Squires Gate 0
Nantwich Town 1
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Nantwich claimed all three points from their trip to the sunny seaside to lift the Dabbers to a towering fourth spot in the league. It has to be said, though, that the performance wasn’t as bright as the Blackpool illuminations but, as they say, it’s the result that matters.
Indeed, the result was in doubt til the last as the Nantwich defence thwarted waves of late home pressure and Stuart Heeps pulled off an outstanding last minute save.
The match-winning goal, scored on 71 minutes by Wes Wilkinson, is becoming typical of those being scored by Nantwich this season. The Dabbers’ pacy forwards have unlocked many opposition defences this season but, on Saturday, were afforded the kind assistance of Gate defender Phil Thompson. His weak back pass was latched on to by the alert Wilkinson who, rounding the stranded Summerfield in the home goal, fired home from an acute angle.
Six minutes earlier, Adam Vickers had, at last, lit up the match with a rasping piledriver which needed a fingertip save from Summerfield at full stretch. Before then, it was the home side who had gone closest – Steve Longworth’s header against the post the only highlight of a dull first half.
The Dabbers’ victory could have been more comfortable but, five minutes from time, Simon Hackney clipped the outside of the post with only the keeper to beat. This set up an anxious finale for the Nantwich defence, contributed to in part by two free kicks needlessly conceded on the edge of the box by an over-zealous Melford Knight.
The Dabbers, though, held back the tide to notch up their sixth victory in seven games.
The afternoon, though, was spoilt by an injury to player-boss Nigel Gleghorn just before the interval and by goalscorer Wes Wilkinson having to be ambulanced to hospital after a dangerous collision with Summerfield.

Squires Gate Summerfield, Keefe (Bingham, 86), Watson, Blinkhorn, Thompson, Cook, Archer, Blundell, Longworth, Sugden, Paynter.
Nantwich Heeps, Hall, Gardiner, Packham, Gleghorn (Caldwell, 43), Vickers, Thomasson, Knight, Wilkinson (Hough, 80), Brookes (Dawson, 68), Hackney. Booked – Wilkinson, 57mins
Attendance 50
Star Man: Lyndon Hall - The Nantwich veteran was a rock in the defence

Match report written by Michael Chatwin