By Jonathan White, photo by Peter Robinson
Nantwich Town FC Women secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chester FC Women at the Deva Stadium in their Cheshire Football Association Women’s Cup 2nd Round tie on Sunday 19th October 2025. This marked the third meeting between the two sides this season, and the Dabbers once again came out on top.
Manager Dan Mellor made three changes from the previous week’s league win, handing starts to Libby Bulkeley, Beth Ragdale, and Abi Poulton. The Dabbers lined up as follows: 1. C. Swindell, 2. L. Bulkeley, 3. P. Smith, 4. S. Cawley, 5. B. Ragdale, 6. K. Greenwood, 7. J. Alderman, 8. M. Ragdale (captain), 9. A. Fallon, 10. A. Poulton, 11. A. Hatton. Substitutes: J. Buckley-Ratcliff, M. Baldwin, H. Knight, L. Pearce, A. Mayer.
The first half ended goalless, with both teams showing quality but neither able to break the deadlock. It was Amanda Fallon who finally made the difference in the 81st minute, slotting home the decisive goal to send Nantwich through to the third round. Fallon, sponsored by the NTISA, proved once again to be a clutch performer for the Dabbers.
Alicia Hatton’s tireless work on the wing earned her the GOAT Player of the Match award, winning a £50 voucher courtesy of Nantwich’s new High Street bar, GOAT. Hatton, sponsored by SugaRich, consistently troubled the Chester defence and was a constant threat throughout.
Speaking after the game, manager Dan Mellor said:
“Chester are a very good footballing side, so to come away with a 1-0 win is a great result for us. I thought we thoroughly deserved it, we played some really high quality football, looked confident in possession and limited them to no real chances throughout. I’m very happy with everyone’s performance tonight, it was a real team effort from start to finish. Onto the next round!”
The Dabbers can now prepare for the Cheshire FA Women’s Cup 3rd Round against Poulton Vics at home, scheduled for Sunday 16th November 2025.
Meanwhile, their next league fixture sees them host second-placed Runcorn Linnets Ladies FC in a North West Women’s Regional League Division One South clash at the Swansway Stadium on Waterlode this Sunday (26th October, 2pm kick-off).
Fans can follow the latest news, match action, and behind-the-scenes updates on the official Dabbers Women’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NTFCLadies. Full fixture details are available at https://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/all-women-fixtures/.
For anyone inspired to play, Women’s Recreational Football sessions run every Tuesday (8–9pm) at Swansway Stadium, open to anyone aged 16+. The sessions are perfect for fitness, fun, and football. Contact [email protected] for more information.