Euxton Villa 2   Wyre Villa 2

Perhaps it was just one of those days, or perhaps Wyre’s physical approach unsettled the Euxton game plan, but whatever the reason, too many individual ‘off days’ amongst the home numbers contributed to a disappointing display in a generally dull and dour affair. The home side were fortunate to find themselves in front during most of a first half territorially dominated by the visitors, and although pegged back, Sam Bolton’s determined header looked to have sealed the points late on, but woeful defending just seconds later saw the Euxton side shoot themselves in the foot, not for the first time in recent weeks, throwing away two precious points in the process.

Very little scribbling in the notebook during a first half which saw Damien Stewart, Euxton’s best player for the first forty five, fire his side ahead inside five minutes on the end of one of his powerful but still too rare solo runs. Shortly after, the same player fired a rasping volley narrowly wide, having been well found by a Dave Mason knock down.  That’s about as good as it got for the home side, who sustained a couple of injuries to exacerbate a situation which saw them already missing more than half a dozen bodies.

Surely the second half would see the home side, now kicking in their ‘favoured’ direction, exert some authority. A thunderbolt from Phil Woodman two minutes in that had the keeper diving at full stretch low to his right to tip round the post suggested better things to come.  However, before the half was six minutes old, Wyre were level, Sutton finding joy with a routine header from a left wing cross, albeit with the help of some statuesque defending.

Nevertheless, Euxton were having more of the play than in the first half, but it was the visitors who came closest, with a very strong shout for hand ball being waved away, and Sam Bolton having to make a last ditch clearance off the line. Then, with less than ten minutes left on the clock, a whipped inswinging corner from Stewart was met on the full by a charging Sam Bolton, and Euxton looked to have snatched a victory their overall play hardly merited. Before the cheers had died away, however, Huck had restored the parity, with the home support left looking almost as bemused and transfixed as the defence!

And that was it, except for a piece of nonsense right at the end which saw Tom Whittaker receive a punch to the jaw and Dave Mason a head-but. In the aftermath someone got sent off, but the original pugilist appeared to escape sanction.

Here endeth the lesson. Or does it? Would have thought it would have sunk in by now that the game lasts ninety minutes plus stoppage time, not eighty five. A lesson that needs to be taken to heart or the dreaded ‘R’ word will start to feature!

Villa line-up: Johnston, Pennington, Bingham, Davies, Bolton, Gutteridge (Atherton 82), Loughlin, Woodman (Ormerod 72), Whittaker, Stewart, Mason.

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