Chasetown 2
Nantwich Town 2
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

EVO-STIK FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Premier Division
Tuesday 26th October.2010

CHASETOWN 2 v NANTWICH TOWN 2
Gary Hay.22 Nathan Southern.30
Richard Teesdale.88 Ashley Carter.65
Chasetown: Price. John Branch. Mark Branch. Turner. Parsons. Teesdale (c). Stephens. Egan. Birch. Hay. Jevons. Substitutes: Ryan. Bridgewater. Edwards. Cohen. Thompson.
Nantwich: Chapman. Ashley Carter. Doughty. Flynn (c). Reeves. Carr. Sedgemore. Blackhurst. Whittaker. Lennon. Blake. Substitutes: Southern. Aspinwall. Aaron Carter. Street. Tinson.
Referee: Mr N. Hobbis.
Attendance: 328.
In the face of adversity, Nantwich Town put on a superb battling display at The Scholars Ground to return with a point and in the bargain ease the pressure, albeit slightly, on their current Premier Division status. But it could all so well have turned out differently had ‘The Dabbers’ not lost captain CHRIS FLYNN (hamstring), MICHAEL CARR (ankle) and GLYNN BLACKHURST (ankle) to injury and in controversial circumstances referee Mr Hobbin allowed play to continue despite goalkeeper BEN CHAPMAN lying prostrate in the box after being temporarily concussed following a kick on the jaw – GARY HAY seizing on the loose ball to drive it into the net from 10 yards. Despite appeals from Nantwich players, and the bench, the goal was allowed to stand. Meanwhile, a decidedly groggy CHAPMAN eventually responded to treatment and managed to continue although for a time he looked anything other than steady.
Chasetown were first to show and immediately placed Nantwich on the defensive and in their first real attack of note ‘Dabbers’ defender CHARLIE REEVES kept his cool to deny the progress of striker GARY BIRCH who was poised to cut in from the bye line toward CHAPMAN’S left hand post. Defender LEE PARSONS was next to show with a shot from the edge of the area but CHAPMAN responded well, albeit at the expense of a corner. Moments later, a BIRCH close range header was deflected away from goal and cleared up field but Chasetown made a quick return, this time with a powerful shot from midfielder RAMONE STEPHENS that cleared the bar from just outside the area.
Credit to Nantwich though, they performed admirably to soak up the early pressure but for the umpteenth time this season suffered the loss of a key player with captain CHRIS FLYNN forced to retire in the 10th minute due to a tweaked hamstring. That incident forced a reshuffle with DAVE WHITTAKER moving from attack to defence with young ‘Dabbers’ striker NATHAN SOUTHERN coming off the bench to partner MICHAEL LENNON up front. SOUTHERN was fouled just outside the area in the 13th minute and from a MATT DOUGHTY free kick a JAKE SEDGEMORE volley fizzed over the bar from inside the area. SOUTHERN’S presence was drawing the attention of the home defenders and in the 20th minute was fouled again some 25 yards out from which SEDGEMORE’S fiercely driven free kick unfortunately came back off the wall allowing Chasetown to break down the left hand side. Two minutes later, Chasetown went ahead through controversial circumstances. From a move down the Nantwich left, BIRCH cut into the area - CHAPMAN was positioned on the edge of his 6 yard box and as he went down in an effort to grab the ball he received a blow to the jaw which left the young ‘Dabbers’ stopper concussed for several minutes. Meanwhile, play was allowed to continue and with Nantwich players half expecting play to be suspended Chasetown took advantage through GARY HAY who drove the ball into the back of the net from closer range but despite appeals from Nantwich, the controversial goal was allowed to stand. However, despite the setback ‘The Dabbers’ fought back and on the half hour NATHAN SOUTHERN came up trumps when he restored parity from a move deep on the Chasetown left and from an angle, drove the ball across the body of RYAN PRICE into the opposite corner of the net.
Two minutes later, a MICHAEL LENNON angled strike cannoned off a home defender whilst at the other end, a seemingly recovered CHAPMAN pulled off a great save to deny STEPHENS. But it was Nantwich who were looking the more effective side and just before the break a fiercely driven REEVES close range strike cannoned off a defender – PRICE then fumbled an ASHLEY CARTER effort and in added time PRICE held a close range header from GLYNN BLACKHURST.
HT: Chasetown 1 v Nantwich Town 1
The second half continued at a frenetic pace but in the 48th minute a move down the Chasetown left allowed SOUTHERN to cast off his marker but just when it seemed the youngster was about to shoot, he elected to pass the ball square across the 6 yard box and the move broke down. Two minutes later, the Nantwich injury hoodoo struck yet again and on this occasion it was influential midfielder MICHAEL CARR who was unable to continue after suffering an ankle injury leaving youngster AARON CARTER to come off the bench and take CARR’S place in midfield. Meanwhile, Chasetown launched a series of attacks that saw BIRCH place a glancing header narrowly wide of the left hand post whilst REEVES excelled when he intercepted a shot from STEPHENS, albeit at the expense of a corner. Just past the hour and Nantwich really did have to be on their toes to thwart a series of dangerous attacks from their hosts. However, the match was turned on its head in the 65th minute and through sheer persistence ‘The Dabbers’ built up a head of steam that saw SOUTHERN make space – place a neat square ball across the edge of the area that allowed ASHLEY CARTER to collect the pass–look up, and fire a well struck ground shot across the bows of PRICE into the bottom left hand corner of the net that brought near silence from the boisterous home support. Predictably, Chasetown responded with further attacks and in the 67th minute midfielder DAVE EGAN was only just off target with a well struck shot from 25 yards whilst the same player then hooked a shot over the bar following a corner. At times, it was like the Alamo in the Nantwich box but credit to the battling ‘Dabbers’ they refused to yield although had it not been for WHITTAKER’S goal line clearance in the 80th minute the game would have been all square. But within seconds of that incident Nantwich suffered their third injury casualty when GLYNN BLACKHURST, who only recently regained fitness after suffering a bad ankle injury during pre season, sustained a fierce knock on his right ankle requiring assistance from the pitch. On resumption, HAY fired a close range effort into the advertising hoardings – Chasetown captain RICHARD TEESDALE placed a header just wide of the target followed by two magnificent saves from CHAPMAN but he could do little to stop TEESDALE from scoring an equalizer two minutes from normal time at a point when Nantwich were firmly entrenched in their own area.
In summary, great credit is due to Nantwich players because this was indeed a backs to the wall job at times for the battling ‘Dabbers’ but with the path to the treatment room being trespassed on a regular basis these day’s how much longer is it likely to continue without a detrimental effect on ‘The Dabbers’ strenuous effort to acquire safety above the relegation zone?

FT: Chasetown 2 v Nantwich Town 2

Match report written by Ashley Houghton