Eastwood Town 3
Nantwich Town 1
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

Premier Division

Saturday 4th October.2008.

EASTWOOD TOWN 3 v NANTWICH TOWN 1
Richard Dunning. 51. Alan Nagington. 45.
Andrew Todd. 53.
Ian Holmes. 59.

Eastwood Town: Redmond. Asher. Cooke. Robinson. Sturdy (Hulme 89). Dunning. Foster. Todd. Holmes. Meikle. Gardner (Smith 67). Substitutes: Knox. Smith. Finin. Hulme. Shaw.

NANTWICH TOWN: Jones. Taylor (Shotton 79). Tickle. Tinson. O’Loughlin. Parkinson © Beasley. Hawthorne (Carter 62). Walker. Lennon (Heler 68). Naggington. Substitutes: Shotton. Smith. Carter. Griggs. Heler.

Referee: Mr P.I Thompson. Attendance: 345.

Nantwich were forced to travel without on loan Blackburn goalkeeper Andreas Arestidou (flu) whilst midfielder Glyn Blackhurst was forced on the sidelines having undergone minor surgery during the week. Meanwhile, schoolteacher Michael Lennon, who was due to have been at a conference in Marbella with his employers Edensor Technical College, declared himself available after the college were forced to abandon their proposed meeting after coming under considerable national and local political pressure.

Conditions were far from ideal at Coronation Park for this first meeting between the two club’s due to an extremely strong cross wind blowing across the pitch throughout and on occasion ruined several promising moves from both sides. Meanwhile, Eastwood, who were under pressure to improve results, were sharp in the opening minutes, placing Nantwich on the defensive during which, the best chance fell to Eastwood winger Ross Gardner who advanced from halfway inside the Nantwich half in the 10th minute before shooting over the angle of post and bar from the Nantwich left hand side. Three minutes later, on loan Rotherham United midfielder Andrew Todd worked sufficient space to fire at the target but the shot lacked power leaving Jones with a comfortable save. Jones was then called into action after Eastwood right back Alastair Asher worked deep along the Nantwich left before placing a square ball across the face of goal from which the Nantwich custodian produced a well timed flying catch to relieve the danger. But, despite those early flurries from the home side Nantwich went close in the 16th minute when leading scorer Dave Walker produced a flying angled header from deep on the Eastwood left after being played in by Phil Parkinson – the effort fizzing past the far post.

However, Nantwich were again forced to sit deep as the strong wind gave assistance to downfield balls despatched from the Eastwood half - the ‘Dabbers’ defence having to be alert in particular to the front pairing of Lindon Miekle and Ian Holmes who were eager to latch on to anything that would give them an opportunity. In the 20th minute referee Thompson ignored a deliberate handball from Todd before allowing play to continue and then allowing a Todd effort to creep over the bye line and inexplicably gifting the home side a corner! But Nantwich responded and in a promising move just after the half hour Alan Naggington was unlucky not to latch on to a loose ball in the Eastwood 6 yard box whilst at the other end, Meikle produced an embarrassing finish when he edged to the bye line in an effort to turn the ball back in across goal but ended up firing into the terracing! For Nantwich, an Adam Beasley wind assisted free kick from just outside the right hand edge of the Eastwood area floated over the wall to finish wide of the far angle of post and bar. Seven minutes ahead of the break, Parkinson lost out in a midfield tussle with the impressive Anton Foster that culminated in Charlie O’Loughlin conceding a corner as the home side stepped up the pressure. However, Nantwich were effective through Naggington in making the clearance followed by Beasley whose delivery with a promising cross field ball to Lennon ended disappointedly when the pace of the ball proved too great for ‘The Dabbers’ striker.

Moments ahead of the half time whistle ‘Dabbers’ custodian Lee Jones was called into action when he punched clear from inside a crowded 6 yard box following Asher’s square ball from deep on the left before Nantwich swept up field right on the stroke of half time, taking the lead through Naggington who produced the perfect finish from deep on the Eastwood left to fire an angled ball behind the defence and across the body of Redmond into the bottom far corner of the net.

Half time: Eastwood Town 0 v NANTWICH TOWN 1

Ten suicidal minutes by Nantwich at the start of the second half gifted the home side a 3 – I lead. In a demonstration of some woeful defending Nantwich allowed Eastwood midfielder Richard Dunning time and space on the left to fire past Jones in the 51st minute – two minutes later, on loan Rotherham United midfielder Andrew Todd progressed unimpeded from the Nantwich right before drifting across the front of a static central defence to find ample space and fire low into the left hand corner of the net from 12 yards out. Any chance the lapses in concentration and responsibility were to bring Nantwich back to life were diminished in the 59th minute by Ian Holmes when, in an almost a replay of Todd’s goal, drove home from just outside the 6 yard box leaving Eastwood players with unbelieving looks at the ease from which their goal’s were achieved! Just after the hour, Rob Hawthorne was replaced by Ashley Carter before Holmes threatened again after jinxing into the box and firing wide of the right angle of post and bar. Buoyed by their lead, Eastwood continued to press with Lindon Meikle finding Gardner from a throw in deep on the right but Jones was alert to the danger and confidently smothered the wingers shot from inside the area. Peter Heler replaced Michael Lennon in the 68th minute and with Nantwich seeking to reduce the deficit Redmond just managed to collect a swirling ball from a free kick on the Eastwood left – Dave Walker followed shortly afterwards with a looping shot from 15 yards out that the ‘keeper just managed to hold on his line before Walker again tested Redmond with a chipped shot from the right hand corner flag following Naggington’s persistence secured a corner. At the other end, Dunning produced a close range header after Todd had brought him into play 10 yards out moments before Nantwich made their final change when they introduced Liam Shotton in attack and reshuffled their defence at the expense of right back Andy Taylor 11 minutes before normal time. With Nantwich still pressing, Walker had a great opportunity to shoot from close range after Carter evaded a challenge from Cooke but Walker elected to pass the ball back inside the 6 yard box only to find there was no fellow player on hand to take advantage at a time when Eastwood were beginning to look rattled.

Carter’s persistence deep on the Eastwood left was encouraging and on several occasions pulled the ball back from the bye line as he looked to tuck short range passes into the paths of Shotton and Walker but it was Carter himself who went close when he jinxed toward the right hand side of goal forcing Redmond to punch clear 8 minutes from normal time. Shotton then tested Redmond from close range, the busy Eastwood custodian again having to punch clear in a crowded area to be followed by Beasley whose 15 yard strike unfortunately fell wide of the target. Two minutes of added time were signalled during which, Naggington was in a great position to place a header on target but inexplicably headed in the wrong direction after good work from Walker. Carter was again to the fore when he secured a late corner but despite Tickle’s excellent dead ball kick that arched toward the far post Redmond managed to claim the ball despite a crowded 6 yard box whilst in the final move of the game, Eastwood’s Holmes went close with a header from an Asher centre.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis was scathing in his after match comments: “Shocking. Ten minutes of defensive madness ruined an afternoon when we more than matched the opposition. Ability wise, there was nothing to choose between us and Eastwood. I thought we edged the first half despite coming under early pressure and went ahead at the break with an excellent goal from Alan Naggington. Our midfield must shoulder a portion of the blame because they didn’t close that area down well enough and our players must learn that at this level, without 90 minutes of concentration, you are likely to be punished and that was certainly the case this afternoon”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson