Nantwich Town 2
Kimberley 1
FA Vase (2nd Round Qualifying)

Match Report

UNDER-PAR DABBERS EDGE THROUGH

Nantwich Town 2, Kimberley Town 1
FA Vase, 2nd Qualifying Round, 20 September 2003

Nantwich booked their place in the next round of the Vase but made hard work of disposing of a poor Kimberley outfit.
In the first half the Dabbers wasted a catalogue of chances with Melford Knight twice heading over and the visiting keeper, Scott Miles, twice foiling Wes Wilkinson. Wilkinson came steaming in at the back post but was unable to net Otis Thomas’ cross before the Dabbers finally made the breakthrough on 34 minutes. Danny Griggs played the ball down the line to Wilkinson and when Miles failed to hold his shot, Knight was on hand to squeeze the ball home.
Five minutes later, a first-time touch by Knight played in Thomas who made no mistake in stroking it past Miles from 15 yards to extend the home lead.
After the break, Nantwich failed to kill off the game and they almost paid the price for their slackness. Ten minutes from time, Griggs lost possession in the final third of the field and, from the quick counter attack, Kimberley pulled a goal back when Chris Hallam slotted the ball past Simon Pay.
The Nottingham side pressed forward in search of an equaliser leaving gaps at the back and Wilkinson twice had chances in the closing minutes to make the winning margin more comfortable. As it was, the Dabbers held on to extend their unbeaten sequence to seven games and, in the process, bank the £500 Vase prize money on offer.
Nantwich Pay, Thomasson (Hough,72), Maguire, Hall, Packham, Vickers, Lawton, Knight (Gleghorn,67), Thomas (Brookes,h-t), Wilkinson, Griggs. Booked: None
Kimberley Miles, Sarson, George, Poskitt, Peters, Wilcockson (Williams,85), Barnie (Staley,75), Hoe, Shannon, Hallam, Horsfall (Minchin,70). Booked: Barnie (44mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin