By Jonathan White, photo by Peter Robinson
Nantwich Town Women continued their unbeaten pre-season campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Stoke City Women at the Swansway Stadium on Sunday 26th July 2026, as preparations for their historic first season in Tier Five gathered further momentum.
Fresh from lifting the Leek Charity Shield and recording a convincing home win over Warrington Town Women, the Dabbers produced another disciplined and confident display against higher-quality opposition.
Lacey Martin proved the match winner, scoring the only goal of the game to secure another encouraging victory for Dan Mellor’s side. The striker has now netted three goals in her last two appearances, underlining her excellent form ahead of the new campaign.
The result continues Nantwich’s positive build-up to life in the North West Women’s Regional League Premier Division following back-to-back promotions, having won the North West Women’s Regional League Division One South title last season after claiming the Cheshire Women’s & Youth Football League Premier Division championship the year before.
Mellor made four changes to the side that defeated Warrington Town Women and handed Charlotte Crees her first home appearance at the Swansway Stadium.
The Dabbers started with 1. C. Watts, 2. M. Andrews, 3. S. Johnson, 4. T. Rushton, 5. A. Mayer, 6. K. Greenwood (captain), 7. L. Martin, 8. Trialist, 9. A. Fallon, 10. L. Woollam, 11. C. Crees.
Substitutes were: A. Hatton, A. Shimizu, J. Alderman, A. Poulton, J. Case, P. Emery.
After the match, Nantwich Town Women manager Dan Mellor said:
“I’m really pleased with the performance. We knew we were coming up against a very good side, but I thought the players executed the game plan brilliantly. Out of possession we were incredibly disciplined, stayed compact and worked tirelessly for each other, which allowed us to win the midfield battle for large parts of the game.
“What impressed me most was that we weren’t just resilient, we were the team that created the better chances. We hit the woodwork a number of times, played with real purpose when we won the ball back and scored an excellent goal that was thoroughly deserved.
“It’s only pre-season, so the result isn’t the most important thing, but performances like that give the group real belief. We’ve set high standards this summer and today the players showed exactly what they’re capable of when everyone commits to the plan.
“There’s still plenty to improve, but it’s another really encouraging step in the right direction.”
Attention now turns to the remaining pre-season fixtures, including against Lichfield City on Sunday 9th August, before the Dabbers make their long-awaited debut in the North West Women’s Regional League Premier Division.
The league campaign begins at the Swansway Stadium on Sunday 16th August against fellow newly promoted side FC St Helens, before an opening month that also includes home matches against Crewe Alexandra and Bury, together with difficult away trips to Tranmere Rovers and West Didsbury & Chorlton.
Supporters can back the Dabbers throughout the 2026-27 season with season tickets now on sale: https://nantwichtownfc.ktckts.com/. Adult tickets are priced at £50, with concessions and under-16s available for £30. The ticket includes admission to all 11 home league matches as well as the final pre-season fixture against Lichfield City.
Fans can also keep up to date with the latest team news and fixtures via the club’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NTFCWomen.