Nantwich Town 2
Ossett Town 1
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

EVO-STIK FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Premier Division
Saturday 6th November.2010

NANTWICH TOWN 2 v OSSETT TOWN 1
Charlie Reeves.27. Fernando Moke. 85
Michael Lennon. 48

Nantwich: Chapman. Ashley Carter. Doughty Aaron Carter 22). Adams. Reeves. Sedgemore (c). Jack Aspinwall 87). Blackhurst. Whittaker. Lennon. Blake. Substitutes: Southern. Parkes. Aspinwall. Street. Aaron Carter.
Ossett Town: Bennett. Henson. Thornton. Laight. Hotte (c). Riordan. Hopcutt Moke (75). Clapham. Sherrife. Harding. Maw (Stirland 58). Substitutes: Wilson. Stirland. Moke. Njie.
Referee: Mr B. Lamb.
Attendance: 366
Nantwich got off to a bright start-winning three corners in the opening minutes and should have gone ahead through winger KYLE BLAKE who wasted a golden opportunity from a MICHAEL LENNON inside pass from the edge of the 6 yard box. At the other end, Nantwich right back ASHLEY CARTER intercepted JAMIE HOPCUTT on the edge of the 6 yard box to deny the Ossett midfielder from turning toward goal. When the game switched ends, BLAKE was the recipient of a great cross field ball from RODNEY JACK but despite BLAKE’S powerful shot beating Ossett ‘keeper NEIL BENNETT the effort crept narrowly wide of the far post.
On 10 minutes BLAKE – LENNON and GLYNN BLACKHURST put together a promising move but despite a determined effort from the ‘Dabbers’ midfielder BLACKHURT’S effort fell wide of the target. Play then switched to the Nantwich half during which, Nantwich central defender CHARLIE REEVES timed his intervention well to nick the ball from the feet of Ossett recent signing JAMES RIORDAN who was set to take a run on goal at the time allowing the home side to go forward with BLAKE a shade unlucky not to cut the ball back from the bye line after Ossett left themselves exposed in defence. Just before the quarter hour Ossett midfielder DANNIEL CLAPHAM had a shot from just outside the area turned behind for a corner by ‘Dabbers’ stopper BEN CHAPMAN followed by a close a shot from visitors right back CALDON HENSON but CHAPMAN read it well to make a comfortable save.
As the half progressed , Nantwich began to frustrate having carved out a series of good openings during which LENNON missed out on three occasions in and around the 6 yard box followed shortly afterwards by BLACKHURST who made good use of space on the right but when he delivered his final ball across the front of BENNETT there was no player on hand to collect the ball and make use of a yawning gap on the opposite flank followed closely by Nantwich striker DAVE WHITTAKER whose finish from deep on the left fell wide of the target. On 22 minutes, Nantwich lost left back MATT DOUGHTY to a hamstring injury followed moments later by Ossett left back DARREN THORNTON whose close range effort fell wide of the target. GOAL: Nantwich went ahead in the 27th minute through central defender REEVES whose sharpness allowed him to beat the offside trap after BLAKE had stroked the ball through the Ossett defence from the edge of the area.
LENNON then had a series of opportunities but the moves broke down before REEVES won the ball in the 34th minute to bring LENNON into play followed by WHITTAKER who spurned a great chance when slicing his effort wide from close range. Meanwhile,at the other end, Ossett striker DANIEL SHERRIFE volleyed over the bar from the edge of the area before Nantwich attacked again with BLAKE hitting a vicious shot from the edge of the area that flew off the angle of post and bar followed closely by REEVES whose header from a JAKE SEDGEMORE corner finished a couple of yards wide of the near post.
At the other end, HOPCUTT’S shot was turned behind by CHAPMAN for a corner whilst at the other end WHITTAKER’S back header from a BLACKHURST throw in fell into the waiting hands of BENNETT.
HT: Nantwich Town 1 v Ossett Town 0
Nantwich began the second half in determined fashion, and deservedly went further ahead in the 48th minute courtesy of a brilliant finish by LENNON, whose shot from the edge of the area deep on the Ossett right after being put through by WHITTAKER,bent toward the far post and under the diving BENNETT, drawing rapturous applause from the home supporters.
WHITTAKER had a couple of opportunities shortly afterwards – in the first he clipped the ball over the bar from a SEDGEMORE corner before placing a shot off target from a LENNON pass. The effervescent RODNEY JACK was desperately unlucky when his angled shot from the right flew off the far angle of post and bar whilst at the other end CHAPMAN performed well to punch clear a DANIEL MAW effort and then saving from HOPCUTT. For Nantwich REEVES went close when he clipped the ball narrowly over the bar from a SEDGEMORE corner – BLAKE then disappointed with an effort after shrugging off his marker on the edge of the area before WHIITAKER lofted the ball over the bar from a corner.
Poor defending by defensive substitute AARON CARTER allowed Ossett substitute FERANDO MOKE the easiest of chances after CARTER lost possession just outside the 6 yard box to stroke the ball into an unguarded net. Ossett pushed for an equalizer and placed Nantwich on the back foot in the closing minutes. However, were it not for profligate finishing by Nantwich, mainly in the first half, the game as far as Ossett were concerned, would have been out of sight long before the final whistle.
FT: Nantwich Town 2 v Ossett Town 1

Star man: Charlie Reeves. Nantwich Town.
Rating: ****

Match report written by Ashley Houghton