The Eagles put in a superb performance on Saturday away at fourth placed Longridge to win 2-1 and secure their survival in the West Lancs Premier League. Only one team are to be relegated after the loss of a team earlier in the season leaving just one team to drop down. The the win puts the Eagles now seven points ahead of bottom placed Thornton Cleveleys, and even with their two games in hand left to play they are unable to catch Simon Whaley’s men up.
On a lovely lancashire afternoon and well kept pitch, Eagley came out  fighting from the start and were  playing some excellent football. After the hospital cup defeat on Wednesday several players returned to the starting 11 namely, Simon Neary, Finlay Coward, Andrew Lindley and Heath Ainscow.
Eagley piled the pressure on and soon Heath Ainscow found himself out on the left with only the keeper to beat but from a tight angle. He calmly slotted it round him superbly for the opener and 1 nil for the Eagles!
We kept the pressure on and coupled with some great saves from Eagley’s stalwart Tom Macdonald and getting injured in the process the score remained the same at the interval.
We started the second half as the first and after some good work from Andrew Lindley the ball fell again to Ainscow who from close range made it 2 nil, and could the Eagles hang on to the lead!
Tom Macdonald was again caught by the Longridge manager and striker Lee Ashcroft which didn’t go down well with the away support and seemed to go unpunished. More uproar then unfolded as Longridge were awarded a penalty and Ashcroft stepped up to the spot! But against Macdonald its never a foregone conclusion, and true to form Tom dived the right way to save it and protect the 2 nil lead much to Eagley’s delight. That’s how it stayed for much of the until a great through ball fell again to Ainscow’s feet who was brought down in the box. I think everyone except the referee thought it was a penalty as Eagley were deciding who was to take it! But somehow a goal kick was awarded and that was the start of the home team pressure. Some good Longridge play saw a sweeping cross into the Eagley box which made contact with an Eagley arm and a penalty was given!
Sadly Tom Macdonald couldn’t keep this one out and Longridge hit back to make it 2-1. The game seemed to have been playing for ever, and due to several injuries the game it was still being played at 96 minutes and some last ditch defending was going on by Eagley. But they hung on for the win and when the whistle finally went the Eagles could not hide their emotions as it felt like winning a cup final to stay in the league.
Manager Whaley after the game was clearly delighted and relieved after the win, ‘ The lads were superb today, every single one of them giving all they had and again we’ve beaten a top four side against the odds to stay in the league. The lads knew what was required of them and they did it! We didn’t want to have to rely on other results. My plan was always to stay in this league and to re build next season and that’s what we’ve done.’