By Liam Price
Nantwich Town secured a brilliant win on the road with a 2-0 victory away at Stalybridge Celtic.
Byron Harrison started on his return to the Dabbers, and Harry Davis and Josh Hancock returned from injury, as Paddy Kennedy and Joe Piggott missed out as the injury revolving door this season continues.
It was a half with little to choose between the sides. Blake Wolsoncroft had a couple of simple enough saves to make from a Lewis Rawsthorn header and a mishit Liam Tongue free kick early on.
Davis had Nantwich’s best opportunity of the first half when he headed over the bar from a Josh Hancock free kick having got above his man.
Harvey Sample made his debut off the bench in unfortunate circumstances as he replaced the injured Joe Collins just past the half hour mark. That meant playing with one recognised centre back and midfielder for the last hour of the game.
There was another straightforward save for Wolsoncroft and then some sharp covering play by Aidy Roxburgh as Jack Irlam threatened to burst through on goal.
It was a 0-0 at half time that brought to mind the cliché that it was going to take a moment of brilliance or a mistake to break the deadlock. In the end, the Dabbers benefitted from both.
In the 54th minute, from a Stalybridge corner, the Dabbers broke. It was a good move, started by a quick throw out by Wolsoncroft, featuring some quick feet from Roxburgh and a good combination down the left by Byron Moore and Ollie Pope.
Pope looked inside but mishit his pass towards Ethan Hartshorn, however it deflected off a Stalybridge defender.
This forced Hartshorn to readjust his footing, which made his first time strike off his left foot swept into the top corner even better to give Nantwich the lead. His 5th of the season and he won’t hit one better. It had shades of Collins’ Goal of the Season against Runcorn from last season and will surely be in contention this time.
7 minutes later came the mistake part. Another Hancock set piece caused the danger, this time a free kick from the right side that was swung in. And it was Tongue, captain and lynchpin of the side, who got his body positioning all wrong and headed into his own net, giving Stalybridge keeper Charlie Monks no chance.
The goals, and the nature of them, knocked the stuffing out of the home side but they still carried a threat and even one goal back would definitely have shifted the game, but a somewhat makeshift Nantwich defence held out very well.
Tunde Bayode had a well hit low shot importantly blocked in the Nantwich box.
There was more taxing work for Wolsoncroft late on, who up to about 85 minutes hadn’t been sufficiently tested for the home side’s liking. One saw him get down well to catch and hold a low header from pretty much on the goal line.
There was then a parried free kick with the last kick of the game which did move in the air somewhat. Stockport loanee Cian O’Shea was back from injury and on the bench for this one so the competition for the number 1 shirt will only make both better and therefore benefit the team.
A clean sheet was the cherry on the cake of a great Nantwich victory, the first at Bower Fold since 2022 and a 4th win of a productive October.
Teams
Stalybridge Celtic: Charlie Monks, Mike Koral, Harvey Brookes, Liam Tongue (C), Aaron Chalmers, Charlie Doyle, Rohan Butler (Tunde Bayode, 62), Andy Scarisbrick, Lewis Rawsthorn (Ruben Jerome, 67), Jack Irlam, Dec McCloughlin (Obua Mugalula, 71)
Subs not used: Greg Wilkinson, Joel Sutton
Nantwich Town: Blake Wolsoncroft, Aidy Roxburgh, Byron Moore, Ethan Hartshorn, Harry Davis (C), Jack Stafford, Luke Enright (James Baillie, 73), Joe Collins (Harvey Sample, 33), Byron Harrison, Josh Hancock, Ollie Pope (Zack Stritch, 90)
Subs not used: Cian O’Shea, Kaidon Robinson
Goals: Hartshorn (54’), Tongue (61’, OG)
Attendance: 603