Skelmersdale United 1
Nantwich Town 1
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

SKEM STEM DABBERS

Skelmersdale United 1, Nantwich Town 1
NWCFL Division 1, Saturday 15 November 2003

Skelmersdale put the brakes on Nantwich’s swift string of three wins on the bounce in an even contest dominated by vintage performances by both keepers.
Making his 341st consecutive appearance, Robbie Holcroft holds an impressive Skem record and the Dabbers will have been left wishing that someone else had been between the home sticks. With White Moss Park under threat from bulldozers, Skem are ground-sharing at Burscough’s Victoria Park this season and having recently hammered Squires Gate 8-0, they are clearly feeling home from home.
It was the visitors – Nantwich that is – who created the more chances, though. Mark Maguire had two bullet headers well saved by Holcroft and the Skem custodian was twice at full stretch to keep out trademark Mark Gardiner free kicks. Holcroft was also on hand to block Steve Davis’ close range effort and Wes Wilkinson’s late charge from deep but save of the match was claimed by Nantwich’s Stuart Heeps.
Five minutes before the break, he pulled off a top-drawer penalty save to deny Stuart Rudd after the Skem skipper had been clattered in the box by Adam Vickers. It was Rudd’s sixth spot kick miss on the trot and saw the sides go in at half-time 0-0.
The keepers, though, were beaten either side of the hour mark. Nantwich went ahead when Nigel Gleghorn was on hand to prod the ball home after Vernum Rowland’s shot had been blocked but the lead lasted little more than two minutes. Skem were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area and when the ball ricocheted off the Nantwich wall and fell kindly to Mike Cole, he crashed it home from 6 yards.
Either side could have claimed victory with Skem’s Rudd heading wide and, for Nantwich, sub Jon Dawson caused the home defence problems, having a shot blocked, a goal disallowed and a stoppage time header drift just wide.
Skelmersdale Holcroft, Price, McKane, Standley, Rimmer, Cole, Birchall, Morton (Dee,72), Rudd, Dugdale, Osman (Shaw,85). Booked: McKane (89mins)
Nantwich Heeps, Vickers, Gardiner, Maguire, Davis, Buckle, Lawton (Dawson,70), Gleghorn, Rowland, Wilkinson, Melling. Booked: Vickers (40mins), Gardiner (50mins), Gleghorn (51mins)

Pictured: Skem's Stuart Rudd on the ball

Match report written by Michael Chatwin