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In the end Villa had too much pace and
firepower for a dogged Norcross and Warbreck side, and a
timely run of fine form from Matt Atherton has gone a long
way to seeing his side through to the last eight. The
visitors might feel a little hard done by, having been
denied a plausible penalty shout, and having what to most
looked like a good goal knocked off via an assistant’s
flag. Had those events been allowed, we might have seen a
very much less comfortable afternoon than that which
unfolded.
Mark McDonnell has opted to use back to
back Shield ties to freshen things up, introducing, with
considerable success it has to be said, Matt Plano to the
centre if midfield, and having a look at the recently
returned from long term injury and converted to left-back
Mark Swift, who’s sweet left foot has brought an added
consistency to telling balls delivered down the line.
And it was from just such a move that
Villa were able to make the early break-through. Swift sent
an inch perfect pass down the wing into the path of
Atherton. Taking it in his stride, the latter drove at pace
into the box before looking up and beating the advancing
keeper with a textbook shot across into the far corner.
Any nerves that the home side might have
had were quickly dissipated by this, and they went on to
control the first half comfortably. Shortly after the
opener, Villa had a golden opportunity to double their
advantage when another Swift gem picked out Ryan Lilley
clear in front of goal, but his control let him down and the
visitors off the hook. Relief was short lived however, as on
the half hour, Atherton grabbed his and his side’s second,
again latching on to an exquisite Swift ball over the top,
and this time finishing with aplomb through the middle.
The ever dependable Lee Chambers felt his
groin tighten, and on an increasingly heavy pitch, took the
sensible option and gave way to the equally dependable Sam
Bolton. Whilst still adjusting to the pace however, with
his first involvement Bolton executed a somewhat clumsy
tackle just inside the box, one that definitely came into
the ‘seen them given’ category. However, just two minutes
later, he more emphatically announced his return by
powerfully heading home a corner won by yet more good work
from Atherton, Tom Whittaker delivering the dead ball with
consummate accuracy.
Just before the interval, Norcross looked
to have snatched a lifeline, when Jamie Wright nipped
smartly in to head past Gibbs, but only to have his
celebrations curtailed by the sight of the assistant waving
for off-side. Without the aid of a video replay it’s hard to
be sure, but first instincts suggested that he started his
run behind his marker, and he could rightly feel unjustly
penalised.
If
the Villa faithful and coaching staff were hoping that a
relaxed Euxton side would go on to exhibit the full gambit
of their capability they were to be disappointed. On an
increasingly gluey surface both sides found it difficult to
recapture the flow of the first half, and in truth for forty
minutes or so not much of any import happened, save a long
range Atherton effort which sailed harmlessly over. Then
with about five minutes left on the watch, Jason Rawcliffe
found himself clear and pulled one back out of nowhere. This
did have the effect of reinvigorating both teams, and for
the remaining five minutes or so we were treated to the
entertainment we had hoped for following the interval.
And indeed it was Villa who displayed the
more urgency as a result of the late wake up call.
Substitute Danial Hogg worked the ball into the box and
picked out David Heald with the required cut back, but his
shot flew inches wide. Then, almost on the whistle, Lilley
sent Rhenden Pillay away with a ball down the line, and with
pace and power he was able to drive goalward before sliding
the ball under the advancing keeper to secure safe passage
into the ‘Quarters’
There they will travel to face the
formidable Blackpool Wren Rovers, where they have already
been ‘gubbed’ earlier in the season. Not one to miss, in
another 1.30 kick-off next Saturday (21st)
Villa: Sean Gibbs, Adam McAlistair,
Darren Davies, Lee Chambers (Sam Bolton 31), Mark Swift,
Elliot Dunn, Matt Plano, David Heald, Tom Whittaker (Danial
Hogg 66),Matt Atherton (Rhenden Pillay 74), Ryan Lilley
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