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Charnock Richard (0)
0 Euxton Villa (1) 2
Briggs 2
This was not a classic game of
football, but it was a game full of passion and commitment
with the home side determined to put the visitors under
pressure from the start.
On a wet and slippery surface
both sides had difficulty in finding their rhythm, Charnock
started very strongly and in the early stages of the game
Euxton were pegged back. After five minutes Charnock broke
down the right and a low ball was whipped into the Villa
box, fortunately it eluded everybody and went out of play
for a goal kick. Euxton responded well and on 8 minutes Guy
Clarkson played a similar ball into the Charnock box again
without anyone being able to capitalise on it. A minute
later Charnock again broke down the right , this time the
cross hit the side netting. Craig Chambers tried his luck on
ten minutes with a shot from distance which flew over the
Charnock bar.
The Villa defence were under
almost constant pressure during the early part of the match,
and on 15 minutes Charnock again came close shooting just
over the bar. After 20 minutes the home sides pressure
started to recede as the Villa defence held firm, the
visitors now started to catch Charnock on the break. With 25
minutes gone a through ball allowed Adrian Briggs to beat
the offside trap, but his effort was well saved by the
Charnock keeper. Villa were now starting to look dangerous
and took the lead on 35 minutes when Rhys Crombie was fouled
just inside the Charnock half, the kick was taken quickly
into the box were Adrian Briggs reacted faster than anyone
else to turn the ball into the net.
This was Villa's best spell of
the half and on 42 minutes a cross into the box saw a Sam
Shone header saved by the keeper. On the stroke of half time
Villa came even closer, when a ball into the Charnock box
was headed down by Adrian Briggs and James O'Loughlin's shot
flew just over the angle of post and crossbar.
Charnock started the second half
much as they started the first, and Villa again had to work
hard to contain them, but as in the first half Villa had
chances to make the game safe, they came close on 50 minutes
when Ross Dickinson headed over the bar from a free kick. As
the half progressed the Charnock pressure intensified as
they forced corner after corner, on 65 minutes Shaun Gibbs
had to be at his best as Charnock broke into the Villa box
and the keeper saved well with his feet. Three minutes later
Shaun Gibbs again saved Villa diving low to keep out a shot.
Villa had weathered the
onslaught well and the home side were starting to get
frustrated at their lack of success, this allowed Villa to
keep probing until the 83rd minute when Adrian Briggs again
beat the offside trap , this time giving the Charnock keeper
no chance as he rifled home his and Villa's second goal of
the day.The second goal deflated the home side and Villa saw
out the remaining time without too much difficulty. This was
a hard fought victory which owed much to Villa's resolute
defending and clinical finishing.
Team - Gibbs, C.Chambers, Dickinson, L.Chambers,
Winstanley, L.Conway, ( Chatterly ) Shone, O'Loughlin,
Crombie, ( Broadbent ) Clarkson, ( Baker ) Briggs.
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