Exacerbated by unseasonably cold and breezy weather, this lack lustre end of the season affair did little to endear the casual spectator to the delights of the West Lancs League.  With nothing at stake except local pride, Villa failed to find any, as their recent good form deserted them, allowing the home side to stroll to an easier victory than the scoreline suggests.  A brilliantly executed lob-volley from Alf Gutteridge and an equally outstanding save by Ross Baxter were enough to send Villa in at the interval with a slender lead after a fairly even first half. However, the visitors failed to turn up for the second half, and made no impression whatsoever going forward, and only dogged defending prevented Charnock from adding to the three goals that their domination clearly merited.

Things began ominously for Villa, as Charnock’s first attack ended in a rasping shot from Carl Grimshaw, after Jimmy king had picked him out, having been allowed to run half the length of the left wing without challenge.  Villa settled however, and if anything it was they who came closest to breaking the deadlock during the rest of the opening exchanges. Alf Gutteridge went close with a looping header which dropped just over, and Gavin Cooper produced a killer ball in behind from the left wing, Any kind of touch would have turned it in, but neither Danial Hogg nor Sam Bolton could quite stretch a leg far enough.

Down the other end, Alex Porter smacked an excellent free kick from thirty yards which looked destined for the postage stamp corner, but Baxter threw his considerable frame full length to turn it over at the last second.   When the breakthrough came, quality strike though it was, it really came out of nothing. Gutteridge picked up a long ball, and finding himself surrounded by green shirts and with little help arriving, he was able to chip a perfectly weighted ball over the advancing Zac Hibbert into the far corner to just give Villa the edge at half time.

The second half was a non-event as far as Villa were concerned. Charnock had the vast majority of the play and only another outstanding night’s work by the aging centre-back partnership of Darren Davies and Lee Chambers, backed up by the ever dependable Baxter kept the scoreline semi respectable.  Jimmy King fired the home side level on fifty-five minutes, and somewhat against the run of play, Cooper nearly snatched the lead back with a controlled side-foot shot after Hibbert found himself stranded in no mans land, but somehow the Chorley FC keeper (presumably on loan?) was able to scramble back and execute what was a very fine save, deflecting the ball away off his legs. Grimshaw found himself in a good position in front of goal and tried to kid Baxter with the eyes before dinking to the other side, but the big man was having none of it and got down well to save. Charnock should have had a penalty five minutes later, but only the man who mattered thought Bolton’s tackle legitimate.

Despite their ascendancy, it was not until into the last quarter of an hour before Charnock were able to edge their noses in front.  Carl Grimshaw demonstrated the value of having a free scoring striker with a rasping shot that gave Baxter no chance, and Chris Robinson slotted home from close range late on to give the scoreline a more realistic look.

Villa lost the midfield in the second half, and the odd ball lumped up front failed to trouble the opposition back line, who were able to stroll through the second half largely untroubled. To his credit, despite missing a handful of key players through injury, Mark McDonnell, unlike his counterpart, resisted the temptation to add a couple of semi-pros that were available to him, preferring to keep faith with the regular squad who have been with him throughout the season. But there were some tired legs and tired minds out there, and on the night a disappointing showing which hands the bragging rights to Charnock – at least until next season.

Villa Line-Up: Ross Baxter, James O’Loughlin, Darren Davies, Lee Chambers, Mark Swift (Ross Dickinson 61), Matt Plano (Matt Conway 84), Sam Bolton,  Tom Whittaker (Matt Atherton 54),Gavin Cooper, Danial Hogg, Alex Gutteridge.