Nantwich Town 0
Squires Gate 2
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Nantwich crashed to an opening day defeat with a lacklustre performance against their Fylde coast visitors.
The Dabbers looked as though they would have struggled to score in a kick about on Blackpool beach and their inability to craft a decent chance will have caused concern to player-boss Nigel Gleghorn.
Gleghorn, himself, was partly at fault when Gate took the lead on 10 minutes. The former Stoke man was unable to make a headed clearance allowing Steve Longworth to outleap Steve Jardine and nod past the stranded Simon Pay in the home goal.
The Dabbers were weakened by injuries to Mark Maguire and Mark Gardiner and drafted in former Alsager Town left back Matt Parkes for his debut whilst Otis Thomas made his first Town start up front.
With chances at a premium at either end, it wasn’t until the last five minutes that the home side applied any pressure. Danny Griggs almost profited following neat interplay with Wes Wilkinson but a lunging block by Craig Blinkhorn denied him.
Squires, though, closed the Gate with a late goal. Stuart Holloway swivelled in the box to fire past Pay to wrap up a deserved victory for the Blackpool side.
On this performance, Nantwich will need to make a marked improvement or else their promotion ambitions will be left washed up on the shore.
Nantwich Pay, Hall, Parkes, Gleghorn, Jardine, Vickers, Brookes (Buckle,71), Knight, Thomas (Dawson,60), Wilkinson, Griggs. Booked: Knight (48mins), Vickers (49mins), Griggs (89mins)
Squires Gate Speight, Blinkhorn, McKenna, Jones, Thompson, Blundell (Manchester,74), Bradford (Sugden,79), Rawson, Longworth, Holloway, Openshaw (Boothby,89). Booked: Holloway (44mins), Thompson (59mins), Blundell (64mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin