Round about forty hours after the end of a gruelling Shield semi final, Villa were back on league business as they entertained Haslingden St Mary’s, against whom they have enjoyed some spirited matches, with usually not much to choose between the sides. Anyone who harboured concerns that the lads might suffer a hangover from their valiant efforts on Thursday night quickly had those fears confirmed, as the visitors scored literally within seconds of the start and added another a few minutes later with their very next attack.  And although Villa settled thereafter, the single goal they were able to notch late on was not enough to counter the earlier aberration.

 From the kick off then, the ball was delivered over the heads of the Villa back four, who watched it’s flight a bit like a line of penguins following a helicopter! Marcus Calvert burst through and fired a shot which Ross Baxter did well to block. Unfortunately for him, the rebound fell kindly for Calvert who simply nodded it back over the now stranded keeper. An early shock, but well executed, one has to say. [apologies to HSM for not having it on video, but SK was still switching his camera on!]  And as if that wasn’t bad enough, less than five minutes later St Mary’s had doubled their advantage with a quality shot on the spin from Dean Sherridan.  

At this stage the home fans could have been forgiven for fearing a rout, but Villa had had their wake-up call, and the game settled into a more familiar pattern, and indeed a reasonably watchable affair ensued, helped by, in Mr Skeath, an unfussy referee who was content to keep a low profile and let the lads get on with it. Both sides had their moments of ascendancy during the remainder of the first half, with the home side’s best efforts coming on the half hour from David Heald who powered into the box and fired off a fierce low drive, but the keeper got down well to block, and later Heald put George Craddock through but the latter’s shot was straight at the keeper. 

Mark McDonnell re-jigged the formation for the second half, and the change in tactics seemed to have the desired revitalising effect.  Now Villa were enjoying more meaningful possession in mid field, and although the visitors also had their moments, the home side carried the greater threat.  St Mary’s early breakthrough however, meant that it was they who held all the aces could afford to play a containing game as long as they had clear daylight between themselves and their pursuers. Sam Bolton changed that ten minutes from time with a very well taken shot on the turn from twenty yards, and for the first time the visitors looked nervous, but held on none the less to take all three points and stay ahead of their opponents in the table. 

With a few walking wounded and Mark McDonnell doing his ‘Raffa’ impression, no doubt the lads got caught cold.  Barring that though, they played well enough and on another day might well have got something from the game. None of that will matter to Haslingden of course, who will quite rightly chalk this up as a solid away win. 

 Villa : Baxter. Walker, Dickenson  (Davies 45), L.Chambers, Bolton, Woodman, Loughlin, Bingham (Stewart 57), Atherton, Heald, Craddock (Thomson 76)