Abbey Hey 0
Nantwich Town 0
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Abbey Hey 0 Nantwich Town 0
NWCFL Division One, Tuesday 7 September 2004

Lacklustre Nantwich came away from East Manchester with a point after an uninspiring game ended in a goalless stalemate. Two goals from the last four games underlines the Dabbers’ lack of firepower and, after looking threatening for the first 20 minutes, Nantwich faded and never looked like scoring in a scrappy second half.
Nantwich were quickly out of the blocks and, with little over 5 minutes on the clock, Danny Griggs broke through only for Jamie Mottershead to deny the Nantwich skipper with a smart block. Ten minutes later, it was on-loan striker Paul Rutter who broke through but he put his shot too close to the keeper who was again able to parry out and the home defence cleared the danger.
An early injury saw Rick Watson replaced by Chris Hamman and the change helped stiffen up the home defence. Even so, on the half-hour, Michael Owen rose in front of his marker but he was unable to trouble Mottershead with his header from Griggs’ deep free-kick.
As the interval beckoned, Abbey started to dictate the game and they had their best chance of the half when Owen was penalised for pulling down his man on the edge of the box and Barry Lomas sent the free-kick screaming just over the bar. Rick Cahill then drove a long range effort skimming along the ground but Matty Higgins was able to save comfortably in the Nantwich goal.
In an even second half, chances were at a premium for both sides with the hosts having the best chance of securing the three points on the hour mark. However, the diving Higgins pushed out a 20-yarder but the ball fell into the path of Tim Bailey who rifled against the post and Steve Jardine manfully blocked a goalbound effort from the rebound as the Nantwich defence scrambled to get the ball away. Nantwich had a penalty claim waved away after Mottershead seemed to charge in to Griggs as he tried to latch on to Owen’s clever chipped pass and, with the game petering out, the Dabbers were unable to register a single attempt on goal in the second period.
The match was played in a good spirit and, as seems to be the pattern this season, the referee again did not feel the need to brandish a single card. Steve Davis will be content that a clean sheet was recorded for the third time in four games but, despite the efforts of Rutter, concerns will remain about the side’s lack of cutting edge.
Abbey Hey Mottershead, Lomas (Francis,78), Brown, Jones, Watson (Hamman,16), McKenzie, Morse, Cahill, Green, Stewart, Bailey.
Nantwich Higgins, Pullar, Beattie, Davis, Jardine, Owen, Santus, Knight, Griggs, Rutter, Morrison (Lawton,67)
Attendance: 48

Match report written by Michael Chatwin