Nantwich Town 0
FC United of Manchester 0
FA Cup (1st Round Qualifying)

Match Report

FA Cup. First Qualifying Round.

Saturday 13th September.2008.

NANTWICH TOWN 0 v FC UNITED of Manchester 0


NANTWICH TOWN: Arestidou. Taylor. Tickle. Tinson ©. O’Loughlin. Hawthorne Parkinson 89). Heler (s/o 2nd bookable offence 78). Blackhurst. Walker (Carter 83). Lennon (Shotton 61) Griggs. Substitutes: Parkinson. Shotton. Naggington. Beasley. Carter. Gibson. Linford.

FC UNITED: Ashton. Warrender. Garner (Neville 85). J.Baguley (C.Baguley13). Chadwick ©. Turner. Carden. Wilson. Wright. Roca (Williams 65). Substitutes: C.Baguley. Neville. Williams. Howarth. Skidmore. Howard. Self.

Referee: Mr. P.Banks. Attendance: 1,784

A record attendance at the Weaver Stadium resulted in a twice delayed kick off after late arrivals created lengthy queues at the turnstiles. Meanwhile, Nantwich were indebted to Premiership Blackburn Rovers for the loan of goal keeper Andreas Aristedou after regular custodian Lee Jones failed to recover from a dead leg following injury in Tuesday’s league game against Leigh Genesis.

Arestidou was called into action as early as the 4th minute – the 19 year old charging out of his area to close down the run of Wright whilst a minute later, Walker went down in the box under challenge after being put through by Tinson from his own half but despite appeals for a penalty, the referee waved them away.

Nantwich shaded the opening minutes and in the 12th minute United ‘keeper Ashton pulled off a brilliant tip over the bar to deny Heler from a powerful drive from outside the area. United lost centre half Jamie Baguley to injury in the 13th minute followed a minute later by an O’Loughlin close range header that inched over the bar from a corner. Nantwich continued to press and close attendance from Lennon forced Ashton to concede a throw in from deep that was followed by a low shot from Griggs from well inside the area that unfortunately glanced off a defender to safety. At this point the visitors were camped in their own half with Blackhurst unlucky with a strike from close range that fell narrowly wide of the right hand post. Heler then teed up Walker deep on the right but Ashton read the incoming ball to good effect to claim it against his far post. Without doubt, Ashton was the busier of the two ‘keepers and he was again outstanding when he tipped a rasping 22 yard drive from Heler around his left hand post for a corner followed shortly afterwards by a 25 yard volley from Hawthorne that on this occasion failed to trouble the United custodian. With most of the action concentrated in the United half little was seen of the visitors attack that was until the 24th minute when leading scorer Kyle Wilson worked the ball into the left hand edge of the Nantwich area to feed the unmarked winger Roca who was well positioned to place a shot on target but the angle of the ball was too wide and a good opportunity wasted. Gradually, the tie began to switch ends with regularity – for Nantwich, Hawthorne and Walker combined to set up Heler in acres of space deep on the United left but Walkers cross was placed too far away before going out for a goal kick. That was in the 27th minute – in the 28th Wilson really should have given the ‘Reds’ the lead and with open goal confronting him, after confusion between ‘keeper and defence, contrived to fire wide of the target from an unmarked position around the edge of the area.

Just past the half hour Wright tested Aristedou with a shot that drew an excellent save from the debutant ‘keeper at a point when United had stepped up a gear but when Nantwich turned the game around moments later United were grateful to substitute Chris Baguley when he turned Lennon’s 40th minute goal bound shot over the bar after Lennon had turned his marker 10 yards from the near post to initially shoot past Ashton. For Walker, it had been a somewhat frustrating half, continually flagged offside when in one on one situations with Ashton he then turned provider moments before the whistle with a centre intended for Lennon but the close attention of Ashton annulled the opportunity – whilst at the other end Roca’s free kick from deep on the Nantwich right fell wide of the far post.

Two minutes into the second half and 0’Loughlin was called into action to deny a threat from Wright before the United striker returned to place a short range shot on target that Arestidou dealt with comfortably. For the home side a Griggs free kick was flicked on by Blackhurst toward the unmarked Lennon 7 yards out – the ball narrowly missing the ‘Dabbers’ front man whilst moments later Heler clipped the ball into the path of Lennon but, despite the ‘Dabbers’ striker firing toward the target the ball deflected off a United defender to safety.

For the visitors, busy winger Roca clipped a 54th minute effort wide whilst at the other end Blackhurst’s 25 yard volley sailed out of the stadium and beyond. With the game continually switching direction both defences had to be alert – examples for the ‘Dabbers’ being Tinson’s well timed intervention 8 yards out when he cut out a threat from Wilson followed by O’Loughlin who equalled when he closed down Roca 10 yards from goal. However, in the 62nd minute the lively Roca found sufficient room to fire a 20 yard shot that fizzed wide of the right hand post whilst for the home side Ashton denied Walker’s effort after Heler had put the Nantwich No.9 through from the edge of the area. Both sides range changes- Shotton replaced Lennon and for the visitors Williams replaced Roca but the offside flag was still frustrating Walker who was marginally offside on each occasion. With the tie approaching the 70th minute United stepped up a gear and Taylor reacted well to clear from the 6 yard box followed by O’Loughlin whose intervention denied Simon Carden from inside the same.

Despite the activity at both ends of the pitch the deadlock was yet to be broken. However, Nantwich were presented with a great opportunity to take the lead when substitute striker Shotton was floored by Chadwick just as he entered the area from the United right hand side. Griggs stepped up to take the penalty but agony was to follow for the ‘Dabbers’ – for the second time in the space of 8 day’s the normally accurate penalty taker failed to find the back of the net – on this occasion when Ashton saved at the foot of his left hand post. Meanwhile, Heler received a caution before Tickle went close to gifting the visitors an own goal as pressure again returned to the home defence whilst United defender Chadwick came up for a late corner and went agonizingly close when his bullet header skimmed the bar.

In the 78th minute, matters turned sour for Nantwich – Heler receiving a second caution, this time for a heavy challenge on Garner and was consequently sent off. The remaining 10 minutes saw United midfielder Turner threaten with a close range header whilst Shotton repeated same with a downward header that Ashton gathered at the foot of his left hand post. Carter meanwhile replaced Walker whilst for the visitors Neville came on for Garner followed by Parkinson a minute from normal time to replace Hawthorne in midfield. Four minutes of additional time were introduced during which Arestidou heroically saved on his line from Wright followed seconds before the final whistle when he collected Carden’s close range downward header at the foot of his left hand post.

Man of the Match: Daren Tinson. Nantwich Town.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis reflected: “ A good game of football – little or nothing between either side. Danny failing with the penalty was a setback and Dave Walker was presented with a couple of opportunities that he didn’t manage to put away. Unfortunately, we haven’t quite got the rhythm in the side that we are used to. Our best area at the moment is in the centre of defence and there is clearly a lot of work to do to get us back to being a balanced side. Credit to Andreas, he has come in at a time when we were facing a potentially tense and difficult game but he has come out of it with flying colours. He is with us for an initial month whilst Lee recovers and we are indebted to Blackburn for the assistance they have offered us”.

FC United manager Karl Marginson held a similar view by saying: “Yes - a good game of football between two equally matched sides. If I have any disappointment it is that we failed to capitalise when they (Nantwich) were reduced to ten men – otherwise on the day, a fair result”.