Sutton Coldfield Town 1
Nantwich Town 0
FA Cup (Preliminary Round)

Match Report

Sutton Coldfield Town 1 Nantwich Town 0
FACup Preliminary Round, Saturday 4 September 2004

Nantwich paid the price for missed chances and were dumped out of the FA Cup by their Southern League opponents in an enthralling tie.
Sutton Coldfield scored the all important goal just after the hour mark when Richard Ball stole in behind the Nantwich back line and drove the ball past Dabbers’ debut keeper Matthew Higgins from 15 yards.
But the Dabbers created a host of chances and, with more clinical finishing, would have forced a replay.
In the first half, Melford Knight was denied by Justin Bray’s spectacular double save and the home keeper also blocked a quick-fire strike from the Nantwich midfielder.
For the hosts, Dean Perrow let fly over the bar and Ball should have done better when he mis-directed his header from Damien Markman’s cross.
The Dabbers finished the stronger as the first half came to a close with Melvyn Morrison’s foraging runs from deep unsettling the Sutton defence.
After the re-start, Higgins pulled off a smart near-post save to deny the speedy Markman but the Dabbers then regained the ascendency. A sweet through ball from the hardworking Michael Owen set up Danny Griggs but the Nantwich captain was unable to capitalise and, shortly afterwards, Ashley Lawton had a goalbound shot blocked and then saw his snapshot volley from Morrison’s cross clear the bar.
Then, out of the blue and against the run of play, came Sutton’s goal with the Dabbers defence appealing for offside.
As the visitors pressed forward for an equaliser, their former Macclesfield keeper kept them in the hunt with a stunning double save from Ball and Perrow. And, with the clock ticking down, Nantwich had two great chances to grab an equaliser in a nail-biting finale.
Steve Davis’s header into the danger area found Adam Landstrom but Bray got a hand to the substitute’s close range header and the ball trickled agonisingly wide of the post. Then, Griggs saw his deflected stoppage time effort loop inches over the bar as the hosts grimly held on for victory – and the £1000 prize money.
Sutton Coldfield Bray, Watkins (Baker,65), Gardner, Spittle, Geohaghan, Jones, Moran, Coates, Ball, Perrow, Markman (Berks, 65). Booked: Ball (48mins), Gardner (60mins)
Nantwich Higgins, Pullar, Beattie, Davis, Jardine, Owen, Santus (Allen,75), Knight, Lawton (A.Landstrom,71), Griggs, Morrison. Booked: Santus (60mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin