppage time with spectators already heading for the exit, Heald, running on empty, somehow found the reserves for one more drive down the flank, delivered into the box to where everyone else in anything resembling an orange shirt had headed, and George Craddock kept his head to unbelievably rescue his side from an ignominious defeat.

 And so to extra time.  Wouldn’t you just know it, Villa produced their best move by some distance right at the start of the first period, and a sweeping move down the right flank and pinpoint through ball allowed Craddock to double his and his side’s tally from close range. With Freckleton now chasing the equaliser, suddenly the game took on a different look, but still it was they who produced the more fluent play. However, as time crept relentlessly on and Freckleton pushed everybody up, inevitably gaps began to appear in behind. Craddock, ever anxious to capitalise on such opportunities, found himself clean through several times, only to be pulled up short by the assistant’s flag. However, timing it right just the once proved to be enough, and when he did find himself away and clear he still had plenty to do, but retained his composure to kill off any hope of a Freckleton come-back. 

There is nothing worse than losing a semi-final, especially when it is in the highest ranking competition open to you, and Freckleton, although they can be rightly proud of their display on the night, will take little consolation from that. 

Villa Line-up:  Baxter, Davies, Dickenson, Bolton, L.Chambers (Woodman 78), Atherton (Craddock 75), Bingham (Bromham 82), Loughlin, Stewart, Whittaker, Heald.