Nantwich Town 2
Grantham Town 1
League (NPL Div 1 South - Play-Off Semi-Final)

Match Report

UniBond League First Division South

Tuesday 29th April.2008.

Semi Final Play-Off

NANTWICH TOWN 2 v Grantham Town 1
Andy Kinsey.76. Jason Turner.74
Glyn Blackhurst.88

NANTWICH TOWN: Lee Jones. Paul Donnelly. Gyorgy Kiss. Richard Smith. Ryan Dicker (Suhaj 75). Phil Parkinson © (Clements 63). Ashley Carter. Glyn Blackhurst. Andy Kinsey. Adam Beasley (Walker 75). Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Dave Walker. Chris Clements. Pavol Suhaj.

Referee: Mr A.J Horton. Attendance:624.

Nantwich left it late before finally overcoming a resilient Grantham Town in Tuesday’s UniBond League First Division South Semi Final play-off.

Grantham gave early notice when winger Rob Norris delivered a firm shot in the 3rd minute from deep that flashed across ‘keeper Lee Jones and mere inches wide of the left hand post. But then began a series of opportunities for Nantwich as first, Andy Kinsey went close with a shot on the turn from a Paul Donnelly pass whilst Glyn Blackhurst went close with a lofted strike following an Adam Beasley pass 12 yards out.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Glen Atkinson’s shot caught Lee Jones off balance at the expense of a corner before Nantwich reversed the flow with Kinsey, Donnelly and Beasley combining in a move that left Beasley going close with an effort that just crept over the bar. Kinsey was then unlucky with a looping header that forced Grantham ‘keeper Ziccardi to stretch under his bar before Blackhurst went close after being played in from an Ashley Carter- Kinsey combination. At the other end, Grantham piled forward in the 19th minute and with the home side stretched on the left Grantham striker Sam Mullarkey cut inside to fire across Jones into the far corner of the net. However, a flag was already raised and the effort was ruled offside but, it was another warning to ‘The Dabbers’ who were guilty at that point of some wayward defending.

On 23 minutes, Jones held well from Mullarkey after winger Norris had played him through from outside the box whilst at the other end, a scramble in the Grantham 6 yard box led to Kinsey getting tight to the right hand post before being muscled out in a challenge. Just before the half hour Norris fired wide from a good position followed by ‘Dabbers’ central defender Richard Smith who made a timely clearance from a header inside the 6 yard box as Grantham came calling again.

Blackhurst was presented with a great opportunity to score in the 35th minute but, despite turning his marker and then pulling the ball back and lining it up, in his eagerness to score, his effort skied over the bar. Nantwich won a late corner after Danny Griggs free kick was put out by a defender leaving ‘Dabbers’ captain Phil Parkinson to rise for the incoming ball but his glancing header from 7 yards flashed wide of the opposite post – then, deep into added time, Blackhurst was desperately unlucky not to score when his header from inside the 6 yard box clipped the cross bar and over for the last goal kick of the half.

Three minutes into the second half, Adam Beasley hit a shot on the turn from distance after Kinsey had played him in with a well judged square pass from deep on the Grantham left. Kinsey’s well struck shot in the 50th minute was turned behind for a corner but for some inexplicable reason the home side developed a rather languid look, much to the frustration of the head coach and his assistant, and not a few of the huge ‘Dabbers’ following either who had turned out in numbers to encourage their side to victory in this vital game. Just past the hour, Nantwich lived dangerously. Norris made a run to deep on the home left before firing across the face of goal and with Jones beaten ‘The Dabbers’ had the closest of shaves when the ball struck the outside of the post before crossing the bye line to safety. The effect was to give Grantham a boost whilst at the same time, quietening the home support. However, Ashley Carter then went close with a shot that forced Ziccardi to turn around a post whilst at the other end Grantham striker Jason Turner fired wide from a corner. Nantwich eventually turned defence into attack and both Kinsey and Carter went close but on 74 minutes Grantham caught Nantwich napping when Turner made a run deep on the left before cutting inside and taking advantage of a yawning gap on the left side of defence to delivered a powerful shot that went across the front of Jones before striking the inside of the far post and spinning over the line for the goal.

However, two particularly inspired changes by Steve Davis contrived to turn the game on its head. Earlier, Phil Parkinson (hernia) had been replaced by Chris Clements but the introduction of Dave Walker and Pavol Suhaj proved to be the trick card. Walker, in an almost carbon copy of an effort at the weekend pulled his marker deep toward the left corner flag before turning inside with tight run to the bye line and delivering an inch perfect cross leaving Andy Kinsey to plant a bullet header past Ziccardi into the roof of the net from 3 yards.

Suddenly, The Weaver Stadium was alight. Grantham tried hard to place Nantwich on the defensive but with the home side coming out of their slumber they found their task somewhat frustrated. From a spell where they had been second to the ball, Nantwich now assumed command. Blackhurst wasted a good opportunity late in the game when he blasted a shot over the bar before going close with a header in the 85th minute. However, the hard working midfielder, whose 34th minute goal at The Weaver Stadium back on the 22nd of December cemented the points when Grantham visited last, got on the end of Walker’s cross in the 88th minute before planting a firm header past Ziccardi to send the home fans into raptures. Grantham tried to hit back with a late equalizer but, despite three minutes of added time Nantwich remained strong and held off their visitors to send ‘The Dabbers’ through to Saturday’s play-off final at the Weaver Stadium where their opponents will be Sheffield FC who beat Stocksbridge Park Steels by 4 goals to 1 in the other semi final.

Steve Davis said after the match: “We always believed this was going to be a tight game, and we were proved correct. They are a competitive outfit and made us work hard for the win. However, we created eight good chances in the first half and were very unfortunate not to go in at half time with a lead. But then we seemed to die a little half way through the second half and for a time were second to the ball. When it got to around the last 15 minutes, and being a goal down, I realised we had to do something if we were going to get back on level terms. Fortunately, the change worked, and whilst we made everyone sweat toward the end we have deservedly made the final and must now give it our very best shot if we are to line-up in the UniBond Premier next season”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson