24th September 2005

 

Kirkham & Wesham (0) 1   Euxton Villa (0) 1

                                           Briggs

 

A top of the table clash between two teams who showed a healthy respect for each other. Villa settled well and produced some good passing football and determined defending. On ten minutes Kirkham did have the ball in the Villa net, but two players were well offside and the goal was rightly disallowed. It was now Villa's turn to press and on 12 minutes Sam Shone saw his header tipped over the bar following a free kick, from the corner the Kirkham defence struggled to clear the ball and Sam Shone eventually put a shot just wide.

 

As the half progressed Euxton started to assert themselves and create the better chances, on 23 minutes a run from Tom Whittaker allowed Sam Shone to cross and Guy Clarkson sent a shot across the face of goal. Two minutes later a good passing move between Adrian Briggs and Tom Whittaker set up Sam Shone and his shot was tipped over the bar. Kirkham were trying to use the slope of the pitch to their advantage by dropping balls over the Villa defence, but Euxton coped with this tactic well. Another chance fell to Villa on 35 minutes when a James O'Loughlin cross found Adrian Briggs who unfortunately miscued his shot.

 

With 40 minutes gone Villa thought they should have been awarded a penalty when Tom Whittaker was tripped in the box, but the referee disagreed. Within a minute Villa had a let off as a Kirkham shot hit the post. Villa were finishing the half very strongly and on 42 minutes Adrian Briggs robbed a defender and was unlucky to see his first time shot drift wide, a minute later a Kirkham free kick was hit wide of the Villa goal. With a minute of the first half remaining a Kirkham defender played a disastrous back pass to his keeper who failed to control the ball, this allowed Tom Whittaker to take possession and set up Adrian Briggs who made no mistake.

 

With the advantage of the slope Villa started the second half well. On 50 minutes Guy Clarkson found Tom Whittaker with a ball over the top, but his effort was just wide. Two minutes later another ball over the top found Adrian Briggs whose lob shot was just wide. On the hour Villa were awarded a free kick following a good run by Sam Shone, Guy Clarkson took the kick, but his effort was just over the bar.

 

Kirkham were back in the game after 65 minutes when Ross Dickinson was alleged to have deliberately handled the ball in the box, Kirkham scored from the spot to level the game. All credit to the visitors who did not let their heads drop but instead went in search of the winner. On 70 minutes Tom Whittaker was put through, his cut back to Adrian Briggs was scrambled away by the Kirkham defence. It was now constant Villa pressure and with 15 minutes remaining Liam Conway shot over when put through by Sam Shone.

 

On 80 minutes Guy Clarkson was through but just failed to take the ball around the keeper, five minutes later a good run from Anton Martin saw Liam Conway shoot just wide , and right on full time Guy Clarkson saw a thunderous drive tipped over the bar.

Before the game Villa would have seen a draw as a good result, but by the end they were unlucky not to have won the match and taken all three points.

 

Team  - Gibbs, C. Chambers, Dickinson, L.Chambers, Winstanley, Whittaker, ( L.Conway ) O'Loughlin, Crombie, Clarkson, Shone, ( Baker ) Briggs ( Martin )