Nantwich Town 0
Chasetown 0
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

NANTWICH TOWN 0 CHASETOWN 0
Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division
Ten man Nantwich had to settle for their third consecutive home draw against a well organised Chasetown side. Manager Jimmy Quinn retained the same starting line-up from last week’s defeat at Bradford with Dennis Sherriff making his home debut and loan signing Jordan Connerton added to the bench.
The Dabbers started brightly in the winter sunshine but Chasetown fought back with Daniel Quinn and David Bridgwater both testing home keeper Jonny Brain.
Chances were few and far between in a tight game that lacked tempo but Dabbers’ ace marksman Michael Lennon almost broke the deadlock five minutes before the break. The 100-goal ace cut in from the right and his angled drive went agonisingly wide with Mat Bailey just unable to apply a finishing touch.
In the 50th minute, the game could have turned when Latvian Aleksandrs Solovjovs received a second yellow card for a rash challenge. The Scholars looked to make their numerical advantage count with Bridgwater firing wide but it was the hosts who had the better opportunities to clinch victory.
Sean Cooke’s slide rule pass was slotted home by Lennon – only for the ‘goal’ to be chalked off for offside and then Matt Lowe was blocked at close range by Chasetown keeper Ryan Price after he foraged into the opposition box. Then Bailey had a fierce strike hacked off the line with Niall Maguire blazing over from the rebound. The hard-working Cooke drifted a free kick drifted wide but despite adding Connerton and Si Everall to the fray, the Dabbers lacked the guile and cutting edge to find the back of the net.
In fact, Chasetown had late chances to nick the points. Darren Stride fired over and substitute Dean Perrow’s shot on the turn was only directed into Brain’s arms as both sides had to settle for a draw. Chasetown were probably the happier of the two sides, picking up their first point of 2012 in a goalless game that failed to match the end-to-end entertainment of the 4-4 draw at Chasetown back in August.
Nantwich: Brain, Lowe (Everall,80), Solovjovs, MacPherson, Bailey, McDonald, Cooke, Flynn, Sherriff (Connerton,65), Lennon, Maguire. Unused subs: Aspinwall, Mitchell, Foster.
Attendance: 411
Dabbers Man of the Match sponsored by The Co-operative Group: Sean Cooke

Match report written by Ashley Houghton