Villa returned to league action with a relatively short trip to Danbury to take on Daen Ingas who were relegated from the Premier Division by choice so as to merge with their reserve team. Villa therefore knew that the morning may be a tough one especially given that red hot hitman Tris Woolfenden was missing for the game due to a more pressing engagement, sorting out the squads accommodation for his forthcoming stag weekend, he really cares about his team mates !
Rik Cridland started at the base of a midfield 5, his first start of the season, but unfortunately his morning came to an end after only 20 minutes following a nasty cut above his eye following a clash of heads.
Villa started brightly enough with their mandate to keep the ball on the floor due to their opponents appearing to sleep in grow bags overnight at the top of the beanstalk. With this in mind it was no surprise that Ingas tried to use this to their advantage playing a lot of high long balls forward which allowed the back 3 of Pike, Douglas and Colley to strengthen their neck muscles for a large proportion of the game. On the odd occasion when they got in behind the back 3 they did look dangerous without seriously testing Gav Woolfenden in the Villa goal.
Villa however carved open the better chances when first Alex Milne broke clear only to tamely shoot at the Ingas keeper before Jay Cracknell created a chance for himself but could only shoot wide following an excellently uted block tackle. Cracknell also had a half chance when the Ingas keeper fluffed a clearance straight to him some 30 yards out although he got his ution all wrong by volleying the ball back towards the corner flag.
The managers words at half time were positive with a message of keep a clean sheet and we will win the game. It so nearly worked.
The restart was only 5 minutes old when Wayne Pike uted a high ball of Villas own towards a giant Ingas defender. Inexplicably for the first time in the game he let it bounce rather than attack the ball in the air which allowed Alex Milne the opportunity to attack the ball. Outmuscling the defender with impressive strength he held off his man before slamming the ball in from 6 yards taking a massive hit from the home sides keeper in the process.
Ingas started to press a bit more in search of an equaliser and were nearly awarded one due to a poor refereeing decision. Daz Douglas seemed to have run the ball out of the play on the touchline, even with an Ingas man tugging at the Villa mans arm which clearly pulled him off balance. The referee however judged Douglas to be leaning into his man and awarded Ingas a free kick from which they so nearly scored with a header scraping the far posts paintwork.
Villa created a number of half chances and should have scored again when a fantastic chance was put wide following a scramble and with time running out Villa were punished for their misdemeanours. Pike for once was beaten to the byline by Ingas’s smallest and quickest player and but for all his efforts could not stop an excellent cross being sent across goal. With an Ingas defender and Colley attacking the ball at the front post Colley reached the ball first and unfortunately could only steer the ball past Woolfenden for an own goal.
Both sides pushed for an equaliser with an Ingas appeal for a penalty being waved away following a challenge by Woolfenden before the referee signalled the end of the game.
At the commencement of the game a point would have been a welcome addition given the number of players missing but conceding an equaliser so late on left the feeling of it was 2 points that got away.
