Nantwich were well beaten by Cymru Premier side Newtown, going down to a 4-1 pre-season friendly defeat in Powys.
The Dabbers should really have taken the lead on 13 minutes, Sean Cooke played through a delightful through ball to a trialist who was through on goal but pulled it wide.
The Robins had a couple of former Dabbers in their side in keeper Andy Wycherley and forward Jason Oswell. And it was Oswell who had their first opportunity, winning a header from a long diagonal ball but not getting a right contact on it.
He’d got his eye in, though, and on 21 minutes headed in a cross from Sears who’d shown great skill to cut onto his left foot and whipped in another good ball that Oswell didn’t have to move to head in.
Ismail, a tricky winger, was causing the Dabbers defence problems, and stung the palms of Scott Maloney. The Dabbers defence were struggling, not helped by Troy Bourne coming off as a precaution mid-way through the first half.
Byron Harrison couldn’t climb high enough to get a header on target from a corner, before Oswell at the other end forced a great save from Maloney to keep it 1-0 with another header of his own.
Nathan Okome saw the space open up ahead of him and pushed into it before playing into the feet of Stevie Hewitt but he just dragged his effort wide.
Half chances for Jack Sherratt and Newtown’s number 14 brought a stop-start first half to a close.
Newtown doubled their lead just 4 minutes into the second period. The Dabbers conceded possession in midfield and a spread out defence was breached as Robles tucked it into the net.
Newtown’s number 27 made it three, putting it away at the back post as another long looping cross made a lot of problems for the Dabbers’ back line.
Callum Saunders had Nantwich’s first effort on target after Newtown’s own issues at the back. Perry Bircumshaw blasted over the bar before Saunders wasn’t found with a pull back, he was in a good position.
Another Dabbers trialist tested Newtown’s sub keeper Ussher, who was then beaten by Saunders for a consolation. Found by a long ball, hesitation from Ussher made it easy for Callum to finish for another goal in his first pre-season back at Nantwich.
Newtown restored their three-goal lead on 89 minutes as a measured pass across the defence was scored by their number 15. A tougher day for the Dabbers but one more game to go before the league campaign gets underway, away to Marine this Friday night.
TEAM
Nantwich Town: Maloney, Trialist, Trialist, Okome, Bourne (C), Sherratt, Hughes, Hewitt, Cooke, Trialist, Harrison
Subs: Bircumshaw, Connolly, Kay, Saunders, Trialist x2