( 1 ) ( 1 )
Thompson
Woodman

A result not as bad as the scoreline suggests, for the first half hour Villa were on top, then lapses allowed the visitors back into the game, Villa then came back before getting caught again as they were punished with breakaways. To be fair to the visitors they put in a performance far higher than their league position would suggest.

All the early play came from Villa as they pressed Fulwood back, on five minutes Dave Mason shot just wide from the edge of the box, after ten minutes James O'Loughlin put a free kick narrowly over the bar. Two minutes later good work on the right from John Winstanley and Dave Mason played in Phil Woodman who shot across the face of goal. With fifteen minutes gone a Danny Brown throw found Michael Thompson, his left foot shot was just over the bar. Sam Shone was next to threaten with a first time shot forcing the keeper into a save.

Villa eventually got the reward for their pressure on twenty two minutes. A first time ball from Rhys Crombie released Neil Bretherton who had been a constant threat down the left, his ball in was only partially cleared, allowing Michael Thompson to beat the keeper with a low shot into the bottom corner.

The home side continued to attack, a free kick on the left was punched clear by the visitors keeper, Dave Mason saw a good effort cleared for a corner, on the left Neil Bretherton was a constant danger, he caused more problems on the half hour, when the keeper could only parry his cross, a defender had to clear the danger. Fulwoods first serious attempt on goal came after thirty five minutes with a low shot wide of the post. Villa did have the ball in the net again after forty one minutes, but Michael Thompson's effort was disallowed for a foul. With half time approaching Fulwood drew level, when a cross was not cleared and a low shot just beat the diving Dave Bibby.

The late first half equaliser gave the visitors belief, and they looked a different side from the restart, with only a couple of minutes played a ball in from the right was scrambled into the Villa net. Euxton went back onto the attack, as Fulwood were now content to play a more cautious game to preserve their advantage. Phil Woodman saw his shot saved by the keeper, then James O'Loughlin had a shot blocked following a corner.

It was now all Villa pressure, Sam Shone put a shot over the bar, two minutes later he set up Dylan Southern who had a shot tipped over the bar.
Fulwood nearly increased their lead on seventy minutes when Dave Bibby had to tip a shot over the bar, he then saved the following corner kick. Two minutes later Villa's pressure was rewarded, a Sam Shone shot was not cleared, and the ball was eventually forced into the net by Phil Woodman.

As Villa started to press for a winner, they were caught out by a ball over the top of the defence, allowing a Fulwood forward to lob an easy goal.
Villa continued to press, both Dave Mason and James O'Loughlin came close.
In the dying minutes Rhys Crombie had a header saved from a Guy Clarkson corner, the ball was played back in, this time Rhys Crombie's header hit the post. On full time Villa got caught by a classic breakaway as they threw everyone forward.

Fullwood worked extremely hard and defended well for their win. For Villa this was a set back, but the team are two points better off than at the same point last season, when they went on to take the runners up spot.

Team - Bibby, Winstanley, ( Currie )D. Brown, O'Loughlin, Crombie, Thompson, Woodman, Southern, Bretherton, ( Clarkson ) Shone ( J. Brown ) Mason.