Congleton Town 1
Nantwich Town 0
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

NO NEW YEAR CHEER

Congleton Town 1, Nantwich Town 0
NWCFL Division 1, 3 January 2004

Congleton showed greater New Year resolve to claim victory in this tight Cheshire derby. Having succumbed to the pace of Wes Wilkinson and Jamie Phoenix in November’s Senior Cup clash, the Bears had wisened up and tight marking on Nantwich’s dynamic duo extinguished the Dabbers’ main threat.
The home side gained the initiative as early as the tenth minute. Danny Worthington flicked a header into the path of Michael Scully who raced into the box only for the advancing Stuart Heeps to get down well and scoop the ball away. Sadly for the visitors, Worthington was following up and had the simple task of guiding the ball into the unguarded net.
Heeps did well to block Scully’s skidding 20 yarder but after that the immaculate Steve Davis blocked off any advance the Bears made on the Nantwich goal.
Despite their endeavours, Nantwich were unable to carve out many clear openings. Jon Dawson rifled just wide from 15 yards and player-boss Nigel Gleghorn twice put in 20 yard efforts. 20 goal hotshot Wilkinson had a chance on the half-hour but his shot lacked power after he had been set up by Phoenix.
Home keeper Matthew Conkie denied the Dabbers in the second period with an impressive display. He smothered another Wilkinson attempt just after the break and foiled the Nantwich number ten again when he dived to stop his drive from outside the area just after the hour mark. Mark Gardiner saw Conkie paw away his eagerly executed free kick and the home keeper was again called on 5 minutes from time to block Phoenix charging in from a narrow angle.
Heeps was required to save well from Andy Park who latched on to Ben Kay’s thorough pass but otherwise the central defence pairing of Davis and Lyndon Hall kept the Bears at bay in the second half. For once, though, the forward line lacked teeth and on a cold Congleton afternoon, the Dabbers slipped to their second defeat to Cheshire rivals over the holiday period.
Congleton Conkie, Pitts, Moore, Kay, Riley, Burke, Park, Bickerstaffe (Williams,75), Worthington, Scully (Ellis,88), Hatton (JP Jones,75). Booked: Burke (24mins)
Nantwich Heeps, Rowland, Gardiner, Hall, Davis, Buckle, Griggs, Gleghorn, Dawson, Wilkinson, Phoenix (Melling,89). Booked: Rowland (12mins), Buckle (76mins), Phoenix (80mins).

Match report written by Michael Chatwin