Nantwich Town 2
St.Helens Town 3
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

NANTWICH TOWN 2 ST HELENS TOWN 3
NWCFL Div 1 – 12 February 2005

Nantwich paid heavily for failing to take their chances, going down to two late goals against their second-in-the-table visitors. In blustery conditions, the Dabbers more than matched St Helens and, had they put away a fraction of the gilt-edged chances they carved out, they would now be celebrating their first victory in seven games.
But it was not to be and Head Coach Steve Davis will be concerned that the leaky defence shipped more goals (it’s now 15 in 4 games) when greater resolution would still have seen the Dabbers safely bag the points.
It all started so well - Matt Blake firing Nantwich into a second minute lead after Paul Dahl in the St Helens goal couldn’t hold on to Paul Rutter’s strike. Blake almost added a second on 20 minutes after he was played in by Melvyn Morrison but this time Dahl did well to tip the effort round the post at full stretch.
Blake’s speed and Rutter’s movement was causing the Saints’ defence all kinds of problems but the Nantwich frontmen were falling victim too often to the visitors’ offside tactics.
On 22 minutes, St Helens were back on level terms. Richie Townsend’s glancing header off a cross from the left was drifting wide but Stuart Hilton slid in at the back post to ram the ball into the roof of the net.
David Barnes rifled a speculative 35 yard free-kick wide of the target and Tony McMullen spurned two excellent chances to give Saints the lead, but with the ball pinging around in the home penalty area he shot at keeper Danny Read and was then denied by Matt Bradbury’s outstretched legs.
Nantwich squandered chances to go in ahead at the break. Danny Griggs won possession in the middle of the park and freed Rutter who pulled the ball back for Blake but he didn’t get power behind his shot. Clever balls from the midfield were now breaching the visitors’ offside trap and Paul Santus’ neat ball set up Griggs who should have slotted past the advancing Dahl but chose to pass to Rutter who slipped the ball into the empty net only to be ruled offside. Then, Adam Newton’s slide-rule pass put Rutter himself in the clear but, this time, bobbles in the pitch took the ball away from him as he bore down on Dahl.
After the break, Blake set up Rutter who swept over the bar as Nantwich continued to look the more likely. At the other end, Karl Robinson forced Read into a full length save and Morrison did well to boot the loose ball away.
Morrison was then brought down after an enterprising run but Griggs struck the 25 yard free kick straight at Dahl. Morrison’s neat pass put Blake clear but he shot at the advancing Dahl and Morrison spooned the rebound over the bar.
Nantwich finally went 2-1 up on 67 minutes. Another exquisite pass from Santus freed O’Brien down the left and his low cross into the danger area was sweetly clipped past Dahl by Rutter.
A long ball from Griggs then set Blake racing down the flank and he pulled the ball back for Newton who drilled across the face of the goal.
That, though, proved to be Nantwich’s last serious attack and, as the home side faded on a very heavy pitch, they eventually paid the price for not having converted more of their chances.
On 76 minutes, McMullen crossed from the right and Robinson craned his neck to head just inside Read’s post. Nantwich’s misery was complete 8 minutes from time when Townsend fired an exocet from 25 yards which the outstretched Read couldn’t get near and the ball thumped into the top corner of the net.
Nantwich: Read, Brough, O’Brien, Davis, Bradbury, Santus, Griggs, Newton, Rutter, Blake, Morrison (Daniels,87). Booked: Newton (50mins).
St Helens: Dahl, Barnes, Pomford, Jennings, Gibiliru, Nolan, McMullen, Fairbrother, Robinson, Townsend (Hilson,90), Hilton (Semmens,72). Booked: Robinson (28mins), Townsend (70mins).

Match report written by Michael Chatwin