Curzon Ashton 3
Nantwich Town 1
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

CURZON ASHTON 3 NANTWICH TOWN 1
NWCFL Div 1 – 16 March 2005

An under strength Nantwich side put up a determined performance but came away empty handed from their visit to Curzon’s temporary home at Stalybridge. With Steve Davis ruled out with a cartlidge injury, former Northwich Victoria centre half Danny Jarrett made his Dabbers debut and youngster Chris Bailey came off the bench late on for his first senior appearance.
Nantwich started a bit nervy and warning bells were ringing when John Utterson rose to head Andrew Watson’s cross but Danny Read saved well. On 10 minutes, Curzon took the lead when Phil Edghill exploited space on the right and his low cross was met at the back stick by Nick Wild. Midway through the half, Chris Ball turned John Ackerley but his cross from the left was well cleared by Neil O’Brien. Read was then forced into a save low down to thwart a shot on the turn by the troublesome Edghill.
Read’s long kicks were causing problems to the home defence but the Dabbers were struggling to carve out clear cut opportunities. A chance came five minutes before half-time when Ashley Lawton laid the ball for John Scarlett to strike from 20 yards which David Fish gathered at the second attempt.
The hosts responded with Utterson drilling a shot which Read pushed away at the near post and, after the break, the Nantwich keeper had to back pedal and scoop away Wild’s clipped shot. When Paul Santus conceded a free-kick, David Birch whipped the ball in and Matt Wearden should have done better with a free header. A second goal did come on the hour mark when Utterson chased a long ball and his shot across the face of goal was slid home by Edghill. Birch fired wide as Curzon threatened to dominate but never-say-die Dabbers were rewarded on 66 minutes with the goal of the game.
Paul Santus’ slide rule pass with the outside of the boot played Matt Blake in down the left and he cut in and smashed a thunderbolt past Fish to give Nantwich hope. Those hopes were extinguished when Jarrett conceded a free-kick and when Birch swung the ball into the danger area, Simon Kay arrived at the back post to squeeze the ball in.
Curzon almost added a fourth when Matt Swailes’ cross bounced off Jarrett and then the post and, in the last minute, Read scrambled the ball off the goalline. In stoppage time, Nantwich almost reduced the arrears when O’Brien set up Blake but, this time, he was denied by Fish.
Curzon: Fish, Hinchcliffe, Watson, Riley (Vincent,h-t), Kay, Wearden (Kershaw,86), Edghill, Birch, Utterson, Ball, Wild (Swailes,75). Booked: Vincent (70mins)
Nantwich: Read, Ackerley (Hampshire,80), O’Brien, Griffin, Jarrett, Daniels, Griggs, Santus (Bailey,85), Scarlett, Blake, Lawton (Rutter,80).

Match report written by Michael Chatwin