Nantwich Town secure key victory over in-form Bootle

First-half - second Dabbers goal - Alex Panter celebrates his goal (1)

Nantwich Town returned to winning ways with a 3-1 win over in-form Bootle at the Swansway Stadium, writes Liam Price.

Fenton Green, Aidy Roxburgh and Paddy Jarrett returned to the side in the changes from the defeat to Stalybridge 11 days prior.

Bootle had won four in a row before this game, but the Dabbers were up to the task from the start and kept them quiet in a tame first 25 minutes where very little happened.

Xavier Smith had the first shot of the game for Bootle, dragging it wide from distance.

It wasn’t until past the half hour mark that the game burst into life.

Some interplay down the left ended with James Baillie standing up a cross for Aidy Roxburgh to rise highest to head in the opener.

The full back to full back combination worked a treat in that moment; especially so for Roxburgh who scored his first ever Dabbers goal in this his second spell with the club.

First-half - first Dabbers goal - Aidy Roxburgh celebrates his goal with teammates (1) — First-half – first Dabbers goal – Aidy Roxburgh celebrates his goal with teammates

Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to Nantwich. Bootle were the architects of their downfall; in trying to take a quick free kick they proceeded to give the ball straight to Ben Hockenhull, he spread it out to the right where Alex Panter took it on.

Cutting inside onto his left foot, he curled a peach of a shot right into the bottom corner.

Bootle almost gave Panter his second goal right on half time, giving the ball away again into his path they were able to close him down before he could get a shot away.

The Bucks did buck their ideas up in the second half but still struggled to test Ben Garratt in the Nantwich goal.

Second-half - third Dabbers goal - Alex Panter (1) — Second-half – third Dabbers goal – Alex Panter

A shot from distance was held by Garratt and a header was sent wide from a corner.

Roxburgh tried to get a second for himself but found it hard to steer a shot on target from a narrow angle.

Michael Simpson charged into the box dangerously but overran the ball for the Dabbers keeper.

Ste Edmondson had a better chance. Breaking into the box, his effort was smothered by Garratt who eventually dropped on the ball to prevent a rebound.

Panter had another effort on target but Bootle’s pressure did pay dividends in the 63rd minute.

Lewis Earl sent a whipped cross from the right into the Nantwich box which the defence didn’t deal with, allowing Courtney Duffus to fire hard and low into the corner for his fifth goal in his last four games.

The Bootle goal seemed to re-galvanise the Dabbers.

First a tireless Fenton Green sent a shot wide from 25 yards.

But shortly after an even better outcome as Nantwich restored the two-goal lead.

Second-half - third Dabbers goal - Alex Panter celebrates his goal (1) — Second-half – third Dabbers goal – Alex Panter celebrates his goal

Again Bootle have themselves to blame in part. A kick out from Tony Thompson was easily cut out by Baillie to put Nantwich straight back on the attack.

Byron Harrison saw the run of Panter and played him in, with Alex doing the honours and rolling the ball under Thompson for his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.

Bootle tried to go again but couldn’t find a way through, the closest they came was through a deflected free kick that Garratt had to push behind for a corner.

Jon Moran afterwards said that his side were ‘brilliant to a man’, and it was refreshing to see the return of this kind of positive, front foot performance, especially at home, after a very tough few weeks.

The next home game for Nantwich Town is against Stafford Rangers on New Year’s Day at 3pm.

(Pics by Jonathan White)