Stocksbridge Park Steels 1
Nantwich Town 0
League (NPL Division 1 South)

Match Report

UniBond League First Division South

Saturday 17th November.2007.

Stocksbridge Park Steels 1 v NANTWICH TOWN 0
Jamie Vardy. 23.

Referee. Mr M.A Horne.

Stocksbridge Park Steels: Andy Jefferey. Ryan Ludlam © . Adam Oldham. Brett Lovell. Steve Kennedy. Matt Telling. Ian Richards. Adam Brown (Benger 74). Ben Walker (Ring 64). Jamie Vardy. Alvin Riley. Substitutes: Mark Ward. Andy Ring. Nathan Benger.


NANTWICH TOWN: Lee Jones. Paul Donnelly. Gyorgy Kiss (Suhaj 74). Richard Smith. Ryan Dicker (Beasley 45). Phil Parkinson ©. Ashley Carter. Glyn Blackhurst. Andy Kinsey. Robin Gibson (Mellor 70). Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Kelvin Mellor. Adam Beasley. Pavol Suhaj.

Nantwich opened in spirited fashion – Ashley Carter winning a 2nd minute corner before Jefferey rose to punch clear from Griggs flag kick. Three minutes later, Kinsey was brought down in the box but, despite appeals for a penalty, referee Mr Horne waved them away, whilst moments later, a Griggs free kick from deep flew past the right hand post.

Inexplicably, Nantwich immediately went in reverse, first allowing winger Riley a deep run on the left before passing inside to striker Vardy and were it not for some excellent defensive work by central defender Smith, Vardy would have been through on goal from 10 yards. Vardy again threatened, with a centre from the right intended for the lurking Walker, fortunately for the visitors, the shot was too strong and went out of play. Meanwhile, at the other end, Gibson and Kinsey combined before bringing Blackhurst into play whose close range shot flew across the face of goal, albeit off target.

On 17 minutes, a further Nantwich appeal for a penalty was dismissed, despite Gibson being upended in the box whilst on the move. At the other end, Smith produced a timely clearance, albeit at the expense of a corner before Stocksbridge centre half Lovell headed over at the far post from the dead ball kick. From the goal kick, Carter trapped the ball before turning for goal from the right and then being fouled by Lovell inside the area, not for the first time in this half, penalty appeals were waved away.

On 22 minutes, a Griggs free kick from the right was headed into the near post side netting by Nantwich left back Gyorgy Kiss, who clearly was carrying the effects of Tuesday’s harsh tackle at Northwich in which he sustained a heavy knock on the shin. From the goal kick, Stocksbridge attacked down the right, the ball reaching midfielder Brown whose run on goal from outside the box was magnificently halted by centre half Richard Smith but, the clearance was immediately played over to the far side where Brown again picked up the ball before sending in a cross to the far post where the unmarked Vardy rose to head into the back of the net through a narrow gap between the upright and Lee Jones outstretched right hand. But, Jones was then magnificent in tipping over Walkers cross at the expense of a corner whilst Dicker reached the dead ball kick first before heading clear. Strangely, Nantwich began to look jaded, and were often guilty of gifting Stocksbridge the ball, with the net result they had to work overtime in keeping the home side at bay. But, a couple of rare attacks resulted in Nantwich winning a couple of free kicks, from the second, Griggs shot flew across the bows of the ‘keeper, albeit narrowly, before the home side launched an attack that ended with the referee awarding a 32nd minute penalty from an incident inside a very crowded 6 yard box. But Jones followed by earning the applause of the traveling support when he produced a magnificent save after reading penalty taker Walkers spot kick correctly.

In the dying minutes of the first period, Nantwich central defender Smith played a further big part in keeping at bay the marauding Stocksbridge forwards. First, he intercepted Riley’s inside pass to Walker, whilst two minutes later he elected to chest the ball away, albeit at the expense of a corner. From the in swinging corner ‘Dabbers’ captain Phil Parkinson was handily placed at the near post before making the all important clearance. Paul Donnelly was then on hand to halt Walkers run from midfield whilst at the other end, Blackhurst won a corner from a deflected shot after his initial ball was intended for the well placed Kinsey before Griggs threatened with a fearsome low drive that goal keeper Jefferey did well to hold. From the goal kick, Stocksbridge attacked once more and Lee Jones performed well in saving from Vardy before Brown fired over from the right whilst on the whistle, Jones excelled once more when he produced a brilliant reaction to the close range threat of Brown whose bullet like shot was held by the Welshman.

Half Time: Stocksbridge Park Steels 1 v NANTWICH TOWN 0

Steve Davis elected to retire central defender Ryan Dicker before the second half got underway. Phil Parkinson moved to replace Dicker whilst Adam Beasley came off the bench to take on Parkinson’s midfield role. In early second half exchanges Griggs and Smith combined during a Nantwich attack that saw Smith go close with a powerful header. A Gibson centre from the right fell wide of the far post whilst at the other end, Beasley did well to break up a Stocksbridge move in midfield. On 50 minutes Parkinson played a tasty looking ball to Ashley Carter before the move broke down but Carter was to threaten two minutes later and was unlucky to witness his shot from the right cut out at the near post. Minutes later, Vardy set up Walker on the edge of the 6 yard box from which Jones reacted smartly to block the striker’s angled shot. Blackhurst performed well to cut out a further effort from Brown before Vardy’s cross from the right was placed wide of the target by the head of Walker. Meanwhile, an Ashley Carter move outside the area was blocked by Jefferey after Carter was initially squeezed between a couple of defenders. On 62 minutes Kinsey placed an effort narrowly wide of the left upright whilst a Griggs free kick was hacked off the line as ‘The Dabbers’ sought an equalizer. But, despite the efforts of the visitors, Stocksbridge were always working that much harder and were clearly intent on reversing the recent 5-1 defeat at The Weaver Stadium. Jones made a commanding save from a free kick before Parkinson did well in halting substitute Ring from an intended 10 yard strike. Robin Gibson made way for Kelvin Mellor on 70 minutes whilst injury struck Gyorgy Kiss returned to the bench on 74 minutes leaving final substitute Pavol Suhaj to play in a changed formation. The 3-4-3 change produced an immediate effect and during the final quarter hour Nantwich pressed Stocksbridge hard. The dying minutes were littered with free kicks and Stocksbridge were rarely able to get out of their own half. In the 80th minute Blackhurst volleyed into the back of the net from a Griggs corner but were denied when a debatable decision by an assistant referee made a claim that the ball had gone out before coming back in and Blackhurst scoring. Referee Horne initially awarded the goal before the flag waving assistant gained the attention of the referee and after some debate the goal was ruled out much to the derision of the Nantwich players. However, despite that bitter disappointment, Nantwich continued to battle, and were it not for the reaction of goal keeper Jefferey, Ashley Carters 88th minute angled strike that was heading for the top left hand corner, would have brought the score level. Secvonds before the final whistle Suhaj placed acouple of close range headers on target, the second of which crept over at the angle of post and bar.

A bitterly disappointed head coach Steve Davis commented: “ By and large, a poor display. The players were warned of the likely response of Stocksbridge and only a handful of our players came out of the match with any credit”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson