Written by Adam Bateman, photos by Mike Smith
Nantwich Town bounced back from last week’s setback at Guiseley with a crazy 3-1 win over Belper Town at the Raygar Stadium.
Things didn’t get off to the best of starts as even before kick off, there was a need for an enforced change to the team sheet, as Mwiya Malumo was unable to start the game, and as such the Dabbers manager chose to bring back Ivan Urvantev back to the starting line up after his long absence due to injury.
This meant a change to the bench as Caspar Hughes was also unavailable, so both of the management team in Ritchie Sutton and Gary Taylor-Fletcher were drafted in to make up the numbers.
From the off this didn’t seem to have impacted the shape or the play of Nantwich, as they controlled the early part of the game and indeed they had the first shot of the game from James Caton, which was blocked by the Belper defence.
This seemed to give the Dabbers confidence as soon after Byron Harrison latched onto a loose pass by the Belper defender, and he passed the ball to Aidy Roxburgh, who shot, but again the Belper defence found a way to block the shot, and then almost immediately Jack Sherratt saw hit shot blocked, Nantwich were firmly on top, and indeed it only looked a matter of time before they took the lead.
Belper offered little in attack, and looked to keep the travelling side at bay for most of the first part of the first half, but then, that all changed when a mix up at the back for Nantwich, allowed James Tague to slot the ball past the debuting Thomas Scott in the Dabbers net (pictured below), to the delight of the home fans.
It was against the run of play, and was Belper’s first shot on target, and the Nantwich players could have allowed some self doubt to creep into their minds, especially after the previous game, but to their great credit they didn’t.
First of all Jack Sherratt had a header saved by Tom Jackson in the Belper goal, and then moments later, Byron Harrison ran onto a great through ball from Sherratt to round Jackson, and to give the travelling support something to celebrate with the equalising goal.
From there, Nantwich continued to push and probe to find the goal that would put them in front for the first time in the game, the ever dangerous Caton almost did so just after the half hour mark, but his shot from a Jack Sherratt reverse pass was very well saved.
The next person to try his luck was Sherratt, but his long range shot went over the bar, and that is how things went in at the half time break.
Both managers had work to do if they wanted their sides to come away with the full three points.
Only a few minutes into the second half, and the injury jinx that is seemingly plaguing Nantwich struck again, as Aidy Roxburgh was forced off, and in his place came fellow Altrincham loanee Ryan Morton.
From there the game become a bit of a war of attrition, with neither side looking like they would score, as both teams looked nervous in possession, and gave the ball away cheaply.
With half an hour to go in the game, yet another injury for Nantwich with this time James Caton, who was playing very well, forced to come off, with the last minute replacement Gary Taylor-Fletcher brought on in his place.
Within moments of that substitution, Nantwich Town finally broke the Belper defensive resistance, as Adam Dawson’s low cross fell to Troy Bourne, who managed to evade a defender, turn and fire low past Tom Jackson, to give Nantwich the vital second goal, and one that on the balance of play that they more than deserved.
Then, something truly extraordinary happened. The last minute change on the bench at the start of the game seemed to work wonders as the substitute, and part of the management team, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, 41 years young, picked up a loose ball in the centre of the pitch, about forty yards out, took a touch, saw the keeper off his line and then shot, with the greatest of ease, and the ball flew in to the top corner of the goal, to give Nantwich a two goal lead.
A quite unbelievable pinch me moment, a Roy of the Rovers type goal that is not often scored, without a shadow of doubt, something will really have to be special to beat this to goal of the season!
After the game, Taylor-Fletcher said “As soon as I took my touch I knew it was going in. It’s one of the best goals I’ve scored.” Quite an accolade for someone that’s scored over 130 career goals including in the Premier League and EFL.
That goal really deflated Belper, and they offered little in attack after that, and in fact Nantwich could have extended their lead further, with Sherratt, Scully and Dawson coming close.
The day couldn’t have finished without another enforced change however, and Ivan Urvantev was replaced by the other half of the management team Ritchie Sutton, so both of them were out on the pitch to make sure Belper didn’t find a way back into the game.
That is exactly what they did, and Nantwich bounced back from their previous defeat, to record a much needed win, and with a goal in particular from Gary Taylor-Fletcher that will live long in the memory.
Teams
Belper Town: Tom Jackson, Ben Rhodes, Ben Algar, Harry Middleton ©, Tom Wilson, Todd Jordan, Jack Butterfill (Rio Molyneux, 80), Ethan Cartwright (Charlie Reaney, 35), James Tague, Jacob Gratton, Shaun Tuton
Subs not used: Wilfred Peel-Evans,Lewis Austin, Alfie Smith-Eccles
Goal: Tague (21)
Nantwich Town: Thomas Scott, Aidy Roxburgh (Ryan Morton, 52), Sean Lawton, Troy Bourne ©, Perry Bircumshaw, Jack Sherratt, Ivan Urvantev (Ritchie Sutton, 82), James Caton (Gary Taylor-Fletcher, 70), Byron Harrison, Thomas Scully, Adam Dawson
Subs not used: Archie Angles, Levi Chiduku
Goals: Harrison (25), Bourne (72), Taylor-Fletcher (75)
Attendance: 545