Sheffield FC 0
Nantwich Town 3
League (NPL Division 1 South)

Match Report

Sheffield FC 0 v NANTWICH TOWN 3
Pavol Suhaj.40.
Danny Griggs.45.
Glyn Blackhurst.85.


Saturday 25th August.2007

NANTWICH TOWN; Rob Hackney.Paul Donnelly. Paul Taylor. Richard Smith.Ryan Dicker. Phil Parkinson ©. Ashley Carter. Glyn Blackhurst. Pavol Suhaj. Nick Lingford. Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Andy Kinsey. Wayne Teague. Steve Davis.

Head coach Steve Davis called for a strong performance ahead of this match against 3rd placed Sheffield, who had won their opening couple of games.Despite the last minute loss to Alsager in midweek, Davis told his players to go out and build on the gritty showing against Alsager. Nantwich players responded by putting in a very strong performance, to which their hosts,for the most part,could find no answer to ‘The Dabbers’ determination. The return from suspension of skipper Phil Parkinson provided leadership and his fellow players gave their all in what at times became a somewhat one sided contest. For a variety of reasons, five first team players were absent, meanwhile Nick Lingford supported Pavol Suhaj in attack whilst Andy Kinsey was relegated to the bench. Nantwich attacked from the off with Suhaj going close with a glancing header in the 4th minute. Despite pressure from Sheffield Nantwich responded with two corners in a minute.Griggs tested goal keeper Holmshaw with a stinging drive in the 17th minute, that required two takes of the ball,whilst Suhaj wasted a great chance to open the score for his side on 27 minutes after the hard working Ashley Carter had played in the tall Slovakian 12 yards out.Griggs was unlucky with a superbly taken 20 yard free kick that bent over the wall leaving Holmshaw narrowly avoiding conceding with a last ditch save at his left hand post.However,despite Lingford delaying on a 38th minute shot,having shrugged off three challenges in the process,Suhaj came up trumps two minutes later to score his,and Nantwich’s first goal in the UniBond league when he dismissed a couple of challenges before firing an unstoppable angled shot across Holmshaw into the bottom left hand corner of the net.Four minutes from the halfway mark Powell wasted a spot kick by blasting over the bar after Hackney was adjudged to have brought down a Sheffield player,whilst right on the stroke of half time Griggs put Nantwich further ahead when he fired a firm low narrow angled drive across the body of the goal keeper into the bottom right hand corner of the net.Phil Parkinson needed treatment in the 49th minute from a forearm smash in the face by Robinson, who surprisingly escaped with a yellow card.Despite pressure from Sheffield in the early stages of the second period Nantwich remained firm and eventually took control of the game for long periods.A Suhaj glancing close range header was only just held on the line by the busy Sheffield custodian as the match approached the hour mark.Further Nantwich openings went begging before Kinsey replaced Suhaj in the 71st minute.Sheffield struggled to break down the resolute ‘Dabbers’and were largely restricted to long range efforts for most of the second half.Four minutes from normal time Wayne Teague replaced the hard working Ashley Carter in midfield before Glyn Blackhurst killed the game off in the 85th minute with a superb header close to the left hand post after Lingford had delivered a perfect angled shot to meet the head of the impressive former Alsager midfielder.Sheffield’s late rally placed Nantwich momentarily on the back foot but the worlds oldest football club could have no room for complaint following a result that Nantwich thoroughly deserved via a more than convincing display.

Head coach Steve Davis reflected: “ We told them before kick off to go out and build on the Alsager midweek performance,and they did just that. In just over a week the lads have made great strides in their output and at the finish Sheffield were probably surprised at how strong and effective we were on the day.There is more to come, and it will take time. Importantly, we are off the mark and with a clean sheet. Having played very well this afternoon we are looking to follow this performance with a positive result against Gresley on Monday.”

Match report written by Phil Johnson