Written by Liam Price, pictures by Jonathan White
Nantwich secured a point against 2nd in the league Gainsborough Trinity with a dramatic late equaliser for a 1-1 draw at the Swansway Stadium.
The atrocious conditions that briefly threatened the game earlier in the day returned with a vengeance just before kick off and had an undoubted bearing on the quality of football, especially in the first half.
Chances were thin on the ground as both teams tried to adapt. The Dabbers best moments came from set pieces, Caspar Hughes’ fabulous deliveries causing all sorts of problems.
One in particular nearly brought the opening goal. Byron Harrison met a corner with a pinpoint header and forced Matt Yates into a fine save to push over the bar.
A brief shout for handball was waved away by the referee for the Dabbers, before Harrison again saw an effort saved by Yates.
Trinity’s first chance fell to the dangerous Clayton Donaldson, 3rd top scorer in the league before kick-off. Tom Booth did very well to hold his low shot, the ball surely reaching bar of soap levels of slippiness by this point.
Dan Cockerline had a half chance to mark his 26th birthday with another goal, but skewed his shot well over after being found by Ivan Urvantev.
The biggest Gainsborough chance came on the stroke of the break, the ball being pulled back to Liam Waldrock just inside the box, his well-struck shot just nicked behind off a Dabbers leg to stop what would have been very close, if not a goal.
In the second half, the rain thankfully slowed down and both teams could push on without worrying about the surface beneath them.
Tom Scully showed on more than one occasion that he was not afraid of shooting from range, another effort from him didn’t miss the top corner by much (pictured below).
Gainsborough substitute Fraser Preston had a huge opportunity shortly after, firing wide when he should have scored. Trinity’s wastefulness in front of goal was surprising given they were the joint top scorers in the league coming into this.
Booth saved another low shot, before Finley Shrimpton saw another presentable Gainsborough chance deflected wide. The Dabbers’ ability to get a foot in on several of these chances was a good sign of what’s becoming a strong defensive run.
In truth, it looked as if the game was petering out to what would have been a good goalless draw for the Dabbers.
That all changed in the 88th minute. Perry Bircumshaw got the wrong side of his man and a tangle of legs gave the referee a decision to make, and his decision was a Gainsborough penalty.
Donaldson stepped up and slotted it away, sending Booth the wrong way for his 13th goal of the season, definitely a deeply unlucky one for Nantwich.
In several games this season, especially at home, that would have been that, another frustrating 1-goal defeat. But in another sign of things turning around, the Dabbers rallied. Shaun Miller was instantly subbed on for Sean Lawton, an attacking show of intent.
Moving towards the end of the 3 minutes of stoppage time, and a final Nantwich corner was initially punched up rather than away, a Bourne shot sparked pinball around the penalty spot, and Harry Nevin was quickest to react and slam it in the net to spark Dabber delirium (pictured below).
That capped off a fine display by the Preston loanee who had already won Man of the Match for his defensive work before that striker’s finish to level up.
4 unbeaten, up a place to 19th, Radcliffe away next for Nantwich. And you can travel there courtesy of a coach that the club are running, click here to purchase yours (numbers limited).
Teams
Nantwich Town: Tom Booth, Perry Bircumshaw, Sean Lawton (Shaun Miller, 89), Troy Bourne (C), Harry Nevin, Caspar Hughes, Mwiya Malumo, Tom Scully, Dan Cockerline, Ivan Urvantev (Curtis Morrison, 58), Byron Harrison
Subs not used: Jack Sherratt, Matt Bell, Jon Moran
Gainsborough Trinity: Matt Yates, Hayden Cann, Joe West (Fraser Preston, 36), Isaac Rice (C), Cody Collins, Dylan Cogill, Curtis Durose (Andrew Wright, 90), Finlay Shrimpton, Clayton Donaldson, Liam Waldrock (Jack Dyche, 90), Harry Lewis
Subs not used: Ethan Bojang, Neal Bishop
Attendance: 258