By Liam Price
Nantwich Town were defeated in their final pre-season friendly of the summer as Leek Town took a 2-1 win at the F Ball Community Stadium.
Rui Clarke-Phillps started for the first time and Kelvin Mellor returned. Paddy Kennedy again continues to build his fitness as he returned to pre-season later. Perry Bircumshaw had a knock, and Ben Greenop and Byron Moore were away.
A quiet first 20 minutes saw one scuffed shot towards goal from Leek which was cleared away easily off the line.
Their number 7 then brought the first save of the game as Ben Garratt palmed away.
Ben Hockenhull headed comfortably over, before a Callum Saunders penalty shout was dismissed.
The biggest chance of the first period from a Dabbers perspective came when Paddy Jarrett was played in, the Leek keeper pushed his shot away and Saunders hit the outside of the post from a very narrow angle.
Leek’s number 11 headed over the bar, then Byron Harrison didn’t get on the end of a teasing cross at the other end.
Hockenhull smartly headed over his own crossbar, then from the following corner a Leek header was planted wide.
Aidy Roxburgh covered well to stop a Leek attack, and the defensive line held up well again as a Leek goal was ruled out for offside.
A late shot dragged just wide was as close as it got for Leek in that first half.
In the second half, both teams continued to create decent openings early on. Leek headed over the bar from a corner, before a Joe Robbins through ball found Callum Saunders whose ball across couldn’t be touched in.
Saunders was now more in the game, a pair of shots from him were saved then blocked.
Leek took the lead in frustrating circumstances. They took a quick free kick which Nantwich were not ready for, running to the goalline and pulling it back there was a bit of pinball before a low shot deflected in off a helpless Josh Williams.
They had a couple of chances in the immediate aftermath to extend the lead. An overload wasn’t taken advantage of, shortly after Garratt made a top save to tip over a fierce strike from another corner.
Riding out that storm, Nantwich equalised just 4 minutes after conceding. Sub Alex Panter charged down the right touchline and finally a pullback worked for the Dabbers as a Leek defender put it in his own net while sliding to try and clear.
But 8 minutes after that, Leek led again. This was even easier than the first, a corner was met by a near post flick on and finished simply at close range. 40% of the goals conceded for Nantwich in pre season have been either directly or indirectly from set pieces (4/10).
Roxburgh fired over late on at the end of a flowing Nantwich move as pre season drew to a close.
That’s 2 wins, 2 draws and 3 defeats from the 7 friendlies, 2 of those losses to the higher-division teams you’d have most expected to lose to before the games started. 10 goals scored and 10 conceded as well; all in all the definition of a mixed bag that also shouldn’t be read into too deeply.
The usual mix of excitement and nerves can now build to the first league game of the season away at Bootle on Saturday 9th August, and the first home game against Kidsgrove on Tuesday 12th August at 7.45pm.
Team
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, Aidy Roxburgh, Rui Clarke-Phillips, Kelvin Mellor (C), Josh Williams, Ben Hockenhull, Callum Saunders, Fenton Green, Byron Harrison, Joel Connolly, Paddy Jarrett
Subs: Joe Robbins, Reece Vaughan, Dan Apantaku, Alex Panter, Trialist
Leek goals: (68, 80)
Nantwich goal: (OG, 72)