In a closely contested league encounter on 6th October 2024, Euxton Villa U15 Black faced Fulwood Amateur U15 Blue at Fulwood Amateurs Pitch #2. The match, which kicked off at 11:30 am, ended with a scoreline of 1-2 in favour of the home side, leaving Euxton Villa to reflect on missed opportunities and a challenging performance.
Euxton Villa adopted a 4-1-4-1 formation, which aimed to provide a solid defensive base while allowing for fluid attacking transitions. Adam Tucker was stationed in goal, with a back four comprising Alex Howarth on the right, Finlay Mann on the left, and central defenders Colin Plewa and Louis Grant. Oliver Bale played as the central midfielder, tasked with linking defence and attack, while Zak Whalley and Roman Taylor operated as right and left attacking midfielders, respectively. Harley Ashton and Ethan Bingham were positioned as attacking midfielders, supporting lone striker William Murray.
The substitutes for Euxton Villa included Luke Whelan, Junior Cummins, Archie Gardner, and Ollie Warner, who would later be called upon to influence the match.
The first half saw a significant turning point when Fulwood Amateur capitalised on a defensive mistake from Euxton Villa, scoring the opening goal with a right-footed shot in the 30th minute. This setback prompted immediate tactical changes from Euxton Villa, with Luke Whelan replacing Louis Grant and Junior Cummins coming on for an injured Roman Taylor which had been caused by serious foul play. This resulted in the home team going down to 10 men.
Fulwood Amateur extended their lead in the 38th minute, scoring again, although there were cries from the sidelines and Villas bench of serious foul play, as this had left goalkeeper Adam Tucker on the floor in agony, however the referee sided with the home team and the goal stood, leaving Euxton Villa trailing 2-0 at half-time. The referee, Jamie Banks, signalled the end of the first half shortly after, with Euxton Villa needing to regroup and find a way back into the match.
The second half began with a tactical substitution for Euxton Villa, as Archie Gardner replaced Oliver Bale in the 50th minute. However, the match continued to be fraught with challenges for the visitors, as a yellow card was shown to the home team for a bad tackle in the 57th minute, followed by another yellow card shown to Colin Plewa just a minute later for a similar offence.
In the 61st minute, Louis Grant returned to the pitch, replacing Colin Plewa in a tactical switch. The introduction of Ollie Warner for Alex Howarth in the 67th minute aimed to inject fresh energy into the side.
Finally, in the 71st minute, Euxton Villa found a glimmer of hope when Ethan Bingham scored a close-range tap-in, assisted by William Murray's precise cross. This goal brought the score to 1-2, igniting hopes of a comeback. However, the momentum was short-lived as the team received another yellow card for dissent in the 74th minute, with Archie Gardner and one of the opposition both being cautioned for their actions.
Despite their efforts, Euxton Villa could not find an equaliser, and the match concluded with Fulwood Amateur U15 Blue securing a hard-fought victory. Ethan Bingham's performance stood out, earning him recognition as the player of the match, but it was not enough to change the outcome for his team.
