Warrington Town 0
Nantwich Town 1
FA Trophy (3rd Round Qualifying)

Match Report

FA TROPHY sponsored by e.on

3rd Qualifying Round

Saturday 22nd November.2008.

WARRINGTON TOWN 0 vs NANTWICH TOWN 1
Glyn Blackhurst.86

Warrington: Mottram. Smith. Fitzsimmons. Spearitt. Thomas ©. Daniels. Towey. Holm. Gahgan. Hadland. Williams. Substitutes: Hunter, Rendell. Wallstead. Webb. Tickle.

Nantwich: Jones. Jarrett. Tickle. Tinson ©. Smith. Beeston (Gibson 74). Carter. Blackhurst. Walker (Lennon 64). Whittaker. Griggs. Substitutes: Lennon. Gibson. Parkinson. Shotton. Naggington.

Referee. Mr B.Toner. Attendance. 232


MATCH REPORT

In a somewhat scrappy 3rd Qualifying Round FA Trophy tie at Cantilever Park, ‘Dabbers’ midfielder Glyn Blackhurst popped up with a late, late goal to send Nantwich through to Monday’s first round draw. On a less than even pitch, Nantwich were first to show, winning a corner in the 2nd minute before the home side broke to set up their first attack of the opening period. Meanwhile, the home side countered a series of forward moves by Nantwich before Warrington midfielder Kevin Towey then tested Lee Jones with a rasping drive from outside the area from which Jones responded well by tipping over, albeit at the expense of a corner. Shortly afterwards, winger Scott Williams produced an angled strike from halfway down the Nantwich left that was held by Jones at the opposite post. At the other end, Dave Tickle’s cross to Danny Griggs flew across the front of the home defence leaving Griggs to shoot from an angle that unfortunately fell narrowly wide of the right hand post.

As the half progressed, the tie switched ends with regularity and in the 18th minute Nantwich centre half Richard Smith produced a timely intervention when he halted the run of Warrington winger Scott Williams after ‘Dabbers’ right back Damion Jarrett had been caught out of position. Meanwhile, at the other end, Dave Whittaker and Dave Walker combined deep on the Warrington left and had it not been for the presence of centre half Thomas Spearitt on the line, Walker’s looping strike would have gone in the net. In a further Nantwich forward move, Ashley Carter reached for a clearance to place the ball on target but despite Mottram holding on to the close range header, Warrington captain Andy Thomas almost bundled his ‘keeper into the net after the pair collided on the line. Just after the half hour, Carter was again prominent when he sent in a dipping shot from distance that just crept over the bar whilst two minutes later, Tickle’s dipping shot from a free kick was held by Mottram on the line. Seven minutes before the break, Whittaker struck wide of the left hand post whilst on 42 minutes, Jarrett’s forward punt into the path of Whittaker narrowly avoided the ‘Dabbers’ striker’s head as he hovered on the edge of the 6 yard box.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Walker twice threatened from deep on the Warrington right. In the first move, he clipped a short ball across the 6 yard box into the path of the well placed Carter but Mottram reacted first to claim the ball from the Nantwich winger’s feet whilst in the second, Walker worked the ball deep on the same flank but when he looked across for a fellow player to pass to, no one was on hand to seize an opportunity. Meanwhile, Carter’s 56th minute 20 yard strike fizzed a yard wide of the left hand post – Blackhurst followed moments later with a break from midfield to set up Walker, who followed up by producing a well struck shot from outside the area that agonizingly dipped inches over the bar. By now, Nantwich were beginning to get their act together and looked the likelier side to score and just past the hour, Blackhurst crashed the ball into the net from less than ten yards out only for referee Toner to cancel it out for an alleged push on Warrington ‘keeper Mottram. At the other end, Jones was alert to the close range threat of Phil Hadland when he saved the Warrington striker’s downward header on the line whilst at the other end, a mad scramble in the Warrington 6 yard box somehow was cleared by a desperate home defence. Walker made way for Michael Lennon in the 64th minute and his impact was immediate with runs that pulled the Warrington defence out of position at times during which, Carter forced Mottram to spill the ball at the expense of a Nantwich corner from which Blackhurst was unlucky to head the ball wide. However, despite the near domination by Nantwich in the second period Warrington were in no mood to capitulate and Nantwich had to be alert, particularly to the lively Warrington substitute striker Carl Rendell whose presence on the left kept Jarrett on his toes. On 66 minutes, a Lennon shot from outside the area fell narrowly wide of the right hand post whilst at the other end, Nantwich centre half Smith was excellent in halting the run of Rendell from inside the area, however, there was no halting the tenacious Warrington striker a minute later when he placed an angled shot from the left across the face of goal, the ball fizzing a couple of yards wide of the far post. Meanwhile, the hard working Mark Beeston gave way in the 74th minute to a fresh pair of midfield legs in the shape of Robin Gibson whilst a minute later, a Dave Tickle corner found the head of Blackhurst, who held his head in anguish after witnessing his close range effort rebound out of the goal mouth to safety. But, despite the agony of seeing numerous chances going begging Nantwich kept the pedal to the floor and were rewarded for their efforts in the 86th minute when Blackhurst rose to meet a Tickle corner and buried the ball firmly into the roof of the net from 8 yards out. Predictably, Warrington made an immediate attempt to hit back but it was Nantwich who threatened yet again, winning consecutive corners almost on the stroke of normal time whilst in added time, Warrington substitute Stuart Wallstead stretched for a long down field ball from Mottram but the pace of the ball that had landed in the 6 yard box beat him, just as he found himself in a one on one situation with Nantwich ‘keeper Jones.

Nantwich head coach Steve Davis commented: - “Overall, a scrappy game, and on a poor surface, which probably accounted to a large degree why our usual passing game didn’t come together. In the first half, we created a number of promising moves but, by and large, our final ball was disappointing. In the second half, we looked more like a Nantwich side and when we had to, attacked on the counter and by half way through the second half there was really only one side in it, despite the fact the tie remained goal less until late on. However, our quality and tenacity, paid off in the end but, credit to Warrington, they made us work hard for our victory”.

Match report written by Phil Johnson