Freckleton 3   Euxton Villa 2

This match, influenced by slope and wind direction, had all the hallmarks of a classic ‘game of two halves’, when a bizarre incident twenty minutes from time robbed the visitors of the ascendancy they held at the time, and instead of the three points they were pressing for , they were forced to head home with none!

Two outstanding saves from Justin Johnston just about kept Villa in touch at the turn around, although they could have done without conceding a second goal deep, deep into first half stoppage time, - a delay brought about by a nasty injury to Darren Davies who landed awkwardly inside the first couple of minutes, and required hospital treatment. Severe ankle ligament damage will no doubt bring his season to a premature end.  Everyone wishes him a speedy return to full fitness.

Villa were little in evidence as an attacking force in a first half totally dominated by the home side. Early on it became evident that if Villa could get to the change-round goalless , or even one down, that that would be an acceptable premise on which to build a second half come-back.

The early injury to Davies didn’t help the organisational element at the back, and Freckleton had an early shout for a penalty when a Johnston came together with an attacker on the edge of the box. One for the ‘Would have been harsh but seen them given’ file.   A series of corners had the visitors on the back foot, but the defending was resolute, and the first of Johnston’s two special saves resulted from one of those, when he turned over a point blank volley at the back post.  Villa’s best, and indeed only, chance of the half saw Neil Bretherton break through and square to Aiden Briggs, who miscued his shot, and Stuart Bingham on the follow up rasped a shot wide of the mark.

When the ever reliable Paul Loughlin hooked the ball off the goal line, it looked as though Villa’s luck might hold. But on forty minutes, a long punt was back-headed into the Villa box, and again Johnston and attacker came together. This time a penalty was rightly awarded and the home side were one up.  Into stoppage time, and Johnston pulled off another spectacular one handed stop in the ‘postage stamp’ corner to keep his side in touch.  However, deep into stoppage time, another corner from the left saw a scrambled attempt to clear, but the ball fell kindly for the attack and Freckleton turned to face the elements with a valuable two goal cushion.

If the first half was all Freckleton, then the second, for the most part, was all Villa. Inside a minute Alf Gutteridge shot over on the end of a pressing move. On fifty six minutes, a ball into the box was blatantly handled by a Freckleton defender, but the ref to everyone’s astonishment pointed to his chest. However, three minutes later he made amends by awarding a penalty for a similar offence, though in truth this time it was more ball to hand. Sam Bolton despatched with clinical efficiency.

Now Villa could sense that the match was there for the taking. Mid way through the half, Gutteridge won a corner on the left, Andy Farley delivered with whipped quality, and Bolton met it at full charge to head in his second. 

At 2-2, with Villa in control and plenty of time left, it looked like there would be only one winner.  Then, with fifteen minutes left, a long ball glanced off a Villa defender, and Johnston made a vain attempt to prevent a corner. However the ball was well into touch by the time he got a hand to it, and with his second flap, he knocked it back into the field of play. By now everyone had stopped, but the forward at whose feet the ball landed nonchalantly stroked the ball into the net anyway. The ref looked for his assistant, but he was nearer the half way line than the bye line, and in the absence of a flag, to everyone’s amazement awarded a goal!

To compound the felony, Sam Bolton found his way into the book as the most vociferous of the protestors, and a wayward challenge a matter of minutes later saw him dismissed for a second yellow.

The ten men continued to press for the equaliser, but time was running out. As the game entered stoppage time, Aiden Briggs found himself clear and away and should have tied things up, but, one on one, he was unable to test the keeper.

The manner of this defeat was more disappointing than the defeat itself, and next week will be a stiff test against a vastly improved Blackpool Wren Rovers in a 3.0 pm kick off down at the Villa.

Villa Line-up: Johnston, Farley Davies (Marquis 2), L.Chambers (Pernnington 88), Bolton, Gutteeridge, Heald, Loughlin, Bingham, Bretherton (Salisbury 75), Briggs

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