St.Helens Town 1
Nantwich Town 1
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

A goal with the last kick off the match robbed Nantwich of a deserved victory at Saints’ eerily cavernous Knowsley Road ground. The Dabbers had looked comfortable all afternoon and St Helens had not managed a strike on target until Tommy Molloy fired into the corner of the net from the edge of the box four minutes into stoppage time.
By that time, the visitors should have had the game all wrapped up. They went ahead on 16 minutes when the lively Jon Dawson thundered a header into the top corner of the net from Simon Hackney’s deep cross.
Then, on the half hour, the Saints were reduced to ten men a reckless challenge by John McCoy on Nantwich player-boss Nigel Gleghorn earned him an early bath.
As has been the case a number of times this season, Nantwich failed to make their numerical advantage count against 10 men. The team did, though, play some fluent football which led to chances being created but St Helens custodian Greg Price was at his acrobatic best to twice deny Dawson and to flick a Gareth Brookes’ effort round the upright. At the other end, Simon Pay remained virtually untroubled.
Dale Melling had to be replaced after suffering a nasty-looking ankle injury and substitute Ashley Lawton’s pace posed problems for the home defence. But with the Dabbers seemingly coasting to victory, Gleghorn dallied on a clearance from a home corner and the alert Molloy pounced to pinch a point for the hosts.
Perhaps the Dabbers would have settled for a point from the outset and, whilst their performance deserved more, at least the unbeaten league run stretching back to November 12th was extended to ten games.
St Helens Price, Salt, Evans (Farrell, 71), Nestor (Dugdale, 57), Nolan, Bell, Mitchell, Molloy, Heavey (Mason, 75), McCoy, Bermingham. Booked: Nolan (72mins)
Nantwich Pay, Hall, Gardiner, Packham, Gleghorn, Vickers, Brookes (McVey, 88), Melling (Knight, 61), Hampshire, Dawson (Lawton, 74), Hackney. Booked: Gardiner (78mins), Knight (80mins)
Star Man Lyndon Hall – Didn’t put a foot wrong all match.

Match report written by Michael Chatwin