By Jonathan White, photo by Peter Robinson
Nantwich Town FC Women marked their first North West Women’s Regional League Division One South fixture of 2026 in style, sweeping aside Macclesfield FC Women with a dominant 8–0 victory at the Swansway Stadium on Sunday 25th January.
Manager Dan Mellor rang the changes for the new year opener, making four alterations to his side, including a welcome first start since injury for Katie Naylor. The Dabbers wasted no time asserting themselves, controlling possession and tempo from the outset.
Their dominance was reflected on the scoreboard, as Nantwich raced into a commanding 4–0 lead by half-time. The pressure continued after the break, with the home side adding another four goals to complete a resounding win in front of their supporters.
Amanda Fallon (sponsored by the NTISA) led the scoring with a brace, while goals also came from Katie Greenwood (sponsored by Steven Jackson), Beth Grice (sponsored by Kate Blakemore), Katie Naylor (sponsored by SugaRich) and Alicia Hatton (sponsored by SugaRich). Macclesfield were further undone by two own goals as the Dabbers’ relentless attacking play paid dividends.
Defensively solid and composed throughout, Nantwich also saw Tabby Rushton named GOAT Nantwich Player of the Match. The defender enjoyed an outstanding league debut for the Dabbers against her former club, earning a £50 voucher courtesy of Nantwich High Street bar GOAT.
The result keeps Nantwich Town FC Women proudly top of the Division One South table, now on 35 points from 14 matches, with an impressive record of 11 wins, two draws and just one defeat, alongside a formidable +47 goal difference.
Mellor was full of praise afterwards, saying:
“I’m really proud of the players today. From the first minute to the last, they were ruthless in the right way, they played with intensity, moved the ball well, and kept pushing for more without dropping their standards. We spoke beforehand about being professional regardless of the game state, and they delivered that, which is how you end up with such a comprehensive score line.
“Credit to the group for maintaining focus, discipline and respect for the game throughout. And finally, we do want to wish the Macclesfield players who went off injured all the best, those situations are never nice to see, and we hope they recover quickly.”
Fans can keep up to date with all the latest Dabbers Women’s news, match action and behind-the-scenes content on the team’s official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NTFCLadies. Full fixture details are also available on the Nantwich Town FC website: https://www.nantwichtownfc.co.uk/all-women-fixtures/.
For anyone inspired by the team’s success, Women’s Recreational Football sessions take place every Tuesday from 8–9pm on the Swansway Stadium pitch. Open to anyone aged 16 and over, the sessions focus on fitness, fun and football. Further details are available via email at: [email protected].