Nantwich Town 0
Ilkeston Town 1
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

Wednesday 15th April.2009

NANTWICH TOWN 0 v ILKESTON TOWN 1
Ben Pringle.15

Nantwich. Jones. Hawthorne (Whittaker 59). Beeston. Tinson. O’Loughlin. Parkinson© Blackhurst. MacPherson. Jack (Walker 75). Lennon. Gibson (Carter 43). Substitutes: Walker. Whittaker. Carter. Kinsey Griggs.

Ilkeston: Adamson. Thompson. Hurst. Church. Weaver ©. Murphy. Sleath. Pringle (Istead 75). Morgan-Smith (Cahill 87). Newsham (Douglas 90). Duncum. Substitutes: Cahill. Douglas. Istead. Harrison. Wild.

Referee: Mr S.P Bennett.
Attendance. 537.

MATCH REPORT

A Ben Pringle 15th minute goal extended Ilkeston Town’s unbeaten run to 25 games – and condemned Nantwich to their 3rd successive home defeat during which, they have failed to score during 270 minutes of football at the Weaver Stadium.
Meanwhile, ‘The Dabbers’ were forced to plan without regular left back Dave Tickle (suspended) and Richard Smith (medial ligaments) and were then forced to re-shuffle 2 minutes before half time when midfielder Robin Gibson went down under challenge before retiring with a groin injury.

Nantwich began brightly-winning a couple of corners in the opening minutes with central defender Charlie O’Loughlin going close with a header that agonizingly crept over the bar from Rob Hawthorne’s flag kick on the Ilkeston left. Ilkeston responded through on loan Rotherham United striker Marc Newsham whose low shot from close range was hacked away by ‘Dabbers’ central defender Darren Tinson a mere 3 yards from the goal line before Nantwich swept up field in the 11th minute before winning a free kick after Robin Gibson was fouled- Hawthorne’s dead ball kick from 22 yards out met by the head of O’Loughlin but despite getting good purchase on the ball the effort was off target. On 14 minutes, Nantwich striker Michael Lennon worked the ball to the left of the bye line before cutting the ball back across the face of goal but despite goal keeper Chris Adamson failing to halt Lennon’s dangerous effort the ball fell kindly to an Ilkeston defender who launched the ball from left to right into the path of Ilkeston winger Sam Duncum-Duncum then working the ball deep along the Nantwich left before delivering an angled pass to the far post from where it took a deflection off ‘Dabbers’ central defender Darren Tinson into the path of midfielder Ben Pringle who smashed the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors a slightly fortuitous lead.

Despite the setback Nantwich continued to work away at levelling the score but were having to combat a side that looked dangerous almost every time they broke. On 20 minutes Newsham threatened with a header from close range whilst in the 24th minute Pringle’s shot from distance forced Nantwich ‘keeper Lee Jones to palm away at the expense of a corner. Meanwhile, Nantwich were making hard work of it - taking until the 27th minute before they strung three consecutive passes together, the net effect being to hand Ilkeston advantage all too often for comfort. However, a well taken Hawthorne free kick just past the half hour left Adamson just managing to stretch far enough to palm the ball away but it was a rare moment for the home side who, a minute later, had Rodney Jack to thank and had it not have been for Jack’s presence in the 6 yard box Ilkeston’s Anthony Church would almost certainly have scored had Jack not nipped the ball away in the nick of time. Ilkeston continued to press and in the 34th minute the lively Newsham collected a Morgan-Smith pass before firing at goal-fortunately the effort failing to trouble Jones on this occasion but once again the failure to close the Ilkeston front runner down left Nantwich exposed. Nantwich then lost Gibson to injury to be replaced by Ashley Carter whilst in added time ‘Dabbers’ midfielder Glyn Blackhurst went close with an angled header from a Carter cross.

Half time: NANTWICH TOWN 0 v ILKESTON TOWN 1

Two minutes into the second half and Jones did well to deny Pringle-albeit at the expense of a corner after the former Newcastle United trainee let fly from distance with a rising on target shot. At the other end Carter’s free kick from just outside the area came back off the wall but despite playing the ball back in again Carter’s effort rebounded allowing the 2nd placed side to break again. However, on 55 minutes Carter played a super cross field ball from the Ilkeston left for Lennon over on the far side – Lennon’s first shot rebounding into his path off a defender whilst his second take flashed across the face of goal before going out for a goal kick. However, back came Ilkeston with a great ball out of defence that reached the temporarily unmarked Duncum – ‘Dabbers’ captain Phil Parkinson tracking back to eventually mark the winger but Duncum retained possession before sending in a dangerous ball from deep that fizzed low into a crowded 6 yard box- Jones the saviour when he whipped the ball off the floor before an Ilkeston player could get a foot to it.

On 68 minutes Nantwich were awarded a free kick after midfielder Dave MacPherson was fouled just outside the area – substitute Dave Whittaker’s fiercely driven dead ball kick then flashing wide of the right hand post whilst at the other end a Danny Sleath effort from just inside the area forced ‘Dabbers’ custodian Lee Jones to pull off a one handed save almost at the foot of his right hand post. Eight minutes from normal time Adamson punched clear from a Nantwich free kick whilst seconds before the final whistle O’Loughlin blocked the run of Duncum.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis commented: “We lacked both quality and ideas with Ilkeston sharper both mentally and physically. To be fair to the lads, they worked hard throughout the match but on the whole were second best to a side that looked considerably fresher than us. It is bitterly disappointing to have come this far and then to undergo such a massive dip in form but we will battle to the end in our final three games with a play off place not totally out of the question.”

Match report written by Phil Johnson