Nantwich Town 1
Maine Road 0
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

Date: Tuesday 21st November.2006.

Teams: NANTWICH TOWN 1 v MAINE ROAD 0
Gyorgy Kiss (83)

NANTWICH TOWN: Rob Hackney. Paul Donnelly. Gyorgy Kiss. Richard Smith. Mark Fitton. Phil Parkinson © Murray McCulloch. Adam Beasley. Andy Kinsey. Andy Bott. Michalis Chailis. Substitutes: Matt Blake . James Marrow. Stuart Scheuber.

Nantwich,riding high in 2nd place,were aiming to pull seven points clear of 3rd placed Maine Road on Tuesday evening but,were under no illusions of the task ahead.Spice was added via the `Dabbers` hard fought 4 – 2 win at Brantingham Road back on the 5th September,Nantwich goals courtesy of Andy Kinsey (2) Danny Griggs and Adam Beasley.Ever present defender Paul Taylor was ruled out due to a left ankle injury sustained during the FA Vase defeat, whilst Andy Kinsey and Paul Donnelly required heavy strapping to their respective ankle injuries before lining up for `The Dabbers`.

Maine Road threatened as early as the 2nd minute but,a well timed intervention by right back Paul Donnelly denied Richards a shot from just inside the area.A minute later Michalis Chailis made a break from just inside the visitors half before unleashing a 22 yard left foot shot that unfortunately struck the side netting.Nantwich continued to push forward and in the 5th minute Gyorgy Kiss delivered a perfect left footed centre into the path of Andy Kinsey whose 15 yard strike was unluckily charged down by a defender. Adam Beasley then had a great chance to open for `The Dabbers` when a Murray McCulloch free kick fell neatly to the midfielder but,his close range header eased over the crossbar.Maine Road hit back with a move orchestrated from midfield that saw Turner threaten from the edge of the area until a well timed intervention by Richard Smith allowed the central defender to shepherd the ball back to Rob Hackney before the home ‘keeper delivered the ball upfield.Paul Donnelly required attention from physio Paul Kelly in the 15th minute following a series of rough treatment from Turner who received a warning from referee Rob Merchant but,amazingly escaped a booking.Rob Hackney denied Halligan’s close range shot in the 17th minute after the right back had broken through from midfield.Meanwhile,at the other end,Andy Kinsey was very unlucky with a close range glancing header from a Murray McCulloch centre, and in a further move by the home side, Richard Smith’s solo run from inside his own half came to a halt 2 yards from the edge of the Maine Road area, albeit at the expense of a free kick donated by the visitors but,Michailis Chailis left footed free kick was too long, and the chance went begging.Paul Donnelly followed moments later with a valuable clearance after Marshall had threatened with a shot across the face of `The Dabbers` goalmouth.Nantwich pressure earned them a right sided corner on the half hour but, in an agonizing moment for `The Dabbers,` Andy Bott’s header was cleared off the line whilst a further Bott close range header was consigned to a further corner.Despite a spirited performance by Maine Road it was the home side who registered the majority off possession, albeit without capitalizing on their advantage.On 32 minutes a Chailis free kick went straight into the arms of goalkeeper Greg Hall followed by a tasty looking through ball from midfield by Paul Donnelly destined for the on the move Adam Beasley who was denied when Hall came off his line to snatch the ball almost from the feet of the busy Nantwich midfielder.McCulloch,playing on the right side of the Nantwich midfield, had been delivering some decent passes in the half, one of which allowed Kinsey to shoot on the turn from the edge of the area but,the strike ended a couple of yards wide of the target.Chailis had been foraging on the left with regularity and in a move 8 minutes from the break the Cypriot took the ball to the bye line before cutting back for Bott.However,despite the 14 goal striker’s effort to trap the ball before attempting a shot on target he lost possession to right back Halligan, and a great chance had gone begging.Nantwich captain Phil Parkinson’s 42nd minute interception in his own half set up a move that culminated with a desperately unlucky 22 yard angle strike from Kinsey,the fierce low drive striking the base of the opposite post and flying out to the safety of left back Mason.A minute later it was Maine Road who conjured a threat when centre forward Richards managed an overhead kick from the left side of the Nantwich box,fortunately Rob Hackney was well placed to cover the effort,the ball comfortably falling into the arms of `The Dabbers` goalkeeper.Right on the stroke of 45 minutes a combined left sided move between Kiss and Chailis ended when the Hungarian’s left foot shot agonizingly drifted over the opposite angle of post and bar.

Half Time: NANTWICH TOWN 0 v Maine Road 0

Nantwich stepped up the pace in the second half but, were still finding the visitors a tough nut to crack.Mitchell and Richards carved out opportunities for Maine Road early in the second period,Mitchells 30 yard free kick especially dangerous as the ball dipped before bouncing through the wall,fortunately drifting wide of the right hand post.Mark Fitton’s 50th minute interception from midfield allowed Nantwich to press forward via McCulloch who was somewhat unlucky when he drifted out to the byeline on the right before his attempt to cut the ball back across the face of goal ended when it edged over the line for a goal kick.The home side endured a little pressure in the 53rd minute when first Richards close range strike was turned for a corner immediately followed by a 2nd after Richards shot was turned around the right hand post by Rob Hackney.Richard Smith,back on his feet after on the field treatment, headed away from the dangerous Mitchell who then returned the ball into the 6 yard box before Donnelly took control,bringing the ball out before distributing to the midfield where a battle for possession took hold.Maine Road eventually won possession, and it was Richards who came close to giving his side the lead when he powered a 57th minute looping header from twelve yards inches over the bar from a Mitchell cross.A minute later Chailis was substituted by Matt Blake, and within seconds of the change Nantwich won a right sided corner that was spilled by goalkeeper Hall,however,close attention from one of his defenders ensured a split second clearance before Bott was about to home in from close range.Drama followed in the 64th minute.McCulloch had picked his way through from the right of midfield and delivered a perfect ball into the path of Bott,handily placed just inside the edge of the 18 yard area when Maine Road ‘keeper Hall rushed from the edge of his six yard, bringing the 14 goal striker down in the process.Confusion reigned for a short while, due to the visitors inability as to who should take over in goal following Hall’s dismissal.Midfielder Colin Marshall eventually took over as custodian, and he couldn’t have envisaged what was to follow.Andy Kinsey,penalty taker in the absence of Danny Griggs, struck a blistering shot,the ball rising from the spot to strike the underside of the bar,came down on the goal line,spewed out to the in rushing Matt Blake whose attempt to fire the ball underneath Marshall unfortunately struck the side netting from a mere 3 yards.Not to be outdone, `The Dabbers` pressed forward time and again.Parkinson was unlucky to see his 72nd minute strike from 8 yards turned over the bar by Marshall but,despite the home side carving out three further opportunities shortly afterwards,the score line remained level going into the final quarter hour.A Beasley free kick was squandered by Kinsey after the striker blasted wide from short range, and then a scramble in the visitors 6 yard box was eventually hacked away by a central defender.With less than 10 minutes of normal time remaining Nantwich had their visitors on the ropes.Eventually,the goal that for so long seemed light years away came.With Maine Road now pulled out of position down their right Gyorgy Kiss exploited the space in the 83rd minute when the left back collected the ball just inside the Maine Road half,advanced unchallenged to 20 yards distance before unleashing a sweet left footed angled strike underneath the diving Marshall into the bottom far corner of the net.From the restart a further Nantwich attack saw Matt Blake drawing Marshall into conceding a corner which then brought a further flag kick on the right before Maine Road eventually cleared their lines to set up a last ditch attempt at securing an equalizer.Play was halted in the 89th minute when a scramble in the home goalmouth caused injury to McCulloch after Hackney rose to collect a cross before falling heavily on his right back compatriot who injured his right knee in the process.McCulloch required assistance from physio Paul Kelly back to the dressing room whilst Marrow came on for the Scotsman in the dying moments.During those closing moments Maine Road striker Luke Mack struck the left post with an opportunistic shot,Paul Donnelly was then hauled down in the centre circle, and from the resultant free kick Nantwich won an injury time right sided corner that brought a very competitive game between two sides anxious for promotion to an end.On reflection, it was `The Dabbers` who deservedly took the points, to enhance their credentials as serious promotion contenders, in what is now, a six way battle at the summit of the North West Counties League 1st Division.

Nantwich Head Coach Steve Davis reflections: “Three well deserved, but hard won points.We played better as the game wore on, despite the fact that several players injuries had to be strapped up before the start, which caused a worry.Others have taken knocks and the dressing room at the moment is like the walking wounded.I pray for the day when I can have a squad free from injuries, but at the moment I can’t see an end to it.”

Match report written by Phil Johnson