Nantwich Town blew Hanley Town away in a stunning first half to win 6-0 at the Swansway Stadium, writes Liam Price.
There were two changes from last weekend’s draw with Avro as Callum Saunders replaced Kofi Moore and Joe Robbins came in for Joel Connolly, who pulled up in the warm up.
Perry Bircumshaw returned from suspension on the bench.
The Dabbers made the perfect start.
James Melhado launched a long throw into the Hanley box which came all the way through for Saunders to sweep in after just 49 seconds at the far post.
Robbins saw a low shot held by Adam Whitehouse, before Sean Cooke saw a free kick sliced over his own bar by Matty Tweedley.
Corey Muirhead sliced wide, then a big chance went begging for Byron Harrison when he took a bit too long to shoot and saw his effort cleared off the line.
Kai Evans drove low towards goal but Whitehouse was equal to it.
The keeper was busy again moments later to push away another Harrison attempt.
Cooke was looking his usual lively self and struck the bar with a great first time effort.
If there’s anyone who should know not to give Cooke that kind of space, it’s Nantwich Town.
After Whitehouse had again denied Harrison, Saunders then flicked in his second on 26 minutes from the corner that followed.
It was Ben Hockenhull who won the first header but Saunders directed it in to reach double figures for the season.
Kai Evans finished smartly at the near post less than 2 minutes later to make it 3-0.
That was his first goal since his hat trick at City of Liverpool at the end of February, and only the second match he’s scored in in 2025.
The Nantwich tails were up and Harrison finally got his goal when he bundled in a brilliant cross from Melhado to make it four.
The best goal was a move that saw Evans run from the halfway line and finish wonderfully after rounding the keeper.
Definitely a late contender for goal of the season which also owed some credit to the work of Harrison and Tom Pratt.
Nantwich’s number 7 Saunders completed his hat trick on 44 minutes with an emphatic high finish.
That marked the first time he’d bagged a treble in a Nantwich shirt since a 5-2 win over Lancaster in August 2018.
Five goals in 18 minutes for Nantwich, and the first time that the Dabbers had scored six or more goals in the first half of a league game since February 1967.
They were given a standing ovation as they exited the pitch at the break.
The second half was short of action as the main work had been done.
Harrison tried to get his second but Whitehouse pinched the ball off his feet as he tried to round him.
Robbins again brought a save out of Whitehouse but the keeper didn’t come near Evans’ next effort.
Off his left foot he smashed it off the underside of the bar but those close by said it bounced on the line not over it so there was to be no 4th hat trick this season for Kai.
Sub Alex Panter couldn’t quite convert an Evans cross, before Hockenhull hooked over the bar from a corner.
There was a great moment for young Reece Vaughan who came off the bench for his Nantwich league debut with 20 minutes to go, a testament to the work of the Under 21s team who’ve helped develop him.
Kofi Moore fired wide after also coming on from the bench.
The Dabbers were now determined to keep a clean sheet for the first time in 21 games, the biggest test to this coming late on when Muirhead forced Garratt into his best save of the match.
(Pics by Jonathan White)
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