By Liam Price
Nantwich Town scored with the last kick of a wild game to claim a crucial 4-3 win over Hednesford Town at The Swansway Stadium.
3 changes from Friday’s game saw Timi Sobowale make his first Nantwich start, Sean Lawton make his first start since February, and Jon Moran make his first appearance in Nantwich colours since the last game of last season. A combination of knee issues and the Dabbers’ switch to an artificial pitch meant it may have been the end of Jon’s time at Nantwich so it was great to see this fan’s favourite back in the side.
Joel Connolly curled narrowly wide via a deflection or touch from the keeper when there didn’t look much on for him.
A big moment came just 10 or so minutes in when Ryan Brown, the Hednesford stopper, went down and needed treatment for what looked like a groin injury. As is common at this level, the Pitmen didn’t have a sub keeper so he had to soldier on, albeit not taking goal kicks or kicking out of his hands.
Kai Evans took full advantage of this for the opening goal. Played in behind by a wonderful long pass by Byron Harrison, he delicately lobbed Brown for a brilliant start.
George Milner had a go from outside the box but a big deflection left Brown watching as it dropped wide.
Then came a remarkable few minutes of football. On 27 minutes, Troy Bourne headed in the Dabbers’ second from a corner, a low stooping effort that deserved a goal.
Almost exactly from the kick off, Hednesford pulled one back, Tom Thorley tucking it away from close range as the Dabbers were caught cold.
Evans found himself through on goal again but he got the lob wrong this time and it went straight to a surely grateful Brown.
A minute later the scores were level. Sean Lawton committed himself down the Hednesford right but got it wrong and Sam McQuilkin swung in a cross that was volleyed brilliantly in by Jake Jervis. It’s a contender for goal of the season across the entire NPL without a doubt and capped off a crazy 4 minutes of play.
Nantwich were reeling and were dealt another blow shortly before half time with Milner forced off with what looked a nasty muscle injury.
Evans was in a shoot on sight kind of mood, hitting a free kick over the bar early in the second half and also seeing a shot blocked on the edge of the box.
The Pitmen were threatening again soon after. What looked like an excellent fingertip save from Ben Garratt denied a towering Hednesford header.
A beautiful combination down the right gave the Dabbers back their lead just past the hour mark. Sobowale burst past his marker and on reaching the byline pulled it back for Gio Loureriro, who had replaced the injured Milner, to score his first ever senior goal on his first ever senior appearance. A moment the 18-year-old will never forget whatever he goes on to do in his career, and it was a tidy finish with the outside of his right foot.
A couple of half moments after that didn’t go Nantwich’s way, before Harrison bicycle kicked narrowly wide, a spectacular effort.
Moran lasted 72 minutes on his return and what an effort it was, despite the inevitable aching muscles in the morning you could tell he loved his time back on the pitch after so long away.
At the same time as Moran’s sub, Hednesford brought on forward Eden Bailey. And in the very next move after play restarted, he was on the scoresheet, seeing the space open up for him and curling one emphatically into the top corner.
Bailey should have turned the game completely on its head again moments later, planting a header wide that he could easily have scored from.
Another pair of efforts from Evans, one wide and one straight at Brown, who credit must go to for coping so well with his knock, were the last action for Kai before he was subbed off for Callum Saunders inside the last 10 minutes.
For most of the game it was almost impossible to guess which way it was going to finish, and this trend continued into stoppage time. Hednesford came close from a corner, the player really using his neck muscles to flick it towards goal but not quite enough as it glanced wide.
Bourne could only direct a corner straight at Brown, before Player of the Match Connolly hit straight at the keeper.
In the very last seconds of the 5 added minutes, Nantwich won a final corner and a final chance. Whipped in from the right Bourne met it perfectly to turn it into the far corner and take the roof off the Swansway Stadium with the last kick of this extraordinary match.
It was meant to be for the Nantwich skipper; the end of the reverse fixture seeing him give away a decisive penalty and get sent off to today’s ultimate redemption, a footballing resurrection worthy of this Easter weekend.
The next home game is against Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday 6th April at 3pm.
Teams
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, Timi Sobowale, Sean Lawton, Jon Moran (Akiel Raffie, 72), Troy Bourne, George Milner (Giovanni Loureiro, 43), Joel Connolly, Nathan Okome, Byron Harrison, Paddy Kay, Kai Evans (Callum Saunders, 85)
Sub not used: Eric Merner
Goals: Evans (15), Bourne (27, 90+6), Loureiro (66)
Hednesford Town: Ryan Brown, James McQuilkin, Jack Kelly, Thomas Thorley, Sam Griffiths, Josh Endall, Jai Verma (Joe Berks, 79), Adriano Moke, Joe Morley (Matthew Barnes-Homer, 64), Jake Jervis, Danny Edwards (Eden Bailey, 73)
Subs not used: Junior Brown, Lewis Farmer
Goals: Thorley (28), Jervis (31), Bailey (73)
Attendance: 463