Nantwich Town 2
Warrington Town 3
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

PROMOTION HOPES WASHED AWAY

Nantwich Town 2, Warrington Town 3
NWCFL Division 1, 26 December 2003

Any flickering promotion hopes held by Nantwich were well and truly doused by lowly Warrington in a game played in monsoon conditions.
The Dabbers had started the stronger and almost took the lead on ten minutes. Jamie Phoenix broke from deep to play in Wes Wilkinson but the Nantwich marksman’s shot was deflected for a corner. The hard working Jon Dawson powered in an enterprising effort from the edge of the box which Terry O’Hanlon did well to get down to and hold in the slippery conditions.
As the rain continued to lash down, Nantwich played some neat football. A pinpoint crossfield pass from Steve Davis found Danny Griggs whose neat threaded ball for Wilkinson almost led to a goal.
That opener did come midway through the half when Vernum Rowland’s long ball sailed over the head of Lee Webster and the on-rushing Wilkinson took the ball in his stride and slipped it past O’Hanlon from 15 yards in a fashion reminiscent of the great Jimmy Greaves.
Having gained a deserved lead, the Dabbers let the visitors back into the game and 5 minutes from the break, alarm bells should have been sounding when Terry Nestor’s long range effort forced Stuart Heeps into a decent save.
The equaliser, though, came two minutes after the restart when Warrington target man Mike Heverin rifled home from the edge of the area after the Nantwich defence failed to clear the danger. By the hour mark, the visitors were 2-1 up with the tricky Graeme Mitchell on target from 20 yards.
A Christmas cracker from Phoenix five minutes later looked to have redeemed Nantwich. The wingman cut in past two defenders before unleashing a 25 yard unstoppable piledriver to open his Nantwich account. Sub Ashley Lawton should have given the Dabbers the lead with almost his first touch but he failed to profit after nipping in between O’Hanlon and Mark Nulty.
The home side paid the price when, 8 minutes from time, a deep cross found David Tickle in space in the penalty box and he had time to bring the ball under control before crashing it past the flailing Heeps.
With player-boss Nigel Gleghorn taking a Christmas break in his native North East, the Dabbers lacked the spark to fight back, succumbing to a disappointing defeat to their Cheshire rivals.
Nantwich Heeps, Rowland, Gardiner, Hall, Davis, Buckle, Griggs, Vickers (Parkinson,75), Dawson, Wilkinson, Phoenix (Lawton,75). Booked: Dawson (20mins), Rowland (32mins)
Warrington O’Hanlon, Nulty (Tague,77), Cartledge, Nestor, Webster, Riley, Tickle, Bermingham, Heverin (Baker,70), Mitchell, Latham. Booked: Tickle (80mins), Cartledge (88mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin