Nantwich Town 3
Droylsden 1
Northern Premier League Cup (1st Round)

Match Report

Nantwich Town progressed to the second round of the Integero League cup with a comfortable 3-1 win at the Weaver over Droylsden.

Two goals in the first half through David Forbes’ penalty and Steve Jones’ close range finish were followed by Joe Mwasile’s late strike.

Liam Caddick struck a consolation for the Evo-Stik Division One North side.

The Dabbers started brightly and within 30 seconds Jones found himself in on goal, but after going around visiting keeper James Coates, his cross was cleared with Mwasile lurking at the far post.

Jones was in the thick of the action and he was denied an opener by Coates who made a fine save to tip his header wide of the post, following Caspar Hughes’ in-swinging cross.

Moments later the woodwork denied the former Northern Ireland international as his curling free kick hit the crossbar after flicking the top of the Droylsden wall.

The visitors came into the game as they kept possession well but were unable to create any openings in the final third of the pitch.

On 20 minutes, Dominic Smith had the first effort on target for the visitors as he made space on the edge of the box but his effort was well held by Krystian Burzynski.

Dabbers pressure finally paid off as fine footwork from Clayton McDonald saw the defender tripped inside the box with referee pointing to the spot. Up stepped Forbes who calmly put the ball into the corner to net his third goal in two games.

McDonald then had to make a crucial block at the other end as he stopped Jerome’s effort after the former Warrington man had been played in down the left hand side.

The Dabbers continued to search for more goals and Caspar Hughes drove his shot narrowly over the bar before Cotterell was once again denied by Coates.

Ten minutes before the break a second did come.

O’Riordan’s neat pass found Cotterell on the left with the winger laying the ball on a plate for Jones who made no mistake from six yards.

Two changes were made by Cooke at the break as Jerry Puemo and Johnson replaced Hughes and Keaton Webster.

Five minutes into the second period, Jerome thought he had pulled a goal back but his dink clipped the inside of the far post before rolling along the goal line and hitting the base of the other post, before Burzynski claimed the loose ball.

More chances followed for the Dabbers as Coates made a stunning save, tipping Jones’ controlled volley wide of the post.

Jerome was looking the most likely to score for Droylsden but his effort just inside the box was deflected wide of the far post by Johnson’s fine sliding tackle.

Coates was certainly keeping the score down and this time he denied Mwasile, palming away the winger’s powerful effort from the edge of the box.

However, the visiting stopper could do nothing about Mwasile’s next effort. He received Danny Griggs’ cutback on the edge of the box, and unleashed a fine left footed shot into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.

Three minutes later and the away side had a deserved consolation through substitute Caddick who curled past Burzynski into the top corner.

Griggs went close to adding a fourth for the Dabbers, but was just beaten by Coates to the ball, after being played in down the left.

Nantwich Town: Burzynski, Phillips, Morgan, Webster (Johnson 46), McDonald, O’Riordan, Mwasile, Hughes (c) (Puemo 40), Forbes (Griggs 71), S. Jones, Cotterell. Unused subs: Quinn (GK), Davies.

Pictured: Steve Jones goes close for the Dabbers.

Match report written by Steve Sharman (www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk)