Eagley 3 Blackpool Wrens 2 14/03/2015
Eagley pulled off another shock result beating high flying Blackpool Wrens 3-2 in a highly entertaining game of football.
Whaley made a couple of changes to the starting 11 with young Finlay Coward back in at left back, and bringing in his ex team mate, and ex Eagle Danny Swailes into the centre of defence to ‘steady the ship’. Eagley had the best of possession in the opening half hour with three corners and each one nearly resulting in a goal, but they just couldn’t make them count.
Then after some good Blackpool pressure the ball fell on the edge of the box where a sweet strike from the Wrens forward went straight into the corner of the net, giving Tom Macdonald no chance. Blackpool 1 nil. That’s how it stayed until the break, and a bit unfairly after a good Eagley half.
Eagley again came out fighting and came close again, but a cross came into the box and found the head of an unmarked blackpool player who made no mistake for 2 nil. But with the never say die attitude of the recent team, the onrushing Eagle Jack Berry was brought down in the box by the keeper. The referee deemed it a yellow card only for the keeper so he was able to remain on the pitch for the forthcoming penalty. Whaley stepped up and made no mistake for 2.1 Eagley had the momentum and fire in their bellies when a through ball found the feet Ashley Watson who slotted it past the keeper for 2.2 and game on! Just when everyone thought Eagley had done enough for a deserved draw the chance fell again to the feet of Watson and with only minutes to play he smashed it in for 3.2. We then managed to hang on to the lead and unbelievably had beaten another top team on home turf, giving us a fighting chance of hopefully remaining a Premier league team.
We caught up with Whaley the Eagles boss after the game who said ‘ The lads yet again have proved themselves against a top two side at home. They have now set the bar and we have to build on this and push on into the next two home games concentrating on our own performance and not those around us. Yesterday showed, especially in the second half what the lads are capable of and how we played as a team.
Richardson Cup 2nd Round 07/03/15
With a couple of changes to the starting eleven Whaley brought in new signing Jack Egan, and played himself up front after his suspension. But after only 15 minutes the Eagles were under the cosh and Matty Wilkes was judged to have handled it in the box where Blackpool made no mistake from the resulting penalty. Then minutes later the ball fell to Blackpool’s Ben Seear, who hit a sweet volley into the top corner giving Eagley’s Tom Macdonald no chance. And that’s how it remained until the interval.
A half time change introduced Andrew Lindley which gave the Eagles a lot more energy but they just couldn’t find that elusive goal. Blackpool then pushed on and scored a third goal which killed off any Eagley hopes of something from the game.
We caught up with the Eagley manager after the game who said, ‘ The most frustrating thing is I train with these lads and know they can do it, they just need to take the training onto the pitch. They just need to relax and enjoy the game without fear, which yesterday some lads didn’t do. If we believe in ourselves and get the basics right we will be fine.’
Coppull 2 The Eagles 1 21st February
Eagley made the short trip to Coppull in a game that was billed as a ‘six pointer’ with both teams struggling near the foot of the table.
Whaley made changes from last weeks defeat, one enforced with his own suspension and bringing in striker Heath Ainscow and defenders Matty Wilkes, Mark Carroll and Neil Bebbington. It was Eagley who started much the brighter team winning the ball and playing some decent football when on thirteen minutes a great through ball found the feet of Ainscow who smashed it home for 1 nil. Eagley continued to push and should of scored more but after some Coppull pressure before half time we managed to go in at the interval with a deserved lead but with midfielder Andy Lindley picking up an injury forcing him off for Ashley Watson. The second half started nothing like the first, and after a stern half time talk Coppull came out blazing and within minutes were equal 1-1. They continued to push and play some good football with the inevitable winner just round the corner, which came from yet another Coppull corner for 2-1. Substitutes Matty Johnson and Jack Horan both came on to try and make a difference for Eagley but although we hit the crossbar we couldn’t find the equaliser. That’s how it finished with a poor second half display costing us the game.
The only consolation was all the teams around in the league also dropped points leaving Eagley still in 13th place.
Garstang 4 Eagley 3 14th Feb 2015
Eagley struggled to get into this game from the off and things got worse when Eagley striker Jack Horan was given his marching orders after he retaliated to violent conduct from a Garstang player which saw them both sent off.
They then seemed unsettled by this and coupled with a difficult pitch surface to play on the Eagles were finding it hard to play, and they soon found themselves one down. That’s how it stayed until half time where hopefully the team would regroup as both teams continued with ten men.
We started brightly in the second half but another lapse in concentration allowed Garstang in and they made it two nil. Whaley then made a double substitution with Nathan Emery and himself coming on for Mark Carroll and Matty Johnson. It soon paid off and a through ball from Jack Berry left Danny Vincent just the keeper to beat and he made it 2 – 1. We continued to press and had a couple of chances to even the score but didn’t take them leaving Garstang to take theirs from a sloppy Eagley mistake and 3 – 1.
Neil Bebbington then came on for the hard working Finlay Coward and soon found himself on the end of a loose ball in the box which he fired in for 3 – 2 and there was a glimmer of hope again!! But then we allowed them back in yet again and they took the chance squeezing it past Tom Macdonald at the near post for 4 -2. From a rash challenge Garstang were then awarded a penalty but with the Eagley shot stopper Macdonald in goal its never a fore gone conclusion! and true to form, yet again he guessed right and pulled off a tremendous save.
In the dying minutes finally Eagley had a good run at goal which resulted in Whaley brought down in the box for a penalty. He stepped up himself to make no mistake and 4 -3 and thats’s how it stayed with us leaving it too late to get anything from the game.