Marine 4
Nantwich Town 3
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

EVO-STIK FOOTBALL LEAGUE
PREMIER DIVISION
Tuesday 15th February.2011

MATCH REPORT

MARINE 4 v NANTWICH TOWN 3
Jamie Rainford.47.58 Dave Whittaker.28
Thomas Moore.60 Omar Mahmoud.81
Neil Harvey.79 Michael Carr.83
MARINE: McMahon. Brown (Rushton 67). Shaw. Davies (c). Moore. Henry. Rigoglioso (Lundon 46). Goulding. Harvey. Rainford. Fowler. Substitutes: Rushton. Lundon. Booth. Brazier. Cumiskey.
NANTWICH: Allcock. Crane. Foster (Mahmoud 59). Tinson. Reeves. Sedgemore (c). Carr. Carter. Whittaker (Aspinwall 67). Lennon. Short. Substitutes: Blake. Mahmoud. Aspinwall (Blake 69). Smith. Chesters.

A blatant offside goal - three players injured – a straight red card – all in a match in which Nantwich Town really did deserve to come away from the Arriva Stadium with a point at the very least.
The ‘Dabbers’ were without JORDAN CONNERTON and GLYN BLACKHURST (facial injuries) whilst for family reasons, RODNEY JACK is currently unavailable. Meanwhile, Nantwich gave a debut to 18 year old Stoke City Academy defender ZAC FOSTER, who started at left back, whilst recent signing JONATHAN CRANE made his full debut at right back, in yet another changed starting eleven – the 23rd in 24 league games so far in this injury plagued season.
Marine were first to show, and in the 3rd minute Marine leading scorer JAMIE RAINFORD was presented with a close range opportunity, but his effort finished wide of the target. Two minutes later, a free kick from just inside his own half by ‘Dabbers’ goalkeeper ADAM ALLCOCK fell in between MICHAEL LENNON and goalkeeper RYAN McMAHON but the intervention of defender JOHN SHAW denied LENNON an opportunity when he headed the ball over the head of Nantwich’s leading scorer to safety. On 9 minutes, Nantwich caught the Marine defence flat footed but despite ASHLEY CARTER playing a tasty looking through ball to the unmarked LENNON, the pace proved a shade too much for ‘Lenny’ as the ball rolled over the bye line before he could reach it.
Nantwich were playing well, and in the 12th minute CARTER was fouled and from the resultant free kick JAKE SEDGEMORE was somewhat unlucky to see his powerful ground shot deflect of a defender in the 6 yard box, with only McMAHON to beat. Meanwhile, Marine were finding it difficult to break down the Nantwich rear with their long ball tactics failing to pay dividends. Debutant ZAC FOSTER took a 10 minute spell to settle down but eventually the youngster found his feet and up until the 59th minute, when he succumbed to a hamstring injury, he played very well considering it was the first time he has played football at this particular level.
On 20 minutes, LEWIS SHORT and LENNON combined to win a corner from which MICHAEL CARR’S flag kick was flicked downward by the head of LENNON that McMAHON just managed to save on his line. Meanwhile, at the other end, ALLCOCK pulled off a good save from NEIL HARVEY and from the goal kick, FOSTER powered forward to deliver a great in swinging cross from deep on the Marine right aimed for CARTER at the far post, but SHAW threw his body across the flight of the ball to deny the Nantwich midfielder. On 24 minutes, the diminutive FOSTER showed some silky skills when he cut in from the left to the middle of the pitch – carved his way around three challenges, and was very unlucky to see his on target shot from just inside the area blocked by centre half THOMAS MOORE. But Nantwich pressure finally told, when, in the 28th minute, LENNON worked his way around the back of the Marine defence to place a deft short range cross toward DAVE WHITTAKER, who responded by placing a downward header beyond the reach of the diving McMAHON to put the ‘Dabbers’ ahead. The goal stung Marine, who proceeded to argue amongst themselves as to who was responsible for not picking up either LENNON or WHITTAKER. With the home side now beginning to spread the ball around DARREN TINSON was the saviour on the half hour, when he headed a shot from HARVEY out of the goal mouth whilst at the other end, fellow ‘Dabbers’ central defender CHARLIE REEVES was unlucky to witness his glancing header from a corner flash the wrong side of a post.
On 33 minutes, RAINFORD made a mess of a great opportunity when he skewed a close range shot wide of the target whilst two minutes later; FOSTER delivered another fine ball from deep on the Marine right toward goal before McMAHON clawed it out of the air and away from danger. In the dying minutes of the first half, a SEDGEMORE lofted shot was held on the line by the home ‘keeper whilst at the other end, REEVES intervention denied HARVEY – McMAHON saved from CRANE and in almost the final piece of action before the break, ALLCOCK held a centre from Marine captain TONY DAVIES.
HT: Marine 0 v Nantwich Town 1
A blatant offside goal in the 47th minute allowed Marine to undeservedly draw level through RAINFORD, who at the time of receiving the ball, was standing several yards in an offside position. Despite protestations, from TINSON in particular, referee Mr Toner allowed it to stand after his assistant on the stand side, who at the time had irresponsibly failed to keep up with play, kept his flag down. However, Nantwich must accept a portion of blame because they had begun the second half in a somewhat disorganized fashion thus allowing Marine to dictate play when failing to win the first ball far too often for comfort. ALLCOCK was now the busier of the two ‘keepers and in quick succession, he denied both RAINFORD and HARVEY.
For whatever reason, Nantwich looked a different outfit in the second half and in the 58th minute, calamitous defending allowed RAINFORD to complete a brace when, from an unmarked position, he capitalised on a deflected ball off ALLCOCK to clip the ball over the Nantwich defence to put his side ahead for the first time in the match. A minute later, that persistent Nantwich Town injury hoodoo struck yet again, this time it was the young FOSTER, who had worked so hard in the match before forced to retire with a hamstring injury – and this after not long returning to fitness following a four month layoff with a cartilage injury. Meanwhile, Nantwich were struggling to regain any decent shape and were to concede further on the hour when MOORE found himself in an unmarked position before placing an angled shot from deep on the right across the bows of ALLCOCK into the far bottom corner of the net. WHITTAKER, who had battled on up front alongside LENNON despite taking a knock in the first half, was replaced by SAM ASPINWALL in the 67th minute and then, in an incredible piece of misfortune, sustained a thigh injury within two minutes of replacing WHITTAKER. KYLE BLAKE was the third and final Nantwich substitute to take to the field and in fairness; Nantwich began to show signs of pulling their game back together. REEVES, now playing in a more forward role, had a shot saved by McMAHON, closely followed by CRANE, whose angled strike was held on the line by the Marine custodian.
Eleven minutes from normal time poor defending cost Nantwich further when RAINFORD was allowed to progress unchallenged to a position deep on the Nantwich right hand side to deliver a cross into the 6 yard box but, despite ALLCOCK initially blocking the ball, he failed to hold it, thus allowing HARVEY to nudge in the rebound. However, Nantwich heads rose again when, in the 81st minute, substitute OMAR MAHMOUD struck from 8 yards to reduce the deficit, followed two minutes later by CARR, who drove through a static Marine defence to set up a grandstand finish. Then, in a moment of frustration, CARR and MOORE squared up to each other during a period of Nantwich ascendancy, the result of which saw them both dismissed for violent conduct five minutes from normal time. Despite four minutes of added time, and Nantwich pounding the Marine goal on several occasions, the home side held out for victory leaving Nantwich bitterly disappointed at not claiming a share of the spoils.
FT: Marine 4 v Nantwich Town 3

Match report written by Ashley Houghton