Great Harwood Town 2
Nantwich Town 1
NW Counties League Cup (1st Round)

Match Report

HARWOOD TOO GREAT FOR DABBERS

Great Harwood Town 2 Nantwich Town 1
NW Counties League Cup – 1st Round, Saturday 1 November 2003

Nantwich were dumped out of the League Cup by a lively Great Harwood side in an entertaining game at The Showground.
Second Division Harwood have not lost a league game for 21 matches – stretching back to last season. The defeat, though a disappointment, was perhaps not too much of a surprise, therefore.
The Lancastrians were certainly quick off the mark and Stuart Heeps had already been called upon before the home side went one up on 6 minutes. Paul Mashiter’s pace took him past Nigel Gleghorn and when he pulled the ball back in the penalty area, recent signing Andy McNally muscled in front of Lyndon Hall to score off the post.
Dale Melling blazed over from Danny Griggs cross and Vernum Rowland poked the ball wide as the Dabbers looked to make an early reply. Andy Parkinson had a speculative long range effort tipped over the bar by Bobby Harris and Wes Wilkinson uncharacteristically miscued when well placed. The home side, too, had chances to increase the lead as the action switched from end to end. Heeps thwarted Mashiter and got down well to save McNally’s low drive. Nantwich had to re-shuffle when Steve Jardine got on the wrong side of a flailing elbow and was taken to hospital with a broken nose.
After the break, Harwood continued to pressure the visitors and increased their lead through dangerman Mashiter on the hour-mark.
The Dabbers eventually found their game in the last 20 minutes and five minutes from time Wes Wilkinson picked up a through ball and jinked in from the left to pull Nantwich back into the game. Then, Adam Vickers almost sent the tie into extra time with a surging run from deep and his curling shot needed an acrobatic save from Harris. But it was too little too late and Harwood earned the right to visit Atherton LR in the Second Round.
Great Harwood Harris, Green, Coonan, Kennedy, Parr, Taylor, McKenna, Dean, Mashiter, McNally, Rogers.
Nantwich Heeps, Hall, Parkinson (Thomas,80), Gleghorn, Jardine (Parkes,25), Vickers, Griggs, Buckle, Rowland (Lawton,68), Wilkinson, Melling. Booked: none

Match report written by Michael Chatwin