Photos by Jonathan White
Nantwich Town kicked off 2025 with a win after coming from behind to beat Newcastle Town 2-1 at the Swansway Stadium.
Perry Bircumshaw was out with injury and Tyler Hill’s loan from Blackpool had ended, so Darren Thornton started at left back. Paddy Kennedy and Byron Harrison came back into the team.
It was the visitors who made the fastest start possible. Just 56 seconds in, Newcastle took the lead when Carlos dos Santos drilled in a shot from the edge of the box after Nantwich failed to adequately clear their lines. After conceding 8 minutes in on Boxing Day, the Dabbers had been caught cold again.
The difference this time was that goal did not set the pattern of the game, as Nantwich came back strongly and utterly dominated the first half.
After former Dabber Jack Sherratt volleyed over, Nantwich created numerous chances not just to equalise but to lead comfortably. The first came from Tom Pratt whose lob attempt was clawed away by Joe Slinn in the Newcastle goal.
Kai Evans saw a couple of efforts saved by Slinn, one in particular a great bit of goalkeeping with the legs. Paddy Kennedy had a pair of headers from set pieces, the second of which was a real presentable chance.
Byron Harrison flicked a header off the top of the crossbar in a move from a corner reminiscent of the one that provided a goal for Troy Bourne in the recent win over Bootle.
Harrison then missed something approaching a golden chance from a low cross from James Melhado. Pratt had tried to get on the end of it in front of him which provides some mitigation but a finisher of his quality would have expected to put that away.
Ty Webster shot over the bar as Newcastle tried to relieve some pressure, before Ben Garratt was sharp off his line to stop another Newcastle breakaway that came directly from their goal kick.
After the previously mentioned second Kennedy header, Newcastle were almost gifted a second goal when Garratt spilled a Sherratt shot to the lethal Tim Grice, but he could only hit the side netting.
2 big calls by the referee defined the rest of the half. The first of those was to book Evans for simulation after he went down in the box. Footage and photos clearly show some measure of contact, which makes the call of simulation harsh, even if there may not have been enough there for a penalty.
5 minutes later the Dabbers did have a spot kick. It was Nathan Sandison at the centre of things this time, caught from behind there was no hesitation from Richard Abson.
Harrison, who missed his last penalty against Bootle, stepped up again once more and put it down the middle to level things up. It was the least Nantwich had deserved.
A Newcastle corner routine ended up being wasted with a shot over the bar in a late scare for the home side before the break.
Evans tested Slinn once more early in the second period. Webster then forced Garratt into his best save in tipping his effort around the post.
Dos Santos eyed up a second goal but couldn’t find the target, before Tom Thorley hit tamely at the Dabbers keeper. It was now a much more even game after Castle manager Neil Baker made a half time sub and a couple of tweaks to neutralise the more dangerous elements of the Dabbers attack.
It was a corner that delivered the eventual winning goal for Nantwich. Pratt’s delivery from the left was expertly headed in by Callum Saunders. It was about the only part of the goal he had to aim for and he found it perfectly.
After the disappointment of his red card against Witton, the ban for which kicks in in the next game, it was the ideal response from Saunders. Extra satisfaction would have come from scoring it past Slinn, who had denied Saunders with a spectacular save in the reverse fixture in August.
The Dabbers were fortunate to see Grice slice wide moments later as Newcastle tried to hit back quickly.
The ongoing battle between Evans and Slinn resumed with the keeper once more keeping out Kai on 74 minutes.
Newcastle blasted an effort over the bar before Kelvin Mellor headed into the side netting from the latest Dabbers corner.
Another brief lapse almost cost the Dabbers the win on the stroke of full time but Newcastle could not capitalise as the effort that resulted was sliced across the face of goal.
Byron Harrison looked to finish off in style with a long-range strike which sailed wide, but enough had been done to hold on for the Dabbers to claim another 3 points at home.
That is now 10 unbeaten at home in the league for Nantwich, something that hadn’t been done since another run of 10 between November 2013 and March 2014. Jon Moran has not yet lost a home league match since becoming Nantwich manager, but as he was quick to say afterwards, it’s now about trying to convert that to form away from the Swansway.
The next home game for Nantwich is against Wythenshawe Town on Tuesday 7th January at 7.45pm.
Teams
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, James Melhado, Daz Thornton, Kelvin Mellor, Troy Bourne (C), Paddy Kennedy, Nathan Sandison (Callum Saunders, 67), Matty Tweedley (Joe Robbins, 78), Byron Harrison, Tom Pratt, Kai Evans (Lewis Bailey, 89)
Subs not used: Ali Hayder, Eric Merner
Goals: Harrison (39, pen), Saunders (70)
Newcastle Town: Joe Slinn, Jack Derbyshire, Oliver Ritchie, Jack Sherratt, Tom Thorley, Kyle Stubbs (C), Ty Webster, Carlos dos Santos, Tim Grice, Nathan Barry (Tom Jones, 75), Jacob Twyford (Oliver Armstrong, 45)
Subs not used: Cameron Bradbury-Allen, Jackson Preece
Goal: Dos Santos (1)
Attendance: 657