|
Coming off the back of a resounding win
at the week-end, the Euxton lads should have been bouncing
with confidence, and indeed the visitors started somewhat
tentatively, and allowed Vuilla a couple of very early
openings, which , if taken, would surely have precipitated
an entirely different performance from the home side than
the lame effort we witnessed.
Instead, Eagley quickly realised that
whatever the reason, their opponents weren’t quite ‘on it’,
and it was they who bossed the game throughout a first half
during which Villa’s mid field couldn’t get hold of the
ball, and didn’t seem to have much clue what to do with it
on the few occasions that they did have possession. Body
language was poor and passing was abysmal.
Nevertheless, real chances for the
visitors were few, with their best effort coming from a
thirty yard free kick with which Shaun Gibbs dealt with a
spectacular full length diving save. And in addition to the
early misses, the better chances still fell to the home side
with Ryan Lilley missing from close range and Matt Atherton
heading wide with the goal gaping right on the half time
whistle.
The second half would surely be better,
and indeed Atherton again had a chance when he found himself
bearing down on goal early on, but lacked the conviction and
produced tame effort that was neither a shot nor a cross.
Fortunately Villa’s defence had stood
firm throughout the first half, but just four minutes in to
the second, it parted like the Red Sea and to their obvious
delight Wells was allowed to fire the visitors in front.
Stung into action, Villa began to impart
some of the urgency missing thus far, and gradually turned
the tide to the extent that for the last half hour it was
almost one-way traffic. Still there was a paucity of
meaningful chances however, and it began to look as though
time would drift away before reparation could be made.
But, as the game entered the last throws,
Vila pressed harder and harder, and eventually reward came
five minutes from the end. The pressure brought a series of
corners, and from one of those, Sam Bolton rose above
everyone else to execute a text book header down into the
far corner.
Sensing that victory could be there for
the taking if time allowed, Villa pressed on, but in so
doing very nearly came undone when a well aimed header was
somehow ‘cleared’ off the line by a Eagley striker trying to
get his foot on it to make sure.
Results so far suggest that the League
could be wide open this season, and even with a mediocre
start, a win here tonight would have seen Villa propelled to
third place. But. With all due respect to Eagley, Lostock
etc, you’ve got to be looking win your home games, but to do
so will require a much more concerted effort than we
witnessed for the first hour of this fixture.
Villa line-up:
Shaun Gibbs, Craig Chambers(Paul Kirkby 74), Darren Davies,
Lee Chambers, Sam Bolton, Ian Kirkpatrick (Rhenden Pillay
60) Matt Conway, Matt Atherton, Gavin Cooper David Heald
(Tom Whittaker 61) Ryan Lilley
|
