After some recent good results it seemed the Eagles let themselves down today with an under par performance coupled with some bad luck, which cost them a result.
After a well-looked after pitch, the game was never in doubt unlike most others in the area and Eagley started the game well putting pressure on Hesketh from the off. After a well worked move the ball fell to Andrew Lindley in the box but with only the keeper to beat he blazed it over the bar, and with a couple more chances they just couldn’t make them count.
Against the run of play Hesketh’s shot took a bad deflection giving the Eagley keeper Tom Macdonald no chance, and it whistled over his head into the net for 1 nil.
Then soon after the onrushing Macdonald miskicked allowing the Hesketh striker in, who took it well from a tight angle for 2 nil.
Eagley kept trying and hit the bar, but with too many misplaced passes and failing to win those second balls they just couldn’t find that elusive goal.
Hesketh were then awarded a free kick and somehow the ball came into the box unchallenged, and before anyone knew it, the ball was in the back of the net for 3 nil, and that was the score at the break.
Eagley started the second half well and eventually got the goal with Ashley Watson making a good run to fire past the Hesketh keeper. But Hesketh soon scored again to restore their lead to make it 4.1
Then a bizzare incident where Hesketh were awarded a very soft penalty saw Tom Macdonald make a great save to his right to deny the 5th goal, but the referee decided there was an infringement and it was retaken. But Macdonald again made a great second save, and then the rebound too! to keep it at 4.
With only minutes to go Simon Neary rose high from an Eagley corner to head it home to close to the deficit to 4.2 and that’s how it finished.
Although unlucky at times today the Eagles were just not good enough and were beaten by a scrapping and hard working Hesketh side who left with all three points.
We caught up with manger Simon Whaley after the game who said – ‘ We were poor today, it happens sometimes and its not acceptable and the lads know it. We missed too many chances today especially in the first half, but they took theirs.’