North Ferriby United 5
Nantwich Town 3
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

Date: Saturday 5th September.2009

NORTH FERRIBY UNITED 5 v NANTWICH TOWN 3
Colin Hunter.8. 58 Glyn Blackhurst. 15.
Gary Bradshaw. 35. 61 Justin Whittle o/g 48.
David Cooke. 90+3 Nathan Southern.75.


NANTWICH TOWN: Jones. Sedgemore. Flynn. Tinson. Whittaker. MacPherson. Jack (Mahmoud 82). Blackhurst. Rhead (Southern 67). Lennon. Ashley Carter. Substitutes: Gibson. Southern. Mahmoud. Aaron Carter. Chapman

Attendance: 206.


Nantwich fielded an unchanged starting eleven from the one that won 3-1 away at Matlock over the bank holiday. Meanwhile, central defender Richie Sutton completed the last of a three match ban whilst left back Chris Shaw failed a fitness test following severe bruising due to a toe injury sustained early in the home game against Ossett Town.

‘The Dabbers’ began in determined fashion before conceding in the 8th minute when Colin Hunter latched on to a loose ball and hammer a 25 yard drive past Lee Jones to put the hosts ahead. North Ferriby continued to pressurize Nantwich, winning 6 consecutive corners. However, ‘The Dabbers’ withstood the siege and swept upfield in the 15th minute to equalize through a Glyn Blackhurst goal following a goalmouth scramble after ‘The Dabbers’ had initially won their first corner of the half. In other early action, Matt Rhead was unlucky to see his close range header hit the crossbar as Nantwich stepped up the pressure. Rhead was again prominent in the 34th minute when he volleyed over from a corner however, a minute later, a defence splitting pass from Simon Bird found David Cooke in space whose close range shot was parried by Jones leaving unmarked winger Gary Bradshaw time and space to put the home side back in front.

Nantwich, playing with a very strong wind in their faces in the first half, continued to battle against the elements with ‘keeper Jones unable to reach the halfway line with his goal kicks. Meanwhile, Chris Flynn was unlucky to see his 25 yard free kick rebound off the crossbar whilst in the 44th minute a long throw in from Blackhurst reached Ashley Carter on the edge of the 6 yard box who reacted with an overhead kick that unfortunately fell straight to Ferriby ‘keeper Steve Wilson.

HT: NORTH FERRIBY UNITED 2 v NANTWICH TOWN 1

Within two minutes of the second period getting underway Nantwich were back on level terms. A 25 yard Jake Sedgemore free kick was directed straight toward the 6 yard box where the ball skimmed off the head of defender Justin Whittle and past Wilson into the roof of the net. Hunter then took advantage of poor marking in the 58th minute to deliver a 25 yard volley past a helpless Jones before Bradshaw latched on to the end of a 61st minute Ben Morley cross to head home from close range. However, despite the deficit, last season’s top scoring youth team striker Nathan Southern creditably reduced the deficit when the substitute chipped the stranded North Ferriby goal keeper from a 75th minute Carter pass to notch his first goal at UniBond Premier Division level. Nantwich continued to press and a firm strike from Blackhurst forced Wilson into a good save whilst in an 85th minute goalmouth scramble Michael Lennon was unlucky to witness his close range shot scrambled off the line. However, the home defence quickly cleared their lines and not for the first time in the match swept down field into the Nantwich half. Jones had been the busier of the two ‘keepers throughout the afternoon and could do little or nothing three minutes into added time when a defensive error let in David Cooke who beat Jones from close range to complete a disappointing afternoon for ’The Dabbers’.

Match report written by Phil Johnson