By Liam Price
Nantwich Town made it back-to-back wins under interim boss Jon Moran with a 2-1 victory away at Kidsgrove Athletic.
There was just one change for the Dabbers from the win over Congleton, with club captain Troy Bourne making a welcome return just in time as Courtney Meppen-Walters was ruled out injured.
Nantwich might have taken the lead inside the first minute, when a free kick was floated in and Paddy Kennedy should have been more selfish and headed towards goal rather than across the face of it.
Kinglsey Adu-Gyamfi, Kidsgrove’s top goalscorer this season, had their first shot of the game which was blocked away.
James Melhado and Byron Harrison had shots that didn’t really trouble the goal, before Robbie Hatton had a go at the other end but it was caught by Ben Garratt.
The Dabbers’ bright start was rewarded though with a goal in the 11th minute. After poor play at the back from Saul Shotton, Tom Pratt was able to put the ball on a plate for Kai Evans to slot in the opener. Consecutive goals now for Kai who looks to really be back in his stride, and more joy for him against Kidsgrove after he scored twice in the same fixture last season.
5 minutes later the Dabbers doubled their lead. Another assist for Pratt and this one a peach of a delivery from a dead ball situation, a free kick right into the danger zone which was bundled in by Kelvin Mellor for his first Nantwich goal. Again questions for Kidsgrove to answer, could keeper Harrison have come out for it, but Nantwich didn’t care.
It was after this point that the game started to fall into a bitty stop-start state that it never really recovered from. Garratt held a well-hit free kick from Kidsgrove before Callum Saunders hit straight at Kieran Harrison.
Garratt then saved from Robbie Hatton but again it was not difficult for the former Crewe man. Kai Evans was well in the mood, when seeing Harrison off his line he didn’t hesitate to try the lob from inside the centre circle but it sliced wide.
Pratt was laying on chances left, right and centre, a delicate flick over the top playing in Saunders whose touch was too heavy and allowed a Kidsgrove defender to get a foot in.
Nat Morley fired over but it felt like the game was now being played on Kidsgrove’s terms, as rough and ready as those were.
And they did get a goal back right on the stroke of half time. A free kick bore fruit for the home side as well as Adu-Gyamfi got his 8th of the season by tapping in at the back post.
There was still time in the half for a remarkable save by Garratt, who tipped a goalbound effort around the post despite it coming through a crowd of bodies and surely seeing it late.
In the second half, Evans shot well over the bar when he would have done better to pass with Pratt in space beside him.
Kidsgrove utilised their bench to its fullest extent, making all 5 of their permitted subs which hasn’t happened much since this rule was brought in at this level, often because teams don’t have 5 outfield subs available.
One of those changes, Aaron Bott, flashed a shot wide from a narrow angle in another warning sign for the Dabbers.
Another came just a couple of minutes later, again a free kick causing the danger and again it was Garratt to the rescue with a point blank save.
The chances from then on started to dry up. Garratt was quick off his line to deny a run through before Melhado went down in the box after getting the wrong side of his man, the referee waved it quickly away.
A crowded penalty area proved helpful for Nantwich as a Kidsgrove shot that may have snuck inside the post was deflected wide.
The last significant on pitch moment came as the game ticked into stoppage time. Matt Rhead went in for yet another challenge with Bourne which left him on the floor and Rhead clearly caught Bourne on the head with his boot as he ran past him. The referee showed Rhead a straight red card. He could have at the very least done more to avoid that contact and probably would have been sent off anyway as he was already on a yellow.
The headline, rather than just the red card, should be that the man who had scored in Kidsgrove’s last two games didn’t have a single shot in this one against Bourne and the again-impressive Kennedy who is literally half Rhead’s age and will have never faced a physical challenge like it. And that summed up a gutsy and gritty performance that will serve the Dabbers very well if they can replicate it when needed over the season.
Teams
Kidsgrove Athletic: Kieran Harrison, Harry Goode, Kyle Stubbs, Jack Bromfield (C) (Ernest Ofosu, 53), Shaun Rhodes, Saul Shotton (Ritchie Sutton, 15), Kingsley Adu-Gyamfi (Josh Oultram, 71), Jimmy Garlick (Aaron Bott, 53), Matt Rhead, Robbie Hatton (Kyle Diskin, 77), Nathan Morley
Goal: Adu-Gymafi (45+2)
Red card: Rhead (90+2)
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, James Melahdo, Perry Bircumshaw, Kelvin Mellor, Troy Bourne (C), Paddy Kennedy, Callum Saunders (Giovanni Loureiro, 84), Matty Tweedley (Cesaire Lingouba, 66), Byron Harrison, Tom Pratt, Kai Evans (Nathan Sandison, 71)
Subs not used: Jon Moran
Goals: Evans (11), Mellor (16)
Attendance: 402