A Michael Burkey hat trick helped Bootle come from behind to beat Nantwich Town 3-1 at the Berry Street Garage Stadium.
A defining issue of the season has been injuries for the Dabbers, especially in midfield. Recent signings Jacob Hamman and Cesaire Lingouba were out on Saturday, Lingouba’s dislocated toe at Mossley may yet keep him out for the rest of the season. This meant the quick signing of Finlay Heath, who was on the bench.
Despite this, the Dabbers started perfectly. 1 minute 58 seconds in they took the lead, as Kai Evans reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to poke past Tony Thompson and take the acclaim of the travelling fans. Not bad for a player who was ill in the week and had barely trained.
Craig Carney had the first effort for Bootle, dealt with by Scott Moloney. The Dabbers then squandered a good chance to double the lead, Callum Saunders flicking an effort over the bar after Troy Bourne headed down a free kick.
Jay Roberts had a fine effort after cutting in from the right onto what you’d guess was his weaker left foot, it didn’t look it as he curled the shot just away from the far top corner.
Bootle, unbeaten in 4 before this, were growing into the game, but Nantwich had more half chances to extend the lead and really pile the pressure on them. Evans headed down into the path of Saunders who struck low from the angle and straight at Thompson.
Sonny Hilton, booked early on, hit a ferocious drive that may have challenged the goal but Perry Bircumshaw bravely got his head behind it and it went away for a corner.
Then another chance for Saunders as Sean Lawton played him in from his advanced wing back position. Just like the last one though, he hit from an angle and it was easily held by Thompson.
3 minutes before half time, Bootle were level. A cross from the right slipped through the hands of Moloney in what were heavy rain conditions. Michael Burkey lunged to poke it towards goal and Moloney frantically tried to push it away; however after some conversation with his assistant the referee gave the goal deeming it to have been over the line.
The Dabbers ended the first half badly and started the second even worse. On 48 minutes Conor Harwood snuck in behind and cleverly lobbed the ball over the no-mans-land Moloney, he was unlucky to see it bounce off the bar and over.
Nantwich did not heed that warning and conceded just a minute later. A simple move down the right saw the ball pulled back for Burkey to sweep home his second. How Bootle were able to almost walk that ball in was a cause of real Nantwich concern.
That goal brought a change in personnel and formation from Paul Carden, Heath came on for his Nantwich debut, then Byron Harrison as the Dabbers went to a 4-3-3 with the wing backs sacrificed.
Kai Evans tried to spark Nantwich back into life with a low zipping strike that was deflected for a corner before Meppen-Walters missed the target with an effort of his own.
The Dabbers couldn’t quite get truly going though, and made another big error on 72 minutes. Meppen-Walters was caught in behind and Moloney tripped Ben Hodkinson in the box, conceding the penalty and getting a booking.
There was a reprieve though, as the Bucks’ top scorer Hodkinson hit the crossbar with his spot kick.
Then there was a massive chance for the Dabbers to draw level at the other end. A ball in from the left fell to the feet of Harrison, who might have hit it first time but chose to take a touch and then hit it at Thompson who had already committed himself. It had to go in.
The killer blow fell from Bootle just 2 minutes after that. The formation change may have played a part again, Burkey facing his defender who didn’t know whether to engage or track the overlapping player, allowing Burkey to cut inside and curl brilliantly into the top corner despite the efforts of Bircumshaw to head away.
Akiel Raffie was the last Dabbers change and shot over the bar via a deflection as the Dabbers tried in vain to scramble back into the game.
But it wasn’t to be. Despite a better start to 2024, it is now 6 league away games without a win, and just 3 away league wins out of 14 all season. If it was the home form that took Nantwich down last season, it’s the away form keeping them there this time.
Teams
Bootle FC: Tony Thompson, Jay Roberts, Sean Smith, Sam Hughes, Scott Sephton, Ritchie Sutton, Sonny Hilton, Craig Carney, Conor Harwood (Tom Peterson, 79), Michael Burkey (Michael Carberry, 79), Ben Hodkinson (Jake Burton, 84)
Subs not used: Anthony Miley, Jack Lenehan
Goals: Burkey (42, 49, 77)
Nantwich Town: Scott Moloney, Amir Tavakoli (Finlay Heath, 49), Sean Lawton (Byron Harrison, 54), Troy Bourne, Courtney Meppen-Walters, Perry Bircumshaw, Joel Connolly, Paddy Kay, Callum Saunders, George Milner (Akiel Raffie, 69), Kai Evans
Subs not used: Jon Moran, Nathan Okome
Goal: Evans (2)
Attendance: 465