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Shone

Villa eventually ground out a result against a much improved Fleetwood side who to their credit battled to the end and deserve praise for their determined play.

The early part of the game was very evenly contested as both sides struggled to come to terms with a very heavy pitch. It was Villa who adapted quickest and so produced the early goal attempts. With ten minutes played John Winstanley tried his luck with a speculative effort from well outside the box which the keeper was able to save.

To their credit the visitors tried to respond forcing a couple of corners, which the Villa defence dealt with quite comfortably. Then it was back to Villa pressure as a cross into the box saw Sam Shone shoot into the side netting. They came close again when Rick Wood just failed to connect with a free kick into the Fleetwood box. Euxton continued to press, on the half hour Sam Shone turned well inside the box only for his low shot to be saved by the keeper. Two minutes later Michael Thompson nearly broke the deadlock with a great rising shot which passed inches over the bar.

It was at this point in the game one way traffic as Villa had a number of chances to take the lead, on thirty five minutes intelligent play from Matt Conway in midfield saw his forward header release Elliot Dunn only for the keeper to again save. Three minutes later intense Villa pressure forced a corner which James O'Loughlin just headed over. By this time the Villa supremacy should have seen them comfortably ahead, but just as the half looked to be producing stalemate a period of concerted Villa pressure saw the ball permanently in the Fleetwood box, before Sam Shone seized onto a poor clearance to rifle the ball into the top corner.

Villa started the second half well sensing that a second goal would probably tie up the game, with a minute played a peach of a ball from Sean Parkin released Sam Shone whose low cross into the box eluded everyone. Two minutes later James O'Loughlin saw his free kick saved by the keeper. Within the next few minutes Ian Kirkpatrick shot wide and Danny Brown saw a header sail just over the bar.

At this point the visitors were getting more and more into the game and Villa who probably felt they should have had the game wrapped up were suddenly having to work hard to maintain their lead. To the home sides credit Rhys Crombie, James O'Loughlin, and Danny Brown were outstanding in defence, while Ian Kirkpatrick worked tirelessly to protect his back four.

However for Villa their man of the match was Sam Shone who worked his socks off as a lone striker having a number of efforts saved by the keeper in the second period. As the game progressed Ian Kirkpatrick had more of an influence, firstly clearing a header off the line, then getting the ball into the Fleetwood net only for the effort to be disallowed for handball.

In the end Villa deserved the three points particularly for their first half dominance, but to their credit Fleetwood are a spirited side who will improve as the season progresses.

Team - Gibbs, Wood,( Boardman ) Brown, O'Loughlin, Crombie, Winstanley,
Kirkpatrick, M.Conway , Thompson, ( Parkin ) Dunn, ( Bradshaw ) Shone.