8th October 2005

Euxton Villa 0  Coppull United 0

Villa created enough from open play to have comfortably put this match to bed, but any feelings of disappointment at not securing all three points were vastly overshadowed by concern for player of the season so far Alf Gutteridge, who sustained a broken leg mid way through the first half. Alf has been in the form of his life, and we all wish him a full and speedy recovery.

This local derby had, if anything, a bit of added spice this time around, and both sides started anxiously, giving referee Cox cause to flash yellow once each within the first ten minutes. Villa settled first, after a well worked corner produced a powerful header from David Heald which flew into the net, but the strike was ruled out for ‘climbing’.  Less than a minute later, Heald powered through the inside left channel and fired a dream cross across the six yard line, where Damien Stewart met it with the head, but he opted for touch over power and the effort glanced just wide of the post.

Mid way through the half, Alf Gutteridge gathered on the edge of the box, beat his man with a clever turn, and blasted a powerful effort which Almond did well to parry from close range. It was in his determination to get in a follow-up shot from the rebound that Alf sustained his nasty injury.  Concern for the lad from both sides, and a lengthy delay to the restart naturally enough resulted in a fairly subdued period of play. Not until the dying moments of the half did anything of note occur, but in those moments Villa should have grabbed the advantage, with another well worked corner producing two chances to bury, and seconds later, Jon Salisbury volleyed inches wide from close in.

The second half saw the game return to the full blooded encounter of the opening minutes, and Coppull enjoyed their best spell of the match during the first fifteen. Justin Johnston had hardly touched the ball during the first half (having not touched it at all last week), but had to be alert to punch away a floated effort.  Three minutes later a series of corners for the visitors culminated in a net-bound low drive which somehow Johnston got down to, to turn round his right hand post.

Having survived the brief onslaught, Villa regained the ascendancy, and new singing Stuart Bingham nearly capped an impressive debut with a goal, but screwed his effort wide in his haste when clean through in the twentieth minute.  The Euxton side continued to dominate the remainder of the half, with the new midfield partnership of Paul Loughlin and Bingham working well, allowing others, particularly the ever more impressive Heald, to power on up front.

 In the final minutes of the game, another three excellent chances to win the game came and went. Stewart fired just wide, and Daz Davies removed paint from the outside of the post with a powerful header from a free kick.  David Heald drove into the box from the right on a seemingly unstoppable run, but just as he was about to pull the trigger with the goal gaping, his heels were taken from behind, but amazingly the ref didn’t want to know, and seconds later the final whistle ended Villa’s hopes of securing all three points that the balance of play suggested they merited.

Villa line-up: Johnston, Farley, Davies, Bolton, Swift, heald, Loughlin Bingham, Stewart, Gutteridge (Salisbury 21), Lilley (Curwen 68)