In the long awaited ‘Oldest Ever Football Derby’ Eagley Fc took all 3 points with a last minute winner from new signing Linford Stewart.
This West Lancs Premier League fixture has been long overdue and there was a great turn out with approximately 300 spectators down at Dunscar Bridge to watch the game.
The game started nervously with neither team seemingly wanting to make mistakes, until the break through came on 18 minutes with an Eagley throw flicked on by Simon Neary which fell nicely to the waiting Linford Stewart, who with a great little overhead kick put the Eagles in front. Turton then applied some good pressure and a loose ball fell to Turton’s Jean Khasa. He struck it sweetly into the top corner give the outstretched Tom Macdonald no chance, and that’s how result stayed at the interval.
In the second half both teams huffed and puffed without creating many chances until some great play on the Turton wing saw a cross into the Eagley box where the Turton hit man Kieran Sisson doesn’t miss from there, and the vistors took the lead 2-1.
But true to Eagley form Whaley’s men don’t roll over and the ball fell to substitute Oli Clarke who ran on with ball before being brought down just inside the Turton box for a penalty. Whaley led by example and struck it hard and low into the corner, giving the Turton keeper Josh Mcgreavy no chance, and the Eagles were level. Turton keep up some good pressure making Macdonald work in the last part of the game, but I think both teams were resigned to a draw, until in the last minute the ball fell to the feet of Eagley’s Stewart again who saw the Turton shot stopper off his line. He saw his chance and sent a delightful lob high over his head into the back of the Turton net for the match winner and 3-2, much to the delight of the Eagley players who were crushing poor Linford in a mass ‘pile – on!’ before the ref blew soon after for time.
A cruel way to lose for Turton in a game that was probably a fair draw, but the Eagley team won’t mind taking 3 much needed points in a great Derby game, and their second outing in the West Lancs Campaign.
Manager Whaley said. ‘ Without singling anybody out, It was a great night for everbody connected with Eagley Football Club, all the lads worked so hard for each other and for Linford to nick the winner in the end was just fantastic. It’s about 7 or 8 years since this last derby was played and for us to get the points in the end was immense. I feel for Neil and his team after we nicked it like that as its happened to us before, but I’m sure he’ll have a good season as he has a good team there. But we know how hard this league is and we must push on now and prepare for another tough game on Saturday against Whitehaven.’