By Liam Price, photos by Jonathan White
Nantwich Town started their pre-season campaign with a 2-2 draw against Welsh side Gresford Athletic at the Swansway Stadium.
Jon Moran gave first Dabbers starts to new signings Josh Williams and Fenton Green, as well as for youngster Campbell Reid who has come through the Nantwich youth system.
Before the game there was a minute’s silence following the devastating deaths of Liverpool’s Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva.
The first chance of the game came when Green swept over the bar from a low Reece Vaughan cross, it would have been a tidy team goal if it had gone in.
Gresford, who play in the Welsh second tier, had already played 2 friendlies before this one due to their league season starting earlier and you could see that in their little bit of extra sharpness especially early on.
They took the lead in the 9th minute, a fine turn and strike from Haci Ozlu gave Ben Garratt no chance. Ozlu had scored 4 goals in one of the previously mentioned friendlies so has started this summer in excellent form.
It didn’t take the Dabbers long to respond, however. A corner from Joe Robbins was headed in at the back post by Kelvin Mellor, the new club captain.
Vaughan had started at right wing back and was pushing high up the pitch from very early on. Just before the half hour mark the ball broke to him in the box but he could only fire straight at the keeper.
The visitors struck again in the 34th minute. This time a cross from the left was headed powerfully towards goal by Mark Winslade, Garratt couldn’t handle it at such point blank range and it scrambled over the line. Winslade played for the Dabbers between 2014 and 2015 but has gone on to carve out a good career in Wales.
Nantwich came from behind again in the 41st minute. Mellor was involved again, backheeling into the path of Alex Panter who took the ball on and fired brilliantly into the net to make it 2-2. Hard, low and true to open his account for the summer.
The second half was a lot slower but there was the opportunity to see more Dabbers debutants. Byron Moore, Ben Greenop and the returning Aidy Roxburgh were among them, as was another youngster in Rui Clarke-Phillips. Credit must again go to the U21s coaches and beyond for producing these players who didn’t look out of place in the team.
Byron Harrison was also on the pitch and headed just wide around the hour mark.
Iwan Roberts went for goal from a long way out from a free kick but it was close to catching out the Nantwich substitute keeper.
Late on, Roxburgh picked up the baton from Vaughan’s efforts in the first half from right back, breaking into the box and forcing a great save from Gresford’s keeper to deny a late winner for the Dabbers, who can be mostly satisfied with their first run out of the summer.
Teams
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, Reece Vaughan, Josh Williams, Ben Hockenhull, Perry Bircumshaw, Kelvin Mellor (C), Alex Panter, Joe Robbins, Trialist, Fenton Green, Campbell Reid
Subs: Aidy Roxburgh, Trialists x3, Ben Greenop, Byron Moore, Byron Harrison, Joel Connolly, Rui Clarke-Phillips
Goals: Mellor (15), Panter (41)
Gresford Athletic: Lewis Dutton, James Smith, Freddie Bulow, Elliot Orton, Tom Smith, Charlie Mann, Iwan Roberts, Paul Johnson (C), Toby Gallagher-Keenan, Haci Ozlu, Mark Winslade
Subs: Mitchell Williams, Sam Bryan, Alex Buxton, Trialist
Goals: Ozlu (9), Winslade (34)
Attendance: 222