Nantwich Town 2
Skelmersdale United 4
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

NANTWICH TOWN 2 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 4
NWCFL Div 1 - 25 March 2005

It was unlucky 13 for Nantwich as Skelmersdale proceeded to maul the Dabbers for the third time this season – hitting the back of the net 13 times in the process.
A 4-0 defeat in the League had been followed by a 5-2 League Cup hammering at Skem’s new stadium but the Dabbers looked set to make amends when they took an early lead. A raking pass from John Scarlett set Matt Blake clear in the third minute and the youngster took his chance well, drawing Skem keeper Robbie Holcroft towards him and then rolling the ball under him.
With the visitors’ offside trap consistently foiling the Nantwich forwards, the Dabbers were pegged back in their half as Skem went in search of an equaliser. Frankie Lacken got past Dave Griffin and drilled a shot that Danny Read blocked with his legs and the home keeper was again forced into action when Brown fired in at the near post. Steve Hussey’s flick set up Lee Thompson but he shot wide with just Read to beat and, in the next attack, he was thwarted by Danny Jarrett’s last ditch tackle. The pressure eventually told four minutes before the break when Lee Thompson ran across Adam Newton and the Nantwich right back clumsily brought him down in the box – Hussey calmly stroking home the spot kick. Skem almost took the lead when Carl Osman played in Birchall but Read again saved well. The half ended with a rare Nantwich attack when Ashley Lawton set up Blake who slipped the ball past Holcroft only to see it cleared off the line.
Nantwich regained the initiative 3 minutes after the break when Jarrett turned in Griggs’ corner but the lead lasted only 7 minutes. Osman flicked a throw in to Lee Thompson who rammed home the equaliser.
Paul Rutter should have restored the lead after he surged down the left and laid the ball off for Griggs whose shot ricocheted back into the path of the Nantwich substitute - but he stumbled over the ball with goal gaping in front of him.
Nantwich paid the price when Skem made it 3-2 on 68 minutes. Lee Thompson’s raking crossfield pass found Michael Cole in oceans of space and the Skem sub took his time to smash past Read.
The Nantwich keeper blotted his copybook 7 minutes from time when he sliced a clearance leaving Cole the simplest of tasks to tap in his second.
In the final minute Griggs neatly played in Blake but he shot wide and, all in all, it was a disappointing afternoon for Steve Davis’ men who were made to look lethargic by Skem’s incisive display.
Nantwich: Read, Newton, O’Brien, Griffin (Bradbury,60), Jarrett, Daniels, Griggs, Santus (Hampshire,77), Scarlett, Blake, Lawton (Rutter,60). Booked: Griffin (37mins), Newton (41mins), Griggs (63mins)
Skelmersdale: Holcroft, Price, K.Thompson, Standley, Rimmer, Brown, Birchall (Cole,63), Hussey, Lacken (Rudd,77), L.Thompson (Hyland,77), Osman. Booked: Cole (81mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin