By Liam Price, photo by Ian Garnett
Nantwich Town came from a goal down to win 4-1 away at Kidsgrove Athletic, with all 4 goals coming inside the last 20 minutes.
Josh Hancock came back after suspension and new goalkeeper Blake Wolsoncroft, formerly of the Blackburn Rovers academy, started with Sam Booth unavailable.
Luke Enright headed over early on from an Aidy Roxburgh cross, before a combination of a Lucas Joubert save and then an offside flag denied Hancock.
But it was the home side, being managed in this game by ex-Dabbers player and manager Ritchie Sutton in the absence of Matt Rhead, who would strike first 21 minutes in.
A simple long ball from the keeper was flicked on by the head of Byron Harrison, an action he pulled off so many times in a Nantwich shirt, and this allowed Nathan Morley to run in behind and slot past Wolsoncroft. A very simple goal but very effective.
Will Smith hit straight at Joubert as Nantwich tried to respond, then Paddy Kennedy headed wide from a free kick.
A great piece of Harry Davis defending prevented a potential second Grove goal, then up the other end Roxburgh fizzed a shot wide from the right side of the box.
Jack Stafford saw a snapshot tipped over by Joubert only for a goal kick to be given, which added to a growing feeling that it might not be Nantwich’s day as Kidsgrove went into half time 1 up.
An enforced change at half time with Zack Stritch having to make way for Bruno Cina played a large part in the turnaround that was to follow. Cina’s relentless energy upset what had been a very settled defence.
Morley fired straight at Wolsoncroft early on in the second period, but it was pretty much one way traffic after that in the Dabbers’ favour.
Cina saw a low shot stopped by Joubert with the ball bouncing back off him and wide. Then it was Roxburgh’s turn again, aiming central and perhaps to go through the keeper’s legs Joubert was up to the task to keep it out again.
The momentum told in the 71st minute, when a cross from the right was missed by the keeper as he tried to punch which left Cina with a simple task to sweep in the equaliser.
Ethan Hartshorn was the next to test the keeper with a shot that he had to parry away as the pressure kept building.
3 minutes after levelling Nantwich were ahead. A pass through the middle was horribly misjudged by a Kidsgrove defender; trying to play it back he only put it into the path of Roxburgh who made no mistake with his finish this time to get his 5th goal of the season.
Josh McWilliams almost made it 3 with what was surely a cross that dipped and bounced off the corner of post and bar with Joubert beaten.
Only a last ditch challenge denied Cina a second, but with chances going begging you couldn’t help but think of the Vauxhall and Wythenshawe games where hard earned leads had been squandered late on.
That was not the case here, as Nantwich kept pressing and did kill the game. In the 87th minute, a sweeping cross from Roxburgh fell perfectly for Hartshorn who took one touch to control and another to finish high into the net.
There was still time right before the end for Will Smith to get his first Nantwich goal. With a bit of luck of the bounce from a first attempted shot he fired low across Joubert to make it 4-1 and round off a real confidence building day at what is always a tough place to come, even though this is the 5th Nantwich win away at Kidsgrove in a row going back to 2008.
Teams
Kidsgrove Athletic: Lucas Joubert, Reuben Falding, William Hardeman (Lynden Nixon, 78), Jack Bromfield (C), Oliver Jepson, Reece Davies, Clayton Malbon (Reiss Martin, 69), Jordan Flattley (Jay Ford, 49), Dan Kennedy, Nathan Morley (Alex Barnett, 69), Byron Harrison
Sub not used: Ritchie Sutton
Goal: Morley (21′)
Nantwich Town: Blake Wolsoncroft, Aidy Roxburgh (Reece Vaughan, 90), Josh McWilliams, Ethan Hartshorn, Harry Davis (C), Paddy Kennedy, Will Smith, Zack Stritch (Bruno Cina, 46), Luke Enright (Byron Moore, 88), Josh Hancock (Joe Collins, 86), Jack Stafford (Ollie Pope, 88)
Goals: Cina (71′), Roxburgh (74′), Hartshorn (87′), Smith (90+4′)
Attendance: 584