Nantwich Town 5
Cammell Laird 1
NPL Presidents Trophy (3rd Round)

Match Report

UniBond League First Division South

Presidents Cup.3rd Round.

Saturday.26thJanuary.2008.

NANTWICH TOWN 5 v Cammell Laird 1
Paul Taylor.10.55. Carl Furlong.59.
Ashley Carter.33.
Andy Kinsey.70.
Danny Griggs.77.

NANTWICH TOWN: Lee Jones. Paul Donnelly. Gyorgy Kiss. Richard Smith. Ryan Dicker (Edge.86). Phil Parkinson (Prince.78). Ashley Carter (Hamilton-Hendrix.82) Adam Beasley. Andy Kinsey. Paul Taylor. Danny Griggs. Substitutes: Tristan Hamilton-Hendrix. Liam Prince. Danny Edge.

Cammell Laird: Paul Whitfield. Anthony Sheehan. Anthony Lynch ©. John Couch. Lee Atherton (Patterson (58). Joe McMahon (Wright.58). Eddie Jebb. Joe Gibilru. Carl Furlong. Alex Hay. Chris Adamson (Brookes.58). Substitutes: Stuart Wright. Danny Brookes. Ian Patterson.

Nantwich were down to the bare bones for this UniBond League Presidents Cup tie against high flying Cammell Laird. Injury, suspension and unavailability of key players left Nantwich with only eleven first team players hours before kick off and, with three youth team players who have experienced first team football on Cheshire County FA duty, plus Kelvin Mellor, who is on an extended trial at Crewe Alexandra, head coach Steve Davis called up 16 year old youth team players Liam Prince and Danny Edge to the bench for their first taste of senior football.

‘The Dabbers’ went ahead in the 10th minute through Paul Taylor. Moments before the goal Andy Kinsey and Danny Griggs traded passes inside the area before ‘Lairds’ goalkeeper Paul Whitfield came off his line to smother the ball. But, from the goal kick, Nantwich built an attack down the Cammell Laird right from which Nantwich left back Gyorgy Kiss laid a timely pass into the feet of Paul Taylor who crashed the ball into the roof of the net from an angle just off the edge of the 6 yard box.

Nantwich deservedly went further ahead in the 33rd minute through Ashley Carter. In the build up to the goal, ‘The Dabbers’ contrived to pull their visitors out of position on their left from where Andy Kinsey fed the ball through a stretched defence leaving Carter to latch on to it on the opposite flank, before driving the ball home from close range.

At this stage in the tie, Cammell Laird were hardly getting a look in and in the main were resorting to snap shots from outside the box. However, a series of corners won by the Merseysiders did provide them with a number of opportunities but, a mixture of poor passing and a resolute Nantwich defence, denied the visitors any opportunity. As the tie moved towards half time a little tension crept into the game and the temperature rose when Cammell Laird recent signing Carl Furlong was seen to catch Danny Griggs in the mouth with an arm. However, after taking Furlong to one side after Griggs had received treatment, referee Mr Yates elected to take no action.

Nantwich resumed the second half where they had left off, in attack and increased their margin further courtesy of Paul Taylor, who completed a brace on the day with his 55th minute goal. From an attack down the visitors left, a rampant Nantwich carved through the ‘Lairds’ defence before Taylor slotted home at the opposite post from two yards out. ‘Lairds’ heads bowed, their goal keeper was furious, and in the 58th minute brought on all three substitutes in a late effort to at least salvage a draw and send the game into extra time. They did achieve a glimmer of hope after the home defence momentarily went awol leaving Furlong to slot home from close range in the 59th minute. But, that was virtually the last to be seen of Cammell Laird. Perhaps stung by that lapse, ‘The Dabbers’ went goal raiding again and, through an absolutely brilliant free kick from just outside the box, Andy Kinsey bent the dead ball around the wall and past the diving Whitfield into the top right hand corner of the net to leave the visitors with a mountain to climb.

As far as Cammell Laird were concerned, Danny Griggs 77th minute goal effectively killed the tie. On this occasion, Griggs played a short corner from the visitors right into the path of Andy Kinsey. Kinsey, despite a challenge, ran the ball along the bye line before passing to Griggs who crashed the ball home through a sea of bodies. Meanwhile, making a rare appearance in a ‘Dabbers’ shirt, Tristan Hamilton-Hendricks replaced Ashley Carter, Liam Prince took over in midfield from Phil Parkinson, whilst Danny Edge replaced Ryan Dicker late in the game.


UniBond League.Presidents Cup. 4th Round. Date/time to be advised.

NANTWICH TOWN v FC United of Manchester.

Nantwich Town head coach Steve Davis commented on a fine performance by his players against one of the top sides in the UniBond League, when he said:- “ Magnificent. That was a top draw all round team performance. Every player displayed commitment throughout and we thoroughly deserved the win. The amount of chances we created was stunning and, had it not been for some indifferent finishing at times, we genuinely could have added at least three more goals. Victory provides us with a plum tie against FC United in the next round and with their traveling support, should push the gate toward the 2,000 mark”.

Rodney Densem (Nantwich) Wines ‘Man of the Match’: Phil Parkinson.

Match report written by Phil Johnson