By Liam Price
Nantwich’s 4-game winning run came to an end with a 1-0 defeat against Mossley at Seel Park.
Ali Hayder made his first start for the club whilst Courtney Meppen-Walters was in a Nantwich squad for the first time since the win over Congleton last month after recovering from injury.
The game’s ultimately decisive moment arrived only 5 minutes in. A long throw in from the Mossley left was flicked on and not dealt with by the Dabbers defence. This allowed Mason Fawns to turn and fire in from close range. That made it 5 consecutive league games in which he’s scored for Mossley, a great run by anyone’s standard, but a cheap goal for Nantwich to concede.
Kacper Mialkowski unquestionably crossed the ball into the Nantwich box but it was one of those that could have freakishly dropped into the top corner, before James Melhado pulled a shot wide off his weaker left foot.
Nantwich were racking up corners like nobody’s business, but while they’d been a rich source of goals and goalscoring chances in recent games, they weren’t quite clicking today. Paddy Kennedy nodded one wide near the half hour mark.
Kai Evans curled a free kick over the bar, then a better chance arrived after great work from Perry Bircumshaw on the left side of the box; he turned inside his man and picked out Evans who lashed it wide via a deflection.
The Dabbers were growing into the half, Kelvin Mellor headed wide from the following corner. Kennedy again won another header but planted it straight at keeper Finley Madigan.
Obua Mugalula slashed a shot wide for Mossley, then it was Mellor again with a header that Madigan had to watch sharply at his near post.
It was all a bit back to front, Dabbers defenders creating the bulk of the chances once more as Kennedy had a shot blocked.
Hayder did join the party right on half time, a good strike of his was tipped over by Madigan.
In the second half, Nathan Sandison was unlucky to see a well hit effort strike his own player and bounce away.
Meppen-Walters came on for his Dabbers return just past the hour, and quickly made his presence felt. He headed in from yet another corner but the referee’s whistle denied him, someone in there (not Meppen-Walters himself) was penalised for a foul.
Mossley sub Bailey Marsden squandered a big chance to double the lead when the ball was squared to him in the box and slipped as he hit it, over it sailed.
Bircumshaw was at his best again minutes later when intercepting another ball across in the box and saving what would have been the simplest of finishes for Mossley. Jon Moran said afterwards that it was ‘potentially his (Bircumshaw’s) best game in a Dabbers shirt’.
Tom Pratt saw an effort in the box very well blocked in the last 10 minutes. Mossley just seemed to be able to block or tackle everything that was being thrown at them.
A free kick right on the edge of the box was lined up by Meppen-Walters, trying to repeat his heroics from Stalybridge last season, but it hit the wall and bounced away.
The Lillywhites could have killed the game again late on but a pullback missed its target and Nantwich escaped.
Kennedy’s last header went the way as the ones before it, as Madigan held on tight and ran down the clock, as is his right.
The last chance of the game fell to sub Callum Saunders. Finally a Nantwich player had a bit of space in the box but unfortunately Saunders couldn’t take advantage as his shot was driven straight at a grateful Madigan.
Defeat, then, and only the 4th time in 17 games that the Dabbers have failed to score. But with 5 of the next 6 games in all competitions at home, there’s plenty of chances to get back on track at the Swansway Stadium.
Teams
Mossley: Finley Madigan, Jack Marrow, Kacper Mialkowski, Mark Lees (C), Mateusz Kardacz, Luke Barlow, Joseph Berks (Don Ogbeifun, 80), Aderemi Efunnuga (Bailey Marsden, 66), Eric Yahaya, Mason Fawns (Guilherme Baltazar, 74), Obua Mugalula
Subs not used: Reece Webb-Foster, Adam Sherratt
Goal: Fawns (5)
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, James Melhado, Perry Bircumshaw, Kelvin Mellor, Troy Bourne (C), Paddy Kennedy, Ali Hayder (Courtney Meppen-Walters, 62), Tom Pratt (Gio Loureiro, 86), Byron Harrison, Nathan Sandison (Joe Robbins, 57), Kai Evans (Callum Saunders, 74)
Sub not used: Mathew Mallon
Attendance: 496