Report: Universal Windows 2 FC Village 2

The Village finished off their season with a seventh game without a win but this was a match if it had been based on chances then they would have won by a mile. However they were thankful to a 90th minute equaliser from Maggot to save their blushes. With the game having to be played at Arrowe Park the side turned up with just 12 available players. Andy & Ritchie were watching their beloved Tranmere, Dava was in Vegas for the Hatton fight, Stewy Morrell was injured and Fordy was at a wedding. This meant that Harper returned to his normal left back berth and Spud became the side’s fifth goalie this season with Crozzer the only sub. With both sides getting changed on the pitch/in their cars as they were miles from the changing rooms 3.00 arrived and there was no ref. It came to light later on that evening that the ref was indeed at the ground but at the changing rooms and didn’t think the teams had turned up. However a passing ref who had just been walking through the rec offered to do the job and so the game got under way some 20 minutes late in glorious sunshine.

It was the visitors who started the brighter of the two sides as they worked the wings well. Half chances started to arrive as they forced the issue and Matty came closest to opening his account when he saw the keeper tip his goal bound header over the bar. Then from another corner the Village took a deserved lead as Buntzy crossed for Booey to head home for 1-0. As in a number of their games towards the end of this season the Village failed to get that all important second goal despite having a couple of chances and then paid the price right on half time. A Universal attack could have been cleared several times before the ball finally fell for a Windows forward to knock in the equaliser.

All square at the interval it was once again the visitors who were on top but then Universal took control and in this period they broke away and although Spud stopped a forwards first shot he couldn’t prevent him from slotting home the rebound to put them ahead. The game now swung both ways but the Village couldn’t get that equaliser and Windows were unable to forge ahead. For the Village they saw the home keeper make two excellent saves to keep out Maggot and then they had two shots from Booey and Stewy cleared off the line. It was all Village now as they tore open the home defence but Maggot, Booey, Mikey and Buntzy all had the time and space having been put in the clear only to blaze wide or over the bar. The side must have had at least half a dozen of these chances that went begging and it looked like the season would end in huge disappointment. Crozzer replaced a shattered Danny whilst down at the other end the Village survived a couple of close calls with some last ditch tackles and saves but they kept themselves in it. Then right at the death Maggot chased a through ball towards goal with a defender and he just managed to toe poke it past the keeper for his 26th goal of the campaign for 2-2. Straight from the kick off and with the ref ready to blow for full time Mikey broke free down the left and crossed for the unmarked Booey but he somehow hit his effort over the bar. Seconds later the ref blew for the final time and the season had ended.

Team Line-up

FC Village: Greenfield: Beattie, Whorton, Stewart, Harper; Brennan, Easterbrook, Jones(Doran), Kearney; Smith, Eaton
Subs not used:

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