By Liam Price
After a rare week off, the Dabbers are back and in Staffordshire again as we travel to Chasetown on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Chase & Status
If the Dabbers have had chance to recover after 2 weeks between games, Chasetown should be even more recovered after not having played since 24th February. Trying to judge form, then, is a little bit harder when they’ve had no game for 3 weeks. But before the gap, they were winless in 4 games in all competitions, losing to Mossley and Clitheroe in the league, then being beaten by Leek in the Staffordshire Senior Cup, then drawing with Widnes in the league in their last game.
After Nantwich, they have quite the fixture crunch, rearranged games and Walsall Cup action meaning they play 7 games in 21 days from Saturday 23rd. But at home they will always back themselves, their record is very similar to the Dabbers, 15 league games at The Scholars Ground this season, 8 wins and 4 draws. This is all the more impressive when you consider they weren’t using their own ground for home games until December, as like the Dabbers they have changed to an artificial pitch this season.
Their away form has cost them badly, just 3 wins all season meaning they are in 13th, 8 points off the play offs with a game in hand, and a point behind Nantwich. They have also scored at least once in every game they’ve played since the reverse game against the Dabbers, so it may well take at least 2 for Nantwich to win on Saturday.
Last Time We Met
It was back in mid-January when the Dabbers won out 1-0 against Chasetown at the Swansway, and as so often this season it was Byron Harrison popping up with a crucial goal in the first half. Highlights below.
The last time Nantwich played away at Chasetown was in 2011, finishing in an incredible 4-4 draw. The Dabbers goalscorers that day were Ashley Carter, Ben Mills (x2) and Michael Lennon.
Players to Watch
Former Dabber Danny Glover has scored 5 in his last 7 since that reverse game, and is up to 9 for the season. But he is still some way behind their top scorer, who is still Jack Langston on 14 in all competitions but does only have 1 in his last 9, perhaps the sign of a good team when one goalscorer is stepping up as another goes through a rougher spell.
Match Information
To get to the Scholars Ground for our first trip in 13 years, it’s an hour’s drive from Nantwich, via the A500, M6 (exit junction T6) and the A5195. The postcode is WS7 3QL.
Tickets on the gate are priced at £10 for adults, £7 for concessions and £2 for under 16s.