Nantwich Town ended their long run without a win with a remarkable 8-2 victory over City of Liverpool at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes, writes Liam Price.
Alex Panter came in for Byron Harrison and Kai Evans returned from suspension in place of Matty Tweedley for the Dabbers’ two changes from the draw with Runcorn.
It was a quiet first 10 minutes but once the chances started to flow they never really stopped.
Panter headed over the bar from a James Melhado cross before Alex Northover glanced well wide for the Purps at the other end.
Joe Bunney could have scored direct from a corner as it curved towards the far post but a City of Liverpool defender headed away.
Kofi Moore should really have given Nantwich the lead as he was granted far too much space in the box but Conor Robson was able to save with his foot.
It was then Tom Pratt’s turn to threaten, side-footing over the bar from an Evans cross.
Then, home right back Musa Jobe enjoyed a free ride down the Dabbers left before his pick-out ended in a shot being blocked in the home side’s biggest opening of the first half.
Evans (pictured) was really growing into this one, clearly hungry after two games away.
He had one shot blocked, then Robson just stopped him as he tried to round the keeper.
He then saw a shot drop onto the roof of the net as he got closer each time.
The opener, when it came, was a little scruffy but vitally important.
A long ball was knocked down into the path of Panter, who slipped at first then recovered to fire past Robson.
A smattering of half chances came and went, most notably crosses from the hard-working full back pairing of James Melhado and Perry Bircumshaw.
City of Liverpool player/manager Andy Owens sent an overhead kick well wide before Tom Dean headed tamely at Ben Garratt.
The Dabbers grabbed a second goal just two minutes before half time.
Evans was picked out by Panter and cut inside to curl in a deserved goal.
That was his first since the defeat at Avro at the end of November, so even taking into account his ban this had been a long time coming.
The second half was among the craziest seen in a Nantwich league game for some years, and it got off to the worst possible start for Jon Moran’s side.
City of Liverpool pulled a goal back after Kelvin Mellor was dispossessed high up the pitch.
Eoin Horgan was the beneficiary as he scored simply past Garratt.
But the two-goal lead was restored just seven minutes later from a long kick out of the hands from Garratt.
It was brought down and fed to Evans who needed no second invitation to charge at goal and fire high into the net past Robson.
Moore hit the side netting but Nantwich still weren’t comfortable, as was proved when City of Liverpool came forward after more poor play at the back and made it 3-2 courtesy of Xenon Bahula, who squeezed it through the legs of Bircumshaw and past Garratt.
However, those concerns were pushed to the back of collective minds as the game then swung decisively and spectacularly the Dabbers’ way.
Two minutes after the home side’s second goal, Tom Pratt was pulled back in the box for a Nantwich penalty.
Evans took and converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick, his third of the season.
Evans has 14 goals this campaign and nine of them have come in hat-tricks.
Byron Harrison was rewarded with a goal of his own not long after.
A cross from the left fell in a great position for him to smash in emphatically for his 10th of the season.
Moore made it 6-2 as we ticked into the last 10 minutes.
The home defence practically stopped perhaps thinking there was an offside leaving Moore all alone to take on and beat Robson and roll it in for back-to-back goals following his finish against Runcorn last weekend.
Hogan and Owens both had efforts at the Nantwich goal as the hosts admirably kept going, but sadly for them the scoring wasn’t yet over.
Callum Saunders ran through unchallenged to round the keeper and make it 7-2.
The hosts were being picked off almost at will by Nantwich.
Number eight was scored on 90 minutes and was arguably the best of the lot.
Pratt received the ball on the left side of the box, and with Robson in no man’s land he delightfully lifted it over him and into the unguarded net.
It’s only the second time in the 21st century that Nantwich have scored eight away from home, after an 8-0 win over Leigh Genesis in 2009.
Yet it’s some way off the biggest ever away win of 14-1 over the Rolls Royce works team in 1946.
Recent Comments