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21st January 2006
Euxton Villa 3 Blackrod 0
[OK, I was only taking the Michael!]
A superb hat-trick from Neil Bretherton and
an outstanding save from Justin Johnston defined what was as
assured a performance as Villa have produced for some weeks.
Plucky Blackrod found themselves up against a side determined
to exorcise themselves of the demons which, in recent matches,
have seen them denied the reward that their overall play has
(arguably) merited. To paraphrase the late Mr Wilson, a week
is a long time in football!
Although the pitch was borderline
playable, manager Mark McDonnell was keen to see the game go
ahead, knowing how desperate the lads were to make amends for
last week’s stutter, and knowing that, except for a couple of
niggles carried by those foolish enough to plumb the depths of
Sunday football, (or even fall over in the warm-up), he had
several returning players available for selection. As it was
the ref had no concerns, and although the surface was far from
perfect, it held up better than expected.
A strong start saw Sam Bolton go close with
a towering header from a Neil Bretherton corner inside the
first minute. This set the scene for the first fifteen or
twenty minutes during which Villa carried the game to the
visitors, and found particular joy down the left flank, where
Bretherton, ably assisted by Ryan Lilley and the supporting
Rob Marquis, was giving the defence a torrid time. Reward came
as early as the sixth minute, Bolton and Marquis combined to
send Bretherton clear of the off-side trap, and his low strike
was clinical. Just over five minutes later, Bretherton
produced a carbon copy goal, this time having been well found
by Mark Swift. Swift himself came close to making it three
shortly after, with a pile driver from range that
unfortunately just beat the crossbar.
Having taken an early pummelling, Blackrod
steadied the ship, and an early adjustment to the line-up saw
them deal much more effectively with the threat from the home
side. Clear-cut chances were few for the remainder of the
half, Andy Farley going closest for Villa with a well struck
half-volley from a Marquis set-up. Right on the half time
whistle, Justin Johnston, in commanding mood, produced a
wonder save from point blank range to ensure his side retained
their crucial two goal advantage at the turn-around.
Villa retained the ascendancy from the
start of the second half. A well floated Bretherton corner
was headed down by Darren Davis to Swift, but his goal bound
volley struck Stuart Bingham and cannoned to safety. Blackrod
had their only real effort on goal in the sixtieth minute from
a free-kick from twenty yards, but Johnston held comfortably.
Such was Villa’s dominance at this stage that Paul Loughlin
nearly scored, lobbing inches over from a Bretherton cut-back.
Mid way through the half, Bretherton and Farley worked an
opening for Lilley, but the sticky surface meant that he was
unable to dig the ball out form under his feet.
Five minutes later, a free kick twenty five
yards fro goal afforded Bretherton the opportunity to complete
his hat trick – an opportunity he grabbed with as fine a
strike of the dead ball as you will see at any level of
football.
With the points now secure, the Euxton lads
controlled the remaining minutes with as flowing a display of
passing football as the surface would allow. Swift thought he
had scored a fourth (didn’t we all!) when, having sprinted
clear and rounded the keeper, he chipped the ball into an
empty net – or he would have if Rob Finlaw hadn’t somehow
popped up from nowhere to hook the ball off the line.
The team produced the best kind of answer
to quell any dissent from the sidelines. Every team goes
through a sticky spell, and this can be a springboard to spur
the lads on to even greater heights in the weeks ahead
Villa Line-up: Johnston,
Bolton, Davies, L.Chambers, Farley, Heald (Bingham 45),
Loughlin, Swift, Marquis, Lilley (Curewn 86) Bretherton
(Briggs 78)
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