Harrogate Railway Athletic 3
Nantwich Town 4
FA Trophy (3rd Round Qualifying)

Match Report

FA TROPHY 3rd Qualifying Round
Saturday 20th November.2010

HARROGATE RAILWAY ATHLETIC 3 v NANTWICH TOWN 4
Liam Gray.16 Michael Lennon. 44. 80
Colin Hunter.45 Chris Flynn.52
Jon Maloney.88 Glynn Blackhurst.63
Attendance: 142
Nantwich: Chapman. Ashley Carter. Jack. Flynn. Reeves. Blake. Carr. Blackhurst. Whittaker. Lennon. Short. Substitutes: Aspinwall. Southern. Adams. Parkes. Tinson.
Nantwich introduced on loan Crewe Alexandra midfielder Lewis Short into their line up for this potentially difficult FA Trophy tie. Short, on an initial month’s loan, replaced injured Jake Sedgemore (hamstring). Meanwhile, heavy rain in the Harrogate area in the days leading up to the tie played havoc with the pitch with Nantwich in particular having difficulty in maintaining their balance on the ultra-greasy surface.

Nantwich went behind in the 16th minute following a mix up in midfield – Harrogate central midfielder LIAM GRAY seizing the opportunity to punt a non too powerful ball forward that deceived BEN CHAPMAN that squeezed in between ‘keeper and post. Play then switched from end to end but it was the home side that were making better use of the awful conditions and it took Nantwich well into the first half before they showed signs of adaptation.
Up until the half hour, the ball repeatedly came back at Nantwich although they did have an good opportunity to draw level through central defender CHARLIE REEVES but in a desperate bid to score, he skyed his close range shot over the bar. However, good work by ‘Dabbers’ midfielder MICHAEL CARR allowed him to jinx a ball over the top of the home defence allowing MICHAEL LENNON to nip in and level the tie in the 44th minute.
A minute later, Nantwich were hit with a sucker punch when defenders ASHLEY CARTER and REEVES both fell on the atrocious surface whilst attempting to cut out a Harrogate raid – winger COLIN HUNTER taking advantage of the situation to tuck the ball past CHAPMAN to put the home side ahead for the second time right on the stroke of half time.
HT: Harrogate Railway Athletic 2 v Nantwich Town 1
CHRIS FLYNN was heroic for Nantwich early in the second half, for not only did he clear a goal bound looking shot off the line in the 47th minute, five minutes later he was at the other end of the pitch tapping in CARTER’S flag kick at the near post to level the tie for a second time. And in the 65th minute, Nantwich went ahead for the first time in the tie when LENNON flicked the ball on for GLYNN BLACKHURST, who judged his close range header to perfection to find the back of the net.
As the tie moved toward the final quarter hour of normal time ‘Dabbers’ midfielder KYLE BLAKE had a great chance to put Nantwich further ahead but his shot struck a post whilst in the 75th minute, CARR, who has only recently returned from a nasty ankle injury, appeared to be struggling and was replaced by TOM PARKES. Five minutes later, Nantwich went further ahead when BLACKHURST seized on a defensive clearance in his own area to put LENNON through on goal and after turning his defensive opponent, LENNON calmly placed the ball beyond Harrogate ‘keeper TOM OSBOURNE to notch his brace for the day, and his 17th goal of the season. BLAKE, who is suffering with a tight hamstring, made way for NATHAN SOUTHERN in the 81st minute whilst DAVE WHITTAKER dropped from a forward position to defence. In the 88th minute, Harrogate took advantage of a bout of slack marking in the Nantwich midfield area leaving Harrogate striker JON MALONEY to profit from the mistake and set up a tense and nervous finish to a very hard fought and difficult tie. In the dying seconds of normal time, REEVES was presented with a goal scoring opportunity but failed to capitalise whilst in added time, CHAPMAN pulled off a terrific save and thus deny the hosts a second bite at the cherry.
FT: HARROGATE RAILWAY ATHLETIC 3 v NANTWICH TOWN 4

Match report written by Ashley Houghton