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

Match Report

Date: Saturday 16th December.2006.

Teams: NANTWICH TOWN 1 v Curzon Ashton 1
Fitton (70) Norton (62)

NANTWICH TOWN: Rob Hackney. Alex Gibson. Paul Donnelly. Richard Smith. Mark Fitton. Phil Parkinson © Adam Beasley. Christian Dacres. Andy Kinsey. Andy Bott. Matt Blake. Substitutes: James Marrow. Stuart Scheuber. Mathew Platt.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis was deprived of no less than 6 first team players for this clash between two of the leading promotional candidates in the first division of the North West Counties League.Including Davis himself,who is struggling with a groin injury,Danny Griggs,Murray McCulloch,Paul Taylor,Gyorgy Kiss and Michalis Chailis were all unavailable through injury.In a bid to maintain competitiveness Davis called upon the assistance of Stafford Rangers manager Phil Robinson for the loan of right back Alex Gibson and central midfielder Christian Dacres, both players going straight into the starting line up which represented the twentieth time Nantwich have been forced into changes in a league match so far this season.

The opening quarter hour was littered with chances for the home side and as early as the 3rd minute a five man move from midfield disappointedly ended when Andy Bott narrowly failed to keep the ball in play.Matt Blake, whose match fitness level appears to be improving with every game,was denied a break through on goal in the 8th minute when Curzon right back Birch halted his progress a mere 10 yards out.Adam Beasley followed shortly after with a move down the right but,despite breaking free of his marker,the midfielder’s pace was slower than goalkeeper Fish who quickly smothered the ball just outside the 6 yard box.During the visitors first serious attack of the half debutant `Dabbers` right back Alex Gibson halted Curzon midfielder Worsley’s run before the dangerous looking Norton delivered a speculative shot from the right that fizzed out for a goal kick.Andy Bott was unlucky not to open the scoring for `The Dabbers` when his 16th minute close range chip over the goalkeeper lifted over the bar and again on 21 minutes,Andy Kinsey’s through ball to the well placed Bott unfortunately cannoned off the strikers legs and through to Fish in the Curzon goal.Meanwhile,Curzon striker Norton hit a 25 yard volley that came off the bottom of the right hand post,and threatened shortly after,this time with a shot from the left that was covered by Hackney at his near post.With the half hour approaching appeals from Nantwich players to referee Carl Dunn to take a firm approach to persistent heavy challenges by certain opposition players went unheeded but however, referee Dunn did intervene following alleged abuse from Curzon manager Gary Lowe towards the Football League official.Lowe was instructed to leave the visitors bench but, annoyingly to the Nantwich first team coaches,Lowe was allowed to stand just a few yards away,albeit behind the spectator barrier from where he continued to hand out exceedingly loud instructions.Nantwich narrowly escaped falling behind in the 22nd minute when Norton fired a 25 yard shot that struck the bottom of the right hand post before skidding across the line and out for a Nantwich throw.Play switched ends following the scare with Kinsey and Bott combining well to set up a promising move only for Birch to nip across the path of Bott just as he was about to unleash a close range shot at goal.Paul Donnelly,who was excelling in an unfamiliar left back role,delivered the sweetest of crosses in the 28th minute to Andy Bott whose close range downward header at the right hand post was agonizingly blocked on the line by Fish.Five minutes from the break Matt Blake forced a corner over on the right but,after Curzon cleared the flag kick,they swept up field to place `The Dabbers` on the defensive.Alex Gibson did a sterling job in preventing Curzon winger Ogoo from encroaching further than the edge of the area but, despite the visitors winning a corner in added time, the somewhat scrappy at times, first period, ended goalless.

On resumption Nantwich were forced to defend for a period and on 50 minutes debutant midfielder Dacres was shown a yellow card when he brought down Moore close to the left hand edge of the area.Norton’s 52nd minute ridiculous appeal for a penalty was waved away after the striker deliberately sat down in the box amongst a clutch of players.A 55th minute left sided corner,neatly delivered by Adam Beasley,fell to the well placed Andy Kinsey who elected to shoot with his left foot rather than his trusty right,and with insufficient power in the shot, left Fish an otherwise easier close range ball to save at his right post.On the hour,Stuart Scheuber replaced debutant midfielder Christian Dacres whilst a minute later, Moore,whose headed goal in the first meeting of the club’s back in October gave Curzon victory,hit a 15 yard shot that struck the bottom of the right hand post before thankfully flying to safety.However,Curzon,who were distributing the ball a shade quicker and better, than `The Dabbers`,took a 62nd minute lead when the home defence failed to clear their lines on the left hand edge of their 18 yard area.The slightly built striker homed in on the loose ball before cutting back and shooting into the far right hand corner of the net.Nantwich deservedly levelled in the 70th minute through central defender Mark Fitton.A corner from the left was neatly dispatched by Adam Beasley across the face of goal to the far post where it was met by the head of the on loan Kidsgrove defender,climbing above a clutch of players before dispatching the ball into the roof of the net.Ironically,Fitton was ruled out of Tuesday’s clash with Newcastle after sustaining a head injury whilst at work! The goal sparked Nantwich into a flurry of attacks but,disappointedly without breaking open the opposition.Adam Beasley made way for Mathew Platt just before Curzon produced a late charge.The dangerous Norton came close to making it a brace when his 87th minute 20 yard angled shot struck the bottom of the left hand post before flying out for a throw-in,whilst in the 88th minute Alex Gibson spared Nantwich blushes when the right back headed clear off the line as Curzon went for broke.In added time Stuart Scheuber produced a couple of close range efforts for `The Dabbers` without troubling Fish, and within seconds of the final goal kick Mr Dunn brought proceedings to an end.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis reflected: “ A poor,scrappy game, in which we gained a point.In the first half we looked like square pegs in round holes but, late on in the second period, we sparked, and played well against a competitive side who knock the ball around to reasonable effect.I am grateful to Phil Robinson at Stafford for the loan of a couple of players without whom our injury battered squad would have been stretched to the limit”.


Nantwich,who have no midweek match this week,remain 3rd in the NWCL 1st Division nine points adrift but,with three games in hand over of new leaders Salford City.`The Dabbers`are at home this coming Saturday 23rd December to the improving Trafford,currently 7th they have games in hand over the majority of clubs in the division.Nantwich claimed victory in the away match at Trafford back on the 22nd August courtesy of a Danny Griggs 30th minute penalty and a Mark Fitton goal on the hour.Saturday’s visit of Trafford is `The Dabbers` final home game in 2006 and return to Jackson Avenue for their first home game in 2007 on Saturday 6th January when Abbey Hey are the visitors.Meanwhile,over the Christmas and New Year period, Nantwich visit Stone Dominoes on Boxing day in a 3.00pm kick off whilst on Saturday 30th December `The Dabbers` visit Atherton Collieries.There are no league fixtures on New Years Day or during the midweek.

Match report written by Phil Johnson