Kendal Town 4
Nantwich Town 1
Northern Premier League Cup (3rd Round)

Match Report

UniBond Challenge Cup.3rd Round

Tuesday 25th November.2008.

Kendal Town 4 vs NANTWICH TOWN 1
Osman.6 Walker.27. (pen)
Wisdom.43.
Hobson.45.
Taylor.65.

Kendal Town: David Newnes. David Standley. Paul Byrne. Tony Hallam©. George Melling. Callum Warburton. Carl Osman. Craig Hobson. Alex Taylor. Ian Kilford. Lee Mulvanney. Substitutes: Lee Ashcroft. Daniel Wordworth. Gary Baker. Jimmy Williams. Danny Wisdom.

Nantwich: Lee Jones. Richard Smith. Dave Whittaker. Damion Jarrett. Ashley Carter. Phil Parkinson©. Robin Gibson. Rodney Jack. Liam Shotton. Michael Lennon. Dave Walker. Substitutes: Alan Naggington. Nathan Southern. Omar Mahmoud. Elliot Ledwards. Danny Roberts. g/k

Match Report

Injuries and unavailability forced Nantwich to travel without 6 first team regulars for the visit to Kendal. Meanwhile, ‘The Dabbers’ called up Nathan Southern, Omar Mahmoud and Elliot Ledwards from their successful FA Youth Cup squad to the bench along with recent goal keeper signing 19 year old Danny Roberts, whilst heavy traffic on the M6 delayed Nantwich’s arrival, leading to a delayed kick-off.

Playing up the slope, Nantwich conceded as early as the 6th minute when Carl Osman scored for the home side. However, Nantwich levelled in the 27th minute through a Dave Walker penalty after Liam Shotton was brought down in the box but not before Newnes saved the initial spot kick, Walker following in to hit the rebound home. Despite a very unfamiliar line up, Nantwich were not without opportunities and in the opening 20 minutes Ashley Carter placed a close range header narrowly wide of the target, whilst Dave Walker also went close. But as the half wore on, Kendal, who have climbed out of the relegation zone to 6th since Nantwich beat them 4-0 at the Weaver Stadium in August, slowly began to exert pressure on Nantwich and just ahead of the break, caught ‘The Dabbers’ out of position on their right hand side twice in the space of two minutes, first when Danny Wisdom scored followed by Craig Hobson to send Kendal in at the break with a 3 – 1 lead.

After the break, Robin Gibson hit a 25 yard screamer that Newnes just managed to hold on his line whilst Liam Shotton blazed over from distance. Meanwhile, Alan Naggington joined the Nantwich attack just past the hour, when he replaced the injured Dave Walker but worse was to come for the embattled Nantwich when Alex Taylor latched on to a cross from the right before heading past Jones to make it 4 – 1 to Kendal in the 65th minute. Nantwich then made further changes, Rodney Jack, in his first start for Nantwich, was replaced by youth team striker Omar Mahmoud, whilst 19 year old goal keeper Danny Roberts was given some first team experience when he replaced Lee Jones for the final quarter hour of normal time. Mahmoud worked hard in an effort to claw back the deficit and right on the stroke of normal time went very close when the 19 year old had a shot cleared off the line.

Match report written by Phil Johnson