By Liam Price
Nantwich Town were beaten 2-1 at Stafford Rangers on Bank Holiday Monday in Staffordshire.
The Dabbers had something approaching their strongest XI after the rotation on Saturday with Paddy Kennedy, Callum Saunders, Joel Connolly and Byron Harrison back in there.
The main tactical tweak was shifting Kelvin Mellor into midfield and trying to secure the right-hand side with Perry Bircumshaw and Josh Williams out there.
But after just 16 seconds this was pretty much in tatters. A move straight down that right hand side ended with a cross that was turned in by Zidan Sutherland. It was a fine finish, and he should be applauded for being so dialled in so soon in a game. The defending was certainly not dialled in. Dabbers fans may remember Alex Panter coming very close but not scoring after a similar time scale the last time the two sides met; such is football.
The home side threatened to inflict more damage early on, Jack Birch forcing Garratt into action then Joe Cuff bringing an even better save out of the Dabbers keeper.
After riding out that early storm, Nantwich began to get some semblance of control of the game, if not the chances to go with it.
Joel Connolly had a shot blocked and Ben Hockenhull was a bit too ambitious with an overhead kick.
Aidy Roxburgh clipped in a cross that Bircumshaw met at the far post with Arron Davies pushing it away.
Kelvin Mellor drove a shot into a crowd of bodies, then Kennedy headed the subsequent corner over the bar in clear space.
Former Dabber Dan Cockerline saw a space open up for him to shoot but could only hit it into the body of Garratt.
After Connolly missed the target with a free kick, Cockerline came even closer when glancing a long throw in just past the far post.
Joe Cuff unsuccessfully tried to lob Garratt but the home side were building momentum again and struck once more just before the break.
Far too often Stafford players were picking apart the weaknesses and space that can come with a back 5; Birch was the latest when he tucked away at the back post, totally unmarked. The two worst times to concede in a half are right at the start and right at the end, and the Dabbers had now done both.
Boro almost made it 3 early in the second period. A corner was flicked on and turned over the bar at that back post again. The Dabbers have looked vulnerable from crosses from set pieces and open play all season, and pre-season; whether or not that was something Stafford earmarked before the game they were definitely exposing it out there.
Saunders tried to get the Dabbers going with a low shot that was parried away by Davies.
Harrison saw a shot blocked, before Connolly was off target with another free kick.
There were further flashes but no goals, until Nantwich finally found something with just over 15 minutes to go.
A couple of subs were involved; Byron Moore crossed towards Panter who headed off the post but into the path of Harrison to halve the deficit with a close-range finish.
This rocked Stafford and for the first time in the game they looked nervous. The home crowd sensed this and started to make more noise than they had at any point prior as they tried to help their team over the line.
Aidy Roxburgh sought to make it 2-2 but saw his powerful shot blocked away.
A frantic goalmouth scramble moments later involved Davies twice having to push the ball away as Nantwich somehow couldn’t force it over the line.
That was the chance and after that Stafford settled down again, barring a late shot from Hockenhull that didn’t trouble the Port Vale loanee.
Nantwich teams don’t win at Stafford, that’s been the case for 7 years now. But for several of those years it was often tough to see how the team was trying to play. You can now, but it is still seeking to consistently click.
Teams
Stafford Rangers: Arron Davies, Callum Wilson, Alex Worley, Jack Sherratt, Andrew Burns (C), Scott Wara, Ashley Fallon (Mason Rees, 87), Jack Birch, Dan Cockerline, Zidan Sutherland (John Atherton, 78), Joe Cuff (Kaiman Anderson, 67)
Subs not used: Callum Smith, Ben O’Hanlon
Goals: Sutherland (1), Birch (44)
Nantwich Town: Ben Garratt, Aidy Roxburgh, Josh Williams (Alex Panter, 46), Kelvin Mellor (C), Ben Hockenhull, Paddy Kennedy, Callum Saunders (Ben Greenop, 61), Fenton Green (Byron Moore, 66), Byron Harrison, Joel Connolly, Perry Bircumshaw
Subs not used: Paddy Jarrett, Joe Robbins
Goal: Harrison (73)
Attendance: 789