Whitby Town 4
Nantwich Town 5
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

Whitby Town 4 – 5 Nantwich Town
Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division – Saturday 3rd December 2011
Nantwich came from three goals down to beat struggling Whitby Town in a nine goal thriller on the North Yorkshire coast.
Dave MacPherson scored a hat-trick and Sean Cooke grabbed a brace to complete a second half comeback which piles more misery on the struggling Seasiders who had Kevin Burgess sent off.
The Dabbers made two changes to the side that had drawn with FC United on Tuesday, with new signing Rod McDonald replacing Aleksandrs Solovjovs and Brian Summerskill, who has extended his loan from Altrincham by a further month, replacing Niall Maguire.
Whitby took the lead on seven minutes after a rare goalkeeping mistake by Jon Brain, Brain spilt Jeff Smith’s 25 yard free kick straight into the path of Jordan Hugill who made no mistake from five yards.
Another defensive error allowed the hosts to double their advantage; it was another Smith set piece, this time a corner that created the opportunity. Burgess attacked the ball at the back post unchallenged and his bullet header was too much for Brain to keep out.
On 26 minutes the game seemed to be put to bed, Whitby, who haven’t won at home all season, grabbed a third through substitute Andrew Leeson. A miscommunication between Darren Moss and Mat Bailey allowed Matty Tymon to poke the ball to Leeson and he slotted into Brain’s bottom left hand corner with ease.
Nantwich, to their credit never gave up and they were given a lifeline when MacPherson volleyed home just before half time. Cooke’s corner found Bailey who set the ball for MacPherson and the midfielder crashed his volley into the top corner.
Jimmy Quinn’s stern words at the break obviously paid off as the Dabbers looked a different team altogether. First MacPherson smashed wide and then Cooke hit the post as the comeback was looking imminent.
MacPherson scored his second just after hour mark; Michael Lennon won the ball on the left and found MacPherson who clinically finished reducing the deficit to one.
Five minutes later and Nantwich were on level terms, Tom Portas headed the ball back towards Nick Liversedge in the Whitby goal but Lennon read the play and intercepted the back pass he then cut back and found Cooke who smashed home the equaliser.
Lennon and MacPherson combined again for the fourth, the latter’s hat-trick goal came from another Lennon cut back, this time MacPherson drove it low and hard into Liversedge’s bottom right hand corner.
The Dabbers have made a habit of surrendering winning positions and they looked to have done that on 80 minutes. Moss’ headed back pass was too short for Brain and the ex-Walsall keeper bundled Jimmy Beadle over leaving referee Stuart Campbell with no choice but to point to the spot. Beadle stepped up and smashed the ball into the roof of the net sending the momentum back in the favour of the Seasiders.
The hosts could only stay level for two minutes though, Lennon again caused problems in the area; his flick caught the hand of Burgess which was spotted by referee Campbell who pointed to the spot this time in Nantwich’s favour. Cooke stepped up and slotted into the bottom corner sending the travelling fans into raptures.
Burgess was sent off in the final stages as tempers flared and he lashed out at MacPherson, gaining himself a second yellow card.
Nantwich: Brain, Moss, Foster, MacPherson, Bailey (Solovjovs, 90), McDonald, Cooke, Flynn ©,Everall (Mills, 60), Lennon, Summerskill (Urwin, 60). Subs: Maguire, Mitchell.
Whitby: Liversedge, Lyth, Robinson(c), White, Burgess, Portas, Martin (Blackford 85), Beadle, Hugill (Leeson 16), Tymon, Smith. Subs: Hassan, Williams, Courtney.

Match report written by Ashley Houghton