Villa’s fine unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt halt by a
Charnock side that were quicker, stronger, and more
determined from the first whistle. Showing the utmost
respect to their visiting opponents, the home side went flat
out from the outset to try to unsettle the less experienced
Euxton side.
And indeed they did not have long to wait for the opener.
Using all that experience, a soft free kick was ‘won’ in
Villa’s left hand corner, and the resultant driven cross was
met with an unchallenged Richardson header at the far post*
(Please note this phrase for future reference). A
devastating start, but more was to follow. Ten minutes
later, Sanderson had time to tee himself up and execute a
perfect volley which gave Justin Johnston no chance, but
someone should surely have been in his face. Villa offered
little in reply and would have done well to go in at the
interval just the two behind, however a ball lost on the
edge of the box resulted in a rash tackle, and Tong lashed
in the free with the last kick of the half.
The second began more brightly for Villa, and a golden
opportunity to get back in it arrived just after the hour.
David Heald’s persistence saw him charge down a clearance
and having won the ball he slipped it to Alf Gutteridge in
the middle of a now empty goal, but someone from the crowd
must have nipped on and moved the posts, there can be no
other explanation for the miss. Ten minutes later, another
rash challenge, another free kick from the left*, another
free header, this time Tong on the end. The fifth, and one
of the only two conceded from open play, saw Richardson tap
in from close range, though in truth there was a queue at
the back post.
Villa’s tactic of taking a pummelling for seventy five
minutes, thereby tiring their opponents out, began to look
as though it might have some merit, as the visitors began to
string together a few cohesive attacking moves. With three
minutes left on the clock, Andy Farley worked an opening and
slipped the ball to Damien Stewart who converted from close
in. Within seconds Stewart did likewise for Gutteridge, and
at 5-2 you began to wonder ‘what if’ with regard to a couple
of the earlier incidents. But it was too little, too late.
And to rub salt into the wound, yet another free kick from
the left*, and, well you know the rest, - Richardson
completing his hat-trick.
It’s only one game, only the three points same as any
other, but somehow it feels like more.
Villa Line-Up: Johnston, Farley, Chambers (Crombie 80),
Bolton, Pennington, Gutteridge, Heald, Loughlin, Swift,
Salisbury (Stewart 45), Cahill (Briggs81)
Villa Line-up: Johnston, Farley, Crombie,
Bolton, Pennington, Gutteridge (Leigh 86), Heald, Loughlin,
Swift, Salisbury (Stewart 80), Cahill (Briggs 80)
