Nantwich Town 4
Stone Dominoes 0
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Date: Saturday 7th April. 2007.
NANTWICH TOWN 4 v STONE DOMINOES 0

NANTWICH TOWN: Rob Hackney. Mark Fitton. Paul Taylor. Richard Smith. Paul Donnelly. Phil Parkinson © Gyorgy Kiss. Stuart Scheuber. Andy Kinsey. Andy Bott. Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Adam Beasley. Matt Blake. Danny Smith.

Nantwich took charge from the whistle and within the first two minutes Dominoes goal keeper James Hall had to deal with close range shots from skipper Phil Parkinson and Mark Fitton. Further pressure on the Dominoes defense was converted into ‘The Dabbers’ opening goal when, from a fourth minute scramble in the six yard box, Paul Taylor struck a low drive into the bottom right hand corner of the net.In the eighth minute Stone had goal keeper James Hall to thank when first he turned a Griggs shot away followed by a last ditch save at the foot of his left hand post from a Kinsey close range effort. However, right on the stroke of the quarter hour Nantwich increased their lead. Midfielder Stuart Scheuber won a ball from just inside his own half before playing a neatly timed through ball to Danny Griggs. In a one on one situation with Dominoes left back Liam McKinney, Griggs twisted and turned before playing square across the six yards box into the path of Andy Bott who rammed the ball home from a couple of yards giving Hall no chance to save. From the restart ‘The Dabbers’ attacked yet again and were unlucky after Kinsey’s ball across the six yard box into the path of Bott narrowly missed the striker whilst seconds later similar occurred only this time it was Paul Taylor who narrowly lost out to the pass when handily placed on the left hand post. Credit to Dominoes who, despite constant pressure, kept their heads up and worked hard to make an impression on the game. However, the visitors went further behind in the twenty second minute, this time after they had conceded a free kick deep on their right hand side. Danny Griggs elected to take the dead ball kick and from the well struck ball he delivered it straight into the path of Andy Bott who stole in from behind the defense to deliver a superb glancing header from inside the six yard box past the stranded James Hall. For Stone, their first real attack of note came in the twenty seventh minute when Niall Maguire placed a header from twelve yards wide of the target whilst two minutes later a Wayne Teague twenty yard shot brought a one handed tip over from Rob Hackney, albeit at the expense of a corner. Dominoes persistence won them a second corner after Maguire’s close range header glanced off a home defender but Nantwich held firm and went looking for a further goal. Eight minutes from the break and ‘The Dabbers’ came very close to extending their lead. From a move down the opposition right Danny Griggs pace took him into space before delivering a superb twenty five yard angled shot that beat Hall but, agonizingly struck the angle of the goal keepers left hand post before going out for a goal kick. Three minutes from half time Hall did well to divert the ball, albeit at the expense of a corner, after Paul Taylor’s perfectly judged close range square ball into the path of Andy Kinsey was tipped over the bar following a Kinsey glancing header.
Dominoes stepped up their pace right from the start of the second half and when they eventually pushed Nantwich on the defensive midfielder Peter Bromley’s fifty first minute long range shot was easily held by Rob Hackney. Nantwich hit back in the fifty sixth minute with close range headers from Fitton and Taylor that the alert Hall did well to punch clear from on both occasions. Inexplicably, shortly afterwards, ‘The Dabbers’ dropped into slumber mode and were in danger of being caught out by the young and eager opposition. However, urgent calls from the bench and the terraces brought them back to life, and they struck a fourth goal in the sixty seventh minute. The goal came initially from a move started by Gyorgy Kiss on the left and after Nantwich had switched the ball back and forth across the front of the visiting defense Andy Kinsey eventually swept the ball into the net to score his thirtieth goal of the season. Nantwich made a double substitution moments later with Matt Blake,making a return to the squad after several weeks out with injury, replacing Andy Bott whilst Stuart Scheuber made way for Adam Beasley in midfield. Kinsey was further out of luck, this time in the seventy fifth minute, when a close range header following a superb Paul Taylor cross from the edge of the six yard box was turned away by Hall followed by a Gyorgy Kiss stinging twenty five yard left footed volley that again tested the visiting goal keeper. Danny Griggs was rested after the busy winger was substituted by Danny Smith in the seventy seventh minute followed two minutes later by James Hall who twice saved from Adam Beasley before denying Danny Smith twelve yards from goal two minutes later. Both sides then began to tire on the firm surface, the pace of the game had rarely fallen right from the start but, in the end, the craft and experience of ‘The Dabbers’ proved too much in this final local league derby ever to take place at Jackson Avenue whilst next weekend the visit of Squires Gate brings the curtain down for good after 123 years of football.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis was more than happy with the result and said: “ We played some excellent football, particularly in the first half which, by and large, we dominated. The goals were well taken and were it not for their goal keeper; the score line would have been extended. Dominoes, to their credit kept working but, the experience of our players told and we thoroughly deserved the victory”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson