Goldline Trophy Group Stage.

An impressive first half display saw Villa take an early lead and go on to grab a couple more with a brand of flowing football to which their host could find no answer. Unable to stifle their opponents with their skills, a couple of the home players decided to adopt a more agricultural approach in an attempt to halt the onslaught, and with a less than assertive official offering little protection, in the end coming away with all limbs intact was as welcome as the result.  

Villa carried the game to their opponents from the outset, and had their noses in front inside the first five minutes. Work on the training ground bore fruit with a Tom Whittaker corner finding the head of Elliot Dunn, who gave the keeper no chance with a well timed run.  Rocked by this, the home side found themselves back peddling during much of the early exchanges, and on ten minutes were faced with an uphill task as Villa grabbed their second. Greg Johnstone started and finished the move, winning a contested header, he exchanged passes with Ryan Lilley before foxing his marker with a drop of the shoulder and driving the ball low past a frustrated custodian.  

Villa were clearly in charge at this stage, with the home side finding it difficult to do anything other than play the ball around inside their own half. Mid way through the half however, a rare foray upfield saw them win a corner, and Ross Baxter needed to pull out a fine save to prevent a header reducing the deficit.  

Ten minutes or so before the interval, Villa were awarded a free kick thirty yards from goal.  Greg Johnstone stepped up and smashed a powerful drive round the wall, and the keeper matched the strike with an equally impressive save, flinging himself full length to his right.  Relief was short lived however. Five minutes later, Dunn produced a sparkling run, which culminated in his being comprehensively upended before he could get into the box. This time no-one could have stopped the thunderbolt from Johnstone as it flew past everyone and almost took the net off!

They say you’re never more vulnerable than when you’ve just scored, and almost immediately Villa were reminded of this when Baxter rescued his switched off colleagues with a brilliant one-handed save straight from the re-start. A minute later Alf Gutteridge’s persistence and industry almost put the match beyond any doubt. Tricking the centre-back, he found himself clear with the ball at feet. With just the keeper to beat , he seemed to have done everything right, but was unable to sort his feet out for the final touch, and somehow the custodian got back to thwart his effort. From the resultant throw-in, Sam Bolton’s quick thinking put Gutteridge in again, but his shot on the run flew just over.  

The second half at no stage matched the excitement or fluidity of the first. The home side were more concerned with stopping the opposition from playing than they were with enabling their own playmakers to show what they could do.  Almost inevitably, things became bordering farcical mid way through the half. Sam Bolton was dragged to the ground, and whilst there was blatantly stamped on. Somewhat belatedly, the referee at last took action and despatched the offender as well as one of his colleagues. As is often the way, in order to try to appease the aggravated perpetrators, the victim was also shown a yellow for his ‘involvement’, and as Bolton had already been booked, he too was to take no further part.  

After this, the home side concentrated more on their own game and played their best football of the afternoon, whilst Villa seemed content to get to the whistle and get out of there.  Ross Baxter had to produce two further incidences of brilliance, one from a free kick which he himself gave away, and another from a fine shot from distance. Mark McDonnell quite rightly used the opportunity to give everyone on the bench a run out, and whilst the quality of the replacements was equal to those replaced, the disruption did nothing to help the organisation on the park. The home side grabbed a late consolation with a very good low drive, though the defence parted like the Red Sea to allow the opening.  

Two fine 3 – 1 wins puts Villa in a strong position, but does not guarantee qualification. Eagley are next up at The Villa on Thursday evening (29^th – 6.30 KO), and they come knowing that they win, their own qualification will be assured. A cracking encounter is assured.  

Villa Line-up: Ross Baxter, James O’Loughlin, Darren Davies, Lee Chambers Sam Bolton, Matt Plano, Alf Gutteridge (David Heald), Tom Whittaker (Mark Swift), Elliot Dunn (David Warburton),  Ryan Lilley (John Salisbury), Greg Johnstone. (Danial Hogg),