Poulton FC Succumb to Fulwood Amateurs in Tough Home Defeat

On a windy evening, Poulton FC played host to Fulwood Amateurs in the second game of the season.

Poulton made a solid start to the match and the shape they have been working on in training was evident to see.

Despite an even opening 15 minutes, it was the opposition who broke the deadlock in the 21st minute. It was a well-taken goal, but one Poulton should not have had to defend as they lost possession when in a good attacking phase of their own.

Following the setback, Poulton struggled to find their rhythm and failed to create any significant chances to equalise.

As the first half drew to a close, the opposition capitalised on another lapse in concentration. In the second minute of stoppage time, they doubled their lead, making it 0-2. The timing of the goal was a real blow, just before the chance to get into the dressing room and regroup.

A strong start was needed after halftime, but it was the worst possible outcome. Just seconds into the second half, Fulwood struck again to make it 0-3 after some hesitation between the defence and midfield. This goal completely deflated the team, and from there, it was an uphill battle. The opposition continued to dominate, and in the 53rd minute, they added a fourth goal to their tally. At 0-4, the game was beyond us, and while we managed to hold them off for the remainder of the match, the damage was already done.

Manager Dale Azzopardi expressed his frustration after the match: “It was a disappointing display and nowhere near what we are capable of. We kept our shape well in the first ten minutes and it forced Fulwood into making mistakes. However, a lack of positional consistency as the game went on was exploited by Fulwood and they fully deserved the win.“

Overall, it was a tough day at the office, and the team will need to go back to the training ground to address the issues. Credit to the opposition for their clinical finishing, but there’s a lot of work to be done if we’re to bounce back from this result.

Next Match:

Poulton FC first team travel away to Coppull United, whilst the reserves welcome Lostock St Gerards Reserves to Cottam Hall on Saturday 10^th August.