FC Village

Report: Claughton Hotel 2 FC Village 1

Yet again the Village lost a match where they played really well in the first half, led at half time, failed to make the most of their dominance and paid the price for it. With this being their only midweek game the Village lost several players through work as Dava, Stewy McIvor and Buntzy who were all away and then on arrival at the ground found that both Beattie and Colin weren’t turning up. However with Nick and Booey both returning to action they were able to give Ritchie Aspey his first run out of the season and they still had three subs on the bench.

Determined to put on a good show against one of the two sides likely to be crowned champions at the end of the season the Village stormed out of the blocks and took the game to the home side. With Matty on the right and Mikey on the left supporting the front two of Maggot and Booey the Village started off playing 4-2-4 but it looked as though they had lost Booey early on to his knee injury when he went down after a challenge but after some treatment he came back on the pitch and would put in an M.O.M. performance. The visitors had already had a couple of corners when from yet another one Booey rose and put in a header which the keeper appeared to have saved but after it had crossed the line. The ref thought about it and awarded the goal. The Village now needed to go and push home their advantage. Mikey, Maggot and Matty all had half chances that were saved by the keeper, Maggot fired a free kick against the wall and then Booey put in another goal bound header from a corner but the ref had stopped play and they had to retake it which led to nothing. Then came probably the defining moment for the Village when in a mad goalmouth scramble they must have had at least six shots cleared off the line as the ball pinged around the six yard box as if it was in a pinball machine. Booey, Ritchie, Paul all had efforts blocked but the ball just wouldn’t go in and it was finally cleared away to safety. Had the Village scored then the game may well have ended up differently but as it was they came off at half time still ahead by that solitary goal.

Claughton who had not really done much in that first 45 certainly came out a different side for the second half as they took control and pushed the Village all the way. The visitors seemed to be holding out as the defence was playing really well and when Andy made a brilliant finger tip save it looked like their lead was still intact. However the ball didn’t go over the line for a corner kick and a home forward got there first to knock it back in to the danger area where it was headed home from the one yard out for the equaliser. Game there for the taking and it was the home side that got their noses in front with a slice of luck when from a corner one of their forwards and Danny went for the ball on the edge of the area and it cannoned off the Claughton boot and flew in to the net to put them ahead. The Village struggling a bit now made one change as they brought Rutter on for the tiring Ritchie as they tried to get back level. The game now was end to end stuff but there were too many stoppages to make it really free flowing as Maggot came close for the Village. Then the Village were forced in to a change as Spud came on to replace the injured Paul and he slotted in at an unusual right back with Nick moving across. And it was Spud who came closest to rescuing a point when his volley from the edge of the area just went over the bar. As the light disappeared so did the time and the ref eventually blew for full time as a victorious Claughton moved to the top of the table and two points clear. As for the Village they haven’t won in March or April but in all of those games they have played well, led for long parts of the match only to draw or lose by the end of each one.

Team Line-up

FC Village: Davies: Whorton, Stewart(Greenfield), Ford, Morrell; Smith, Aspey(Rutter), Jones, Kearney; Easterbrook, Eaton
Subs not used: Harper

More photos from this game click here



	Report: Claughton Hotel 2 FC Village 1 Yet again the Village lost a match where they played really well in the first half, led at half time, failed to make the most of their dominance and paid the price for it. With this being their only midweek game the Village lost several players through work as Dava, Stewy McIvor and Buntzy who were all away and then on arrival at the ground found that both Beattie and Colin weren’t turning up. However with Nick and Booey both returning to action they were able to give Ritchie Aspey his first run out of the season and they still had three subs on the bench. Determined to put on a good show against one of the two sides likely to be crowned champions at the end of the season the Village stormed out of the blocks and took the game to the home side. With Matty on the right and Mikey on the left supporting the front two of Maggot and Booey the Village started off playing 4-2-4 but it looked as though they had lost Booey early on to his knee injury when he went down after a challenge but after some treatment he came back on the pitch and would put in an M.O.M. performance. The visitors had already had a couple of corners when from yet another one Booey rose and put in a header which the keeper appeared to have saved but after it had crossed the line. The ref thought about it and awarded the goal. The Village now needed to go and push home their advantage. Mikey, Maggot and Matty all had half chances that were saved by the keeper, Maggot fired a free kick against the wall and then Booey put in another goal bound header from a corner but the ref had stopped play and they had to retake it which led to nothing. Then came probably the defining moment for the Village when in a mad goalmouth scramble they must have had at least six shots cleared off the line as the ball pinged around the six yard box as if it was in a pinball machine. Booey, Ritchie, Paul all had efforts blocked but the ball just wouldn’t go in and it was finally cleared away to safety. Had the Village scored then the game may well have ended up differently but as it was they came off at half time still ahead by that solitary goal. Claughton who had not really done much in that first 45 certainly came out a different side for the second half as they took control and pushed the Village all the way. The visitors seemed to be holding out as the defence was playing really well and when Andy made a brilliant finger tip save it looked like their lead was still intact. However the ball didn’t go over the line for a corner kick and a home forward got there first to knock it back in to the danger area where it was headed home from the one yard out for the equaliser. Game there for the taking and it was the home side that got their noses in front with a slice of luck when from a corner one of their forwards and Danny went for the ball on the edge of the area and it cannoned off the Claughton boot and flew in to the net to put them ahead. The Village struggling a bit now made one change as they brought Rutter on for the tiring Ritchie as they tried to get back level. The game now was end to end stuff but there were too many stoppages to make it really free flowing as Maggot came close for the Village. Then the Village were forced in to a change as Spud came on to replace the injured Paul and he slotted in at an unusual right back with Nick moving across. And it was Spud who came closest to rescuing a point when his volley from the edge of the area just went over the bar. As the light disappeared so did the time and the ref eventually blew for full time as a victorious Claughton moved to the top of the table and two points clear. As for the Village they haven’t won in March or April but in all of those games they have played well, led for long parts of the match only to draw or lose by the end of each one. Team Line-up FC Village: Davies: Whorton, Stewart(Greenfield), Ford, Morrell; Smith, Aspey(Rutter), Jones, Kearney; Easterbrook, Eaton Subs not used: Harper More photos from this game click here Birkenhead & Wirral AFL Div 1 Birkenhead Park, Monday 6th April Claughton Hotel 2 FC Village 1 Easterbrook