Daisy Hill suffered a frustrating and ultimately disappointing afternoon when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Euxton Villa on Saturday in the North West Counties League First Division North, writes Ian Templeman.

While there was no doubting the quality of a fine solo goal from Euxton’s Joel Darley 13 minutes from time that turned out to be the winner, Daisy could consider themselves unlucky not to take a point from a game in which they hit the woodwork twice, and were on the wrong end of some decisions from the match officials that could be described as questionable.

Daisy manager Lee Hill summed up his side’s disappointment after the game.

“I’m not sure we maybe did enough to win the game, but I certainly don’t think we deserved to lose it”, said Hill.

“I thought in the first half we were probably second best, although we came at half time 0-0 having defended well, and had a couple of chances, especially when Alex Dodd hit the post.

“In the second half we changed formation slightly and I thought we came out really well. We caused them a few more problems, we went a little bit more direct, created a lot more chances and opened the game up a bit.

“I think we had a good shout for a penalty when Alex Dodd was fouled, and I think we were let down by the match officials today. I’m not sure why that is, but I feel they could have been a little bit stronger at key moments.

“To lose a goal when we did was disappointing, maybe a lack of concentration in there cost us, and these are the fine margins that decide games. It could have gone either way, they had some chances and we had some chances.

“Euxton are a good side, they will be in and around the play offs, but we matched them for long spells and could even have won it on another day.

“It’s disappointing, but we just have to move on and go again next week”.

The afternoon began promisingly for Daisy, who enjoyed the better of the possession in the opening stages, and were unlucky on 13 minutes when good work by Sam Twist down the left led to him squaring the ball into the box for Alex Dodd, whose shot hit the post with the keeper beaten. At the other end, Daisy keeper Morgan Newns dealt easily with a George Davies free kick, before a well struck 25 yarder from Darley just missed the far post.

On 25 minutes Newns was in action again, this time making a point blank save from a Dan Singleton volley before Scott Johnston cleared a follow up effort off the line after a goalmouth scramble.

A minute later Kaiden Barlow reacted to quickly to a ball over the top to outpace the Euxton back line, but although his first touch was good, his shot from 20 yards missed the target.

A similar chance fell to Euxton’s Davies when he was put through on goal, but he blasted over from a good position, and Daisy finished the half on a positive note with both Barlow and Twist having shots blocked in the last action of the first half.

After the break, Euxton created the first chance of the second half when a Davies cross was headed wide by striker Dan Singleton, but minutes later at the other end, Daisy looked to have a good shout for a penalty when Dodd went down under a challenge as he raced into the box, but the referee waved away appeals for a spot kick.

Just after the hour a fine sweeping move from Daisy led to Dodd setting up a shooting chance for Twist from 25 yards, which Euxton keeper Oliver Lombard did well to push over the cross bar.

Daisy then made a tactical switch, with Dodd being replaced by Luke Roscoe, and a defensive reshuffle saw Jacob Ridings pushed into an advanced midfield position on the right.

The move almost paid immediate dividends when a long ball set Ridings free on the right, and after cutting inside the covering defender his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

But 13 minutes from time, Euxton finally broke the deadlock with a fine solo goal from the always dangerous Darley.

The Daisy defence were caught out by a long clearance over the top, and although Darley still had plenty of work to do, he cut inside two defenders, got the break of the ball in a challenge with Luke Roscoe, and rifled a cracking shot from the edge of the box past Newns into the far corner of the net.

As Daisy pushed in search of an equaliser, the time-wasting tactics of the home side began to frustrate, and after a confrontation with the officials over one incident, Barlow was shown a red card.

But Daisy kept going and came desperately close to grabbing an equaliser two minutes from time, when Scott Johnston’s header hit the post with the keeper beaten, before substitute Mussab Benaly smashed the rebound just over the bar.

Daisy are back in action this coming Saturday when they host Holker Old Boys at the Plumb Factory Stadium in the Second Round of the Edward Case Cup. Kick off is 3 pm.