Nantwich made it three league wins in a row for the first time in two years with a 3-0 win away at Chasetown on Saturday, writes Liam Price.
A coming together in the Chasetown box in the very first minute brought fleeting shouts for a Nantwich penalty.
Then in the seventh minute, a Tom Pratt shot was saved by James Wren and the rebound put in but the flag went up for offside as the Dabbers tried to repeat their recent trick of rapid starts.
Danny O’Callaghan headed onto the roof of the net as the Scholars found their feet, before Pratt didn’t really trouble Wren with a low shot.
The biggest opening of the first half came when Perry Bircumshaw lofted a ball down the left side for in form Kai Evans who set off towards goal, curling just wide from a narrow angle.
He was at it again from the right side a few minutes later, making something out of nothing by firing powerfully towards the near post with Wren having to push it away for a corner.
A flurry of action saw Ben Garratt making his first proper save from Jayden Campbell at one end before Evans once again tested the Chasetown goal at the other with a shot that looked like it was sneaking in but was touched around the post.
Courtney Meppen-Walters headed into the side netting from the corner that followed, then Bircumshaw brilliantly headed away a dangerous looking cross on the stroke of half time.
At the start of the second half it remained deadlocked. Max Chimenes headed over the bar for Chasetown then Troy Bourne flicked a header wide from a Kai Evans ball into the box.
O’Callaghan and Campbell had half chances that were wasted, but just before the hour mark the Dabbers struck.
George Milner won a 50/50 challenge in midfield, the ball breaking to Pratt who played Evans in behind, breaking the offside trap and finishing unerringly past Wren.
That’s 15 for the season now for Evans.
The lead was doubled 12 minutes later. A corner from the right went past the first challenge that jumped for it, leaving little reaction time for Byron Harrison to power in a header high past Wren.
It was a brilliant, instinctive finish that left Byron flat on his front in celebration.
Chasetown now had to chase the game, leaving more gaps for Nantwich to expose.
Evans dragged another effort just wide before the game was killed once and for all.
Pratt forced Wren into a good save down to his right but Harrison was in the right place at the right time to roll in the rebound right in front of the travelling supporters.
Harrison and Evans have now scored 12 of Nantwich’s last 13 goals and are becoming a partnership that the rest of the league will be fearing facing in the final weeks of the season.
A milestone came in the last 10 minutes as Callum Saunders came off the bench to make his 100th Nantwich appearance across his different spells with the Dabbers.
He’s scored 35 goals in that time.
Joel Connolly curled wide off his weaker left foot in the last real effort of the game as Nantwich saw out another comfortable win on the road.
(Report by Liam Price, photo by John Harris)
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