Photos by Martyn Wilson
Nantwich suffered their first defeat of pre-season as Warrington Town won 2-1 in a game played at Whitchurch Alport’s Yockings Park.
Buckley for Warrington and Saunders for the Dabbers had the first efforts of the match but neither troubled the respective goalkeepers.
Dan Cockerline had an effort shortly after that after a charging run by one of the starting trialists, Dan was caught slightly on his heels when he got the ball so couldn’t get the right contact and the Warrington keeper was able to push it away.
The same trialist was involved in a couple of other Dabber moves, firing over on one occasion and playing a fine square ball to Joel Connolly, whose cross was behind the Nantwich attackers that were advancing into the box.
Nantwich’s trialist keeper was forced into action more as the half progressed, pushing over a dipping effort from Matthew McDonald and palming away a powerful strike from Connor Woods, either side of a great defensive header from Nathan Okome to deny another chance.
When the breakthrough did come for Warrington, it was in fortuitous circumstances. It was Woods again who got the shot away after a cross from left to right, but a significant deflection wrongfooted everyone including the keeper and saw it spin in.
Another trialist mishit a shot wide for the Dabbers, before another decent move ended with a Connolly cross getting headed over by Callum Saunders, who perhaps jumped slightly too early to meet the ball.
In the second half, the trialist keeper bravely dived at the feet of Bohan Dixon to stop a chance developing, he took a whack for his troubles but was fine to continue.
Five minutes later, the Dabbers conceded again. Just like Saturday against Colwyn Bay, it was from the penalty spot, keeping up the pattern of there being a penalty in every Dabbers pre-season game so far.
It looked soft, a foul by Jack Sherratt given, and Dixon stepped up with a short run up to send the keeper the wrong way to double the Yellows’ lead.
Warrington had chances to extend the lead, the trialist keeper doing very well to save with his leg from one of their subs.
Nantwich made a number of changes as it went on and looked more dangerous as the game went on. One of the trialists saw the ball drop to him in the box and hit a clean strike across goal that was saved brilliantly by the Warrington sub keeper Dan Atherton.
A couple more small chances came and went for the ‘home’ side, before Jack Sherratt made a possible goal saving block as Warrington’s no. 18 bore down on goal.
Sean Cooke and Sherratt had half-chances to halve the deficit but both were snuffed out by an experienced Warrington back line that included Peter Clarke and former Dabber Andy White at different times.
Two more saves from Nantwich’s trialist keeper saw out a good test for him, then the Dabbers finally got the goal that their play had deserved.
In the 90th minute, another of the Nantwich trialists put in a fine cross from the right that was met perfectly by the head of Byron Harrison who headed across Atherton and in to make it a respectable scoreline against National League North opposition.
Teams
Nantwich Town: Trialist, Connolly, Trialist, Okome, Bourne, Hewitt, Trialist, Trialist, Cockerline, Trialist, Saunders
Subs: Harrison, Sherratt, Cooke, Trialist x4
Goals: Nantwich: Harrison (90), Warrington Town: Woods (37), Dixon (pen, 55)