Nantwich Town 3
Ashton United 2
FA Cup (1st Round Qualifying)

Match Report

FA Cup.First Qualifying Round.

Saturday 15th September.2007.Kick off.3.00pm.

NANTWICH TOWN 3 v Ashton United 2
Glyn Blackhurst.7. Steve Garvey.14.
Danny Griggs (pen) 39. Gareth Richards.56.
Pavol Suhaj.77.
Attendance.403.

NANTWICH TOWN: Rob Hackney. Paul Donnelly.Paul Taylor. Richard Smith. Ryan Dicker. Phil Parkinson© Ashley Carter. Glyn Blackhurst. Andy Kinsey. Andy Bott. Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Nick Linford. Pavol Suhaj. Adam Beasley. Andy Taylor. Chris Williams G/K.

The tie was the first FA Cup match to be held at the Weaver Stadium and the first occasion since promotion that Nantwich had met an opposing side from the UniBond Premier Division. Nantwich introduced a couple of surprises to the bench by including Preston based goalkeeper Chris Williams (released by Bolton Wanderers during the closed season) and defender Andy Taylor who has returned to Nantwich for a second spell after a season away due to work commitments.Taylor was a member of the Nantwich 2006 FA Vase winning team.

‘The Dabbers’ opened brightly and with immediate effect took the game to their Premier Division opponents. A 2nd minute corner led to a chance for Kinsey who was unlucky to place a close range header over the bar.Nantwich deservedly went ahead in the 7th minute through a Glyn Blackhurst goal.In the build-up, a Danny Griggs free kick was deflected for a corner. Following the left sided flag kick Blackhurst rose above his marker at the far post to plant a perfectly timed header across Damien Rooney into the far corner of the net.Ashton responded with an attack during which ‘Dabbers’ central defender Richard Smith performed well to halt the run of Richards 12 yards from goal.From the clearance Nantwich attacked again with Ashley Carter gaining the final touch before his angled shot from deep on the Ashton left agonizingly flashed across the face of goal before going out for a goal kick.

Tenth minute pressure from the visitors resulted in central defender Ryan Dicker putting the ball behind for a United corner.From the flag kick Nantwich left back Paul Taylor did well to react sharply to Ben Smith’s close range shot that initially looked to be going over the line. Further Ashton pressure,and a little bit of uncertainty in defence allowed former Crewe Alex midfielder Steve Garvey to square the tie in the 14th minute.The experienced Ashton midfielder collected a loose ball from an initial Howard centre from the right before Bennett delivered the ball away from goal into the path of Garvey who drilled a shot from inside the area through a sea of legs past Rob Hackney into the left hand corner of the net.

Andy Kinsey worked the ball into the box in the 17th minute before setting up Blackhurst whose first time shot from 15 yards dipped over the bar,meanwhile,at the other end,Smith fired a wild shot from distance over the bar following a corner.At the other end Kinsey and Carter combined in the 22nd minute to set up Blackhurst who powered a close range diving header just wide of the target.Two minutes later Nantwich won a free kick halfway inside the Ashton half from which Andy Bott was only a whisker away with a header from 10 yards.A minute later, Griggs delivered a square ball that flashed across the face of goal to reach Carter.Unfortunately,the youngster’s attempt to hold the ball and make the turn was thwarted when his marker forced him further away from the right hand post before Carter produced a weakened shot from an acute angle.

On the half hour Ashton midfielder Bennett latched on to a clearance on the edge of the Nantwich area before working the ball to the centre and firing a hopeful 25 yard shot well over the bar, whilst 4 minutes later, Nantwich responded through a Griggs free kick that fell to Taylor who frustrated by wasting the shot and allowing Ashton skipper McCartney to clear.

Nantwich deservedly regained the lead courtesy of a Danny Griggs 39th minute penalty. From a right sided attack Paul Donnelly delivered a low cross into the path of Carter. Forde’s clumsy challenge felled Carter 5 yards inside the box just as the impressive midfielder was about to break through the Ashton defence. Despite Ashton ‘keeper Rooney bravely blocking Griggs penalty at the foot of his left hand post the long serving ‘Dabber’ followed in to smash the ball into the far top corner of the net to restore his side’s lead.

Two minutes from the break, and with Nantwich finishing strongly, Donnelly was unlucky with a 30 yard angled strike that whistled inches wide of the left hand post.

Half time: Nantwich Town 2 v Ashton United 1

Play switched ends for a time but, as the second period approached the 55th minute the visitors combined to place Nantwich on the defensive. A minute later Ashton leveled for the second time in the tie through Richards.With the home side stretched Tommy Taylor’s persistence won him a ball deep on the home left before turning inside and laying off to the well placed Richards whose first time angled volley flew past Hackney into the opposite corner of the net.
Nantwich responded with an attack that culminated with Kinsey firing a vicious shot from the edge of the box from which Rooney performed magnificently to save at the foot of his left hand post. Ashton left back Caldecott then performed an off the line clearance following a ‘Dabbers’ corner whilst a Griggs free kick from just outside the box unfortunately went straight through to the ‘keeper. The home side continued to press and Blackhurst was close with a 63rd minute header from the left after Donnelly’s perfect centre from deep found the well positioned midfielder. Andy Bott made way for Pavol Suhaj in the 64th minute, meanwhile, at the other end, Ashton striker Tommy Taylor shot wide from the left side of the area from a Richards pass whilst Ashton skipper McCartney placed a close range header over the bar moments later. Ashton were gifted an opportunity to take the lead in the 72nd minute following confusion between Rob Hackney and his defenders. Hackney lost possession of the ball five yards inside his area before Richards squandered the opportunity with a poor shot in front of an open goalmouth.

With a quarter hour of normal time remaining Carter, Suhaj and Griggs all had shots blocked around the edge of the 6 yard box after an initial long throw in from Blackhurst on the right forced the Ashton defence to retreat. The pressure eventually told and in the 77th minute Suhaj put Nantwich ahead for the third time.With Nantwich sensing uncertainty in the Ashton back line they pushed forward before forcing their central defenders to misjudge the bounce of the ball. From a long and panicky clearance Suhaj waited for the ball to reach him,made two paces forward before firing an unstoppable 15 yard volley past the stranded Rooney into the centre of the goal to set up a grandstand finish. Nantwich tails were up and were in no mood to sit on their well deserved restored lead.Late on, Griggs struck the bar from deep with a superb free kick,Carter then followed by setting up Suhaj and Kinsey with an opportunity,Paul Taylor struck an upright with a fierce left foot volley whilst at the other end Bennett tested Hackney who responded with a great diving save to hold the 25 yard pile driver.

Five minutes of added time were signaled during which Tommy Taylor disappointed his side with a poor finish from Ben Smith’s cross whilst right on the whistle Ashley Carter’s close range effort was blocked by Rooney, by far the afternoon’s busiest goal keeper to conclude a pulsating first ever FA Cup tie at the recently opened Weaver Stadium.

Rodney Densem Wines sponsored ‘Man of the Match’ award was presented to: Ashley Carter.

A beaming Nantwich head coach Steve Davis responded to the victory by saying: “ We thoroughly deserved the victory. Looking back, if only a couple more of the first half chances we created had acquired better finishing the game could well have been out of sight for them at half time.To be fair,Ashton created their share of opportunities, particularly in the second half but, poor finishing let them down.However, a quality strike won it for us and was a great way to sign off in a thrilling cup tie”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson