Nantwich Town 2
Congleton Town 2
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Date: Wednesday 13th September.2006.

NANTWICH TOWN 2 v Congleton Town 2
Bott (40), Fitton (73) McNutt (5), Courtney (86)

NANTWICH: Rob Hackney. Paul Donnelly. Paul Taylor. Richard Smith. Mark Fitton. Phil Parkinson. Ishmail Reade. Adam Beasley. Andy Kinsey. Andy Bott. Danny Griggs. Substitutes:
Stuart Scheuber. Mathew Platt. Lawrence Briggs.

Nantwich were placed under pressure early in the game with break’s coming from Congleton down both
flanks.The pace of `The Bears`caught Nantwich out in the fifth minute when McNutt found himself with
time and space down the left to look up and fire an unchallenged 20 yard left foot volley into the far
bottom corner of the net.But,the home side retaliated with a couple of good opportunities minutes later
through Andy Bott,who was a shade unlucky with a dipping shot that fell just wide of the right side of
goal on 8 minutes,followed shortly after by a 6 yard effort that was stabbed narrowly wide after a short
range corner involving Paul Taylor,Danny Griggs and Bott had been taken.Despite winning a second
corner within a minute of the goal kick Nantwich found themselves stretched on the left when Hurst cut
inside Paul Taylor to fire a close range shot inches wide of the opposite post.Nantwich hit back in the
19th minute winning a further corner from which Andy Kinsey headed downwards from 2 yards,only to
have the ball blocked right on the goal line by a defenders foot with ‘keeper McCormick beaten.Kinsey
was working hard in and around the 18 yard area and on 25 minutes he delivered a pin point crossfield
ball toward Andy Bott who was agonizingly thwarted at 10 yards by McCormick who snatched the ball
from the head of the Nantwich No.10 with perfect timing.But,despite these efforts by Nantwich, they
were guilty on occasion of donating space to the visitors who exploited it to the point where the home
defence was having to work overtime to nullify the threats, mainly through McNutt and Courtney.On the
half hour McNutt took advantage of space on the left to put in a speculative shot that whistled past
Hackney,fortunately striking the opposite angle of post and bar to safety.Ten minutes before the break it
was Nantwich who took control of the game and Kinsey was very unlucky with a close range header that
just grazed the right hand side of the upright.However,pressure by `The Dabbers` finally told in the
40th minute when the combined efforts of Kinsey and Bott forced defender Alston to put through
his own net after Bott’s close range shot became tangled between the legs of the Congleton right
back.Defensively Congleton were in disarray at this point, and were lucky not to have conceded further
after good work involving Griggs,Bott and Kinsey.Bott’s run on the left saw the No.10 thread a pass
through to the mobile Kinsey but,despite evading a defender the ball narrowly avoided Kinsey’s right
foot and the chance gone, with only McCormick to beat from 10 yards.From the clearance Nantwich
attacked again winning two corners in added time but the half ended all square.

The second period opened with `The Dabbers` in lively mood and 4 minutes into the half both Griggs
and Beasley had short range efforts blocked close to goal.Ishmail Reade followed closely after with
some good work from midfield allowing Andy Kinsey to put in a fierce drive from 15 yards that
McCormick managed to cover well.Nantwich created two further openings in the 50th minute,first
Danny Griggs delivered a perfect angled ball from the right to the unmarked Andy Bott whose header
from 15 yards shaved the upright of the opposite post, followed by a right sided overhead kick from Paul
Donnelly that was taken by the ‘keeper at the near post.Eight minutes later `The Dabbers` won three
consecutive corners,the third saw Mark Fitton rise at the right hand post but, the header was agonizingly
wide.Congleton then responded with a shot from Courtney that flashed across the face of goal and
Nantwich followed moments later winning a free kick on the edge of the D that Danny Griggs delivered
but, the ball floated over the bar for a goal kick.65 minutes on and by now the Nantwich front pairing of
Kinsey and Bott were occupying the regular attention of the visitors central defenders.A Kinsey cross
was met by Bott stationed 10 yards out but, the effort arrived in the arms of McCormick.Nantwich
pressure finally paid dividend in the 73rd minute when a corner from the left was floated to the
back post by Paul Taylor,to be met by the head of Mark Fitton,climbing above his marker to head
into the net from 8 yards.Ishmail Reade made way for Mathew Platt 10 minutes from time and at this
point Congleton gave notice that they believed they could still take something from the game.That belief
turned into reality in the 86th minute when Courtney broke free down the left sending in a looping strike
that floated straight over Rob Hackney into the far corner of the net.Momentarily stunned by that
opportunistic strike Nantwich hit back with a series of raids, one of which, right on the stroke of full
time, won them a free kick on the edge of the area from which dead ball taker Adam Beasley was
unlucky to fire narrowly wide.
After the keenly contested match Nantwich Head Coach Steve Davis reflected:-“ We did more than
enough in the game to win it, producing one of the best performances to date.It was somewhat
disappointing having to settle for a draw, particularly after what was an opportunistic shot by their
striker Courtney so late in the game.”

Match report written by Phil Johnson