Eastwood Town 0
Nantwich Town 3
FA Trophy (3rd Round Qualifying)

Match Report

FA TROPHY. 3RD Qualifying Round.

Date: Saturday 21st November.2009

EASTWOOD TOWN 0 v NANTWICH TOWN 3
Michael Lennon.11
Liam Dawson.23
Sam Madeley.40

‘The Dabbers’ produced one of the surprise results of the FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round when they comfortably Blue Square North high-fliers Eastwood Town 3-0 at Coronation Park to reach the first round proper in successive seasons for the first time in the club's history.

Nantwich were without central defender Darren Tinson (knee) and striker Matt Rhead (wedding) whilst despite not being fully recovered from a chest infection, utility player Jake Sedgemore declared himself fit enough for the starting line-up.

Playing down the slope and on the front foot from the start, Nantwich swept into an early lead following initial good work by on loan Oldham Athletic winger Liam Dawson and midfielder Glyn Blackhurst. A static home defence failed to clear the danger leaving unmarked Michael Lennon to tuck the ball over the line from just outside the 6 yard box.

Stung by the goal, the home side put Nantwich under pressure but, credit to ‘The Dabbers,’ they stood their ground before increasing their lead 12 minutes later. From a Dawson low corner Eastwood ‘keeper Jan Butz failed to control the ball and his fumbling resulted in it going under his body and spinning over the line to put Nantwich 2-0 up.
Buoyed by those early goals, Nantwich refused to sit back and in the 27th minute Ashley Carter was only a whisker away from scoring after being put through by Lennon before the Eastwood ‘keeper just managed to turn the ball around a post at the expense of a corner. At the other end, Dabbers’ keeper Lee Jones fumbled a Peter Knox effort before recovering in the nick of time as strike partner Ian Holmes lurked close by but, credit to Nantwich, they continued to stifle the home side and as a result restricted them to largely long range efforts.

On 40 minutes Sam Madeley capitalised on defensive frailties to give Nantwich a three goal lead ahead of the break. A hesitant defence failed to deal with a speculative ball from midfield leaving the well positioned youngster to tap in from the narrowest of angles and send the travelling support into raptures.

HT: Eastwood Town 0 v NANTWICH TOWN 3

Eastwood emerged from the dressing room in very determined mood and pressurised The Dabbers at every turn throughout the second half. Equally, Nantwich were in no mood to relinquish their three goal cushion despite the home side enjoying the majority of possession. Nantwich were dealt a blow within 5 minutes of the second period getting underway when Ashley Carter was forced to limp off following a knock and was replaced by Omar Mahmoud. On the hour, a Jake Sedgemore free kick looked goal bound before Butz just managed to get his finger tips to the ball and turn it around a post for a corner. Meanwhile, Sedgemore sprinted to collect the ball and deliver the resultant flag kick, the home ‘keeper initially punching clear before it was played back in and over the Eastwood defence from where Blackhurst was unlucky to witness his diving header fall wide of the target.

The timely intervention of Dave Whittaker prevented Eastwood from reducing the deficit when a close range effort initially looked goal bound but, by and large, that was the only occasion in which the Blue Square North side were allowed time and space to create a genuine scoring opportunity.

Late on, the hard working Dawson gave way for Aaron Carter whilst 3 minutes from normal time the equally hard working Madeley was replaced by Dave McPherson.

Five minutes of additional time were played, during which a Lennon strike cannoned off the cross bar, whilst a Mahmoud shot across the 6 yard box was hacked away. Without doubt, Nantwich accomplished this well deserved victory via a complete team effort and they ran out worthy winners.

Match report written by Phil Johnson