Nantwich Town 3
Runcorn Linnets 1
League (NPL Division 1 West)

Match Report

Nantwich Town found second half success again to beat Runcorn Linnets 3-1 at the Swansway Stadium.

Joe Piggott returned from injury to come straight back into the side, as Josh McWilliams served his suspension from the red card in the Bootle game.

Bruno Cina was unavailable as he was picked as part of Stockport’s senior matchday squad in the EFL Trophy, and did get on the pitch for them as a sub in the second half. He’s due to be back with the Dabbers on Saturday.

In a finely balanced first half, the Dabbers struggled to create much in terms of chances.

It was Runcorn who started the sharper and forced the biggest opportunity of the half when Blake Wolsoncroft closed the angle well when the ball was slid through and fired towards his goal.

Paddy Kennedy, who rarely goes without a game where he gets a header towards goal from a set piece, did so here too but got under it from a free kick.

The Dabbers forwards were feeding on scraps; Luke Enright scuffed an effort wide after Ethan Hartshorn got a shot away.

The tactical element of the first half was probably the most interesting. Runcorn set up in what in modern parlance would be a mid block, refusing to engage until either a Dabbers player turned backwards or tried to fire a pass into midfield. They got a lot of joy with this, cutting out numerous passes from people like Kennedy who start a lot of Dabbers attacks this way.

Nantwich needed to find a way around this, and did eventually, but it was a set piece that opened the game up.

A free kick in only the second minute of the second half was well struck by Josh Hancock and bounced up off the post where Ethan Hartshorn forced it in off his chest. He’s starting to become a regular scorer with 3 in just the last couple of weeks.

The first goal was always going to be crucial in this game, Runcorn’s previous brilliant organisation became a bit more messy after that goal as their current dip in form started to perhaps play on the minds as they went behind.

Ollie Pope went for a spectacular long range effort but Calvin Hare scrambled back to claim it.

It was a move down the left that created the second Nantwich goal. Some great play down the left between Hartshorn and Jack Stafford saw Ethan brilliantly flick right back into Stafford’s path and he let fly with a fierce strike which flew into the net. Hare will have been disappointed with it as it wasn’t in the corner and he seemed to misjudge the flight, resulting in it looking as if he’d dived away from the ball.

Stafford has scored twice since joining Nantwich and they have both been terrific strikes, this one coming after his screamer at Shifnal.

2 minutes later it was 3-0. Stafford turned provider this time, pulling a cross towards the onrushing Aidy Roxburgh who got enough on it to get it through Hare and in. His remarkable form in front of goal continues; that’s now 6 goals in his last 12 Nantwich appearances for the right back who scored 2 goals in his first 62 Nantwich games.

Kennedy made a great goal-line challenge in the last 10 minutes but Nantwich weren’t able to keep the clean sheet as sub Harry McGee scored for Runcorn with a diving header deep in stoppage time.

The second half showings are becoming a real trend for the Dabbers now; the last 12 goals they’ve scored have been in the second period of matches. And more broadly, 4 wins out of 7 is encouraging form for this group of players.

Nantwich Town: Blake Wolsoncroft, Aidy Roxburgh (James Baillie, 88), Jack Stafford (Byron Moore, 88), Ethan Hartshorn (Zack Stritch, 84), Harry Davis (C), Paddy Kennedy, Will Smith, Joe Piggott, Luke Enright (Joe Collins, 69), Josh Hancock (Iwan Roberts, 84), Ollie Pope
Goals: Hartshorn (47), Stafford (71), Roxburgh (73)

Runcorn Linnets: Calvin Hare, Scott Holding, Matthew Rain, Jack Byrne, Kian Bell, Jacques Welsh (C), Elliot Morris (Harry McGee, 72), Matthew Whittingham, Lewis Buckley, Sean Miller, Conor Harwood (Oscar Wright, 68)
Subs not used: Ollie Southern, Nick Rushton, Franklin Denison
Goal: McGee (90+4)

Attendance: 318

Pictured: Luke Enright holds up the ball

Match report written by Liam Price (www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk)