Mickleover Sports 6
Nantwich Town 6
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

Evo-Stik League Premier Division, Wednesday 13 October 2010
MICKLEOVER SPORTS 6 NANTWICH TOWN 6
Everett-Elliott 16 Tickle 12
Graves 23 Southern 62
O’Connell 41 Lennon 71 (pen), 90+2
Steadman 59, 67 Aspinwall 85
Ashton 61 Sedgemore 89

A score of 6-6 and most people would have visions of Centre Court on a baking summer’s afternoon as a tense tennis tussle heads for a tie-break. But on a chilly October evening in Derbyshire, the Dabbers fought back from 6-2 down – scoring three times in the last 5 minutes!! A football game? “You cannot be serious”
It had all started in such familiar fashion. Nantwich started brightly only to have an early lead cancelled out. A curling Dave Tickle free-kick had given the visitors that lead on 12 minutes after Dave Whittaker had been brought down just outside the box. Four minutes later, though. George Everett-Elliott headed home John Guy’s free-kick to equalise.
Michael Lennon cut inside and drilled a left foot shot that home keeper Ed Eley turned round the post before Mickleover took the lead on 25 minutes. Eric Graves latched on to Kieran O’Connell’s pass to slot the ball in off the post from 15 yards out. Ben Chapman got down well to deny dangerman Alex Steadman and he then tipped over Karl Ashton’s header just after the half-hour. Nantwich responded with Rodney Jack trying his luck from 30 yards.
Chapman again saved the Dabbers with an acrobatic save after Graves beat the offside trap but two minutes before the interval, Nantwich were again caught out down the middle by Richard Bailey’s through ball and O’Connell steered home to make it 3-1.
After the break Chris Flynn headed wide from Tickle’s corner and, for Sports, Elliott fired over before a Guy free-kick was palmed away by Chapman. Then Nantwich pulled a goal back as substitute Nathan Southern stole in at the near post to finish off a slick move on 62 minutes. But within a couple of minutes, Mickleover had restored their two-goal cushion after the Nantwich defence failed to clear the danger and Steadman netted from close in. Two minutes later and it was 5-2. Chapman’s poor clearance was collected by Liam Walshe who fed Ashton to slam the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.
On 70 minutes, the game seemed as good as over as O’Connell sped through the offside trap and pulled the ball back for Steadman to prod home from close range for 6-2.
This time, Nantwich responded immediately and when Michael Lennon was hauled down in the area, the marksman got up to make it 6-3 from the penalty spot. O’Donnell spurned a chance to add a seventh for Sports when he drilled wide from 15 yards but a further miss by Ashton served to inspire a remarkable Nantwich fightback.
With six minutes remaining, Sam Aspinwall scored a neatly taken goal to make it 6-4 and when Jake Sedgemore curled a 20 yard free-kick past the hapless Eley on 89 minutes, the Dabbers sensed an amazing comeback could be on the cards – especially when the referee indicated five minutes of added time.
And history was made in the second minute of added time as Lennon latched on to a loose ball to crash home the equaliser at 6-6. There was still time for more high drama, though, as Richard Bailey was presented with a golden opportunity to make it 7-6 to Mickleover, only to scoop the ball over from 12 yards.
So it finished 6-6; the highest scoring draw in over 135 years of Nantwich football history. And, with finger nails already shredded, the footballing faithful were grateful that there was no tie-breaker to follow!
MICKLEOVER SPORTS: Eley, Chambers, Guy, Walshe, Elliott, Roome, Graves, Bailey, Ashton, O'Connell, Steadman. Subs: Strzyzewski (for Chambers, 60), Dodsley, Smythe (for Steadman, 80), Hind, Hoyle (for O’Connell, 90)
NANTWICH TOWN: Chapman, Flynn, Tickle, Adams, Reeves, Carr, Jack, Blackhurst, Whittaker, Lennon, Ashley Carter. Subs: Southern (for Jack, 60), Blake, Sedgemore (for Adams, 75), Aspinwall (for Whittaker, 78), Aaron Carter.
Attendance: 185

Match report written by Michael Chatwin