6th August 2006

Kirkham & Wesham 1  Euxton Villa 1

A Villa opener in the third minute not only rocked their opponents, but in truth most of the travelling support as well. But although the visitors went on to match their more illustrious rivals in all departments throughout the remainder of the match, luck deserted them in  stoppage time, allowing the home side to grab the equaliser that even they must have felt was never going to come.

The computer could not have thrown up a tougher opener for the Euxton side, travelling to face last season’s runaway champions, who finished the season in invincible form. Added to that, Villa were without three first team regular defenders in Chambers (long term injury), Pennington (taken out by Johnson in a pre-season ‘friendly’), and Dickenson (gone off to get married or something equally daft).  Nevertheless, manager Mark McDonnell had total pre-match confidence that new signing Andy Farley and promotees Brad Dowling and Rhys Crombie would prove more than competent replacements.

Villa’s dream start came through a move of determined play involving Mark Swift, Alf Gutteridge and Damien Stewart, with the latter getting the decisive touch. Followers of form could be forgiven for thinking ‘Oh dear, they’ve annoyed them now!’  However, the visitors went on to demonstrate an attitude and work rate that showed their lead was no fluke.  For half an hour or so Kirkham battled patiently to try to get back on terms, but almost went further behind when Tom Cahill went close from a tight angle in 33 minutes, and seconds later Gutteridge nodded down to Swift who fired inches over. Justin Johnson’s only scare in goal came towards the interval, when a wicked bounce off the uneven surface caused momentary consternation, but he recovered well and hacked away.

The second half proved as even as the first, though the clearer chances fell to the Euxton side. Stewart floated a lovely cross early on, but Gutteridge at full stretch just failed to connect with the head. Then with about twenty minutes to go, the keeper could only parry a fierce Stewart shot, and the rebound almost fell at Gutteridge’s feet.  Down the other end, Johnson had to look lively to turn over one of Kirkham’s few real strikes at goal.  Villa could have wrapped things up seven minutes from time, when Guy Clarkson broke away and squared the ball for Gutteridge to tap in to a now vacant net, but, well ,the surface was very uneven!

As the game entered stoppage time and just as we began to believe the impossible might be on, one of the home side’s rare sustained attacks saw the ball arrive at the feet of Paul Eastwood, and using all his experience, he placed an exquisite shot beyond Johnson’s reach to snatch a desperate equaliser, leaving the visitors feeling deflated about what was in fact a tremendous result at the end of an outstanding team performance.

During the post match discussions on the supporters’ bus, every player got a mention when it came to suggestions for man of the match. Spirit and work rate like this will surely stand the lads in good stead in the weeks ahead.

Villa Line-up: Johnson, Farley, Crombie, Bolton, Dowling, Gutteridge (Salisbury 85), Heald, loughlin, Swift, Stewart (Clarkson74), Cahill (Curwen 79)