Nantwich Town are out of the Cheshire Senior Cup after Witton Albion scored an 85th minute winner to win 2-1 at the Swansway Stadium, writes Liam Price.
Akiel Raffie made his first start since returning to Nantwich, with Callum Saunders in a Nantwich squad for the first time since September after a long spell out with a knee injury.
Taylor Kennerley had the first effort of the game, running into the box and hitting straight at Danny Roberts from the left side.
It quickly became clear that the Dabbers weren’t at the level of the last few games, with cheap concessions of possession left, right and centre.
Kingsley Williams was the beneficiary of one of these loose passes, finding Connor Hughes on the right but his cross was easy for Roberts.
On 25 minutes, Witton took advantage of Nantwich’s slackness with the opening goal.
Nathan Okome was too easily dispossessed by a Witton player, and played in Hughes for an easy finish about six yards out, his eighth goal of the season in all competitions.
Connor Heath couldn’t get on the end of a Sean Cooke attempted through ball, before Roberts had to come off his line as another pass bisected the Nantwich backline.
It was easy again in the last five minutes of the half as a 1-2 took out several statuesque Nantwich defenders to get in behind again, luckily they were unable to make anything of it from the right wing.
Dabbers responded and six minutes into the second half Mo Ali flicked a header in off the far post to equalise.
Steven Hewitt’s remarkable run of assisting continued with another exceptional free kick delivery, the 16th goal he has set up this season.
Perry Bircumshaw fired across the face of goal as an improved Dabbers looked to turn the game on its head.
Then, Nathan Okome found himself in the box and did brilliantly to turn his man but the ball bounced off Byron Harrison rather than him getting a shot away and Martin gratefully fell on it.
Sub Connor Rankin flicked a header over the bar, before a better chance for him came courtesy of a fine whipped cross from Troy Bourne.
Rankin get under it and it looped over the bar.
Kennerley was threatening again and zipped a cross beyond everyone waiting in the box.
Witton carried a danger whenever they went forward, even though it was happening much less in the second half.
And they came as close as its possible to come in the last 10 minutes.
Lee Jackson off the bench smashed one off the post and then another shot was blocked and the third was held by Roberts.
The Dabbers had escaped, but not for long.
Kennerley was part of a 2v1 overload on the Dabbers right, affording him the space when he got the ball back to fire in across Roberts.
Martin at the other end had to make a decent save from a Nantwich volley but time was up for the Dabbers in the Cheshire Cup.
Witton got their revenge for the heavy league defeat inflicted on them by Nantwich seven days earlier.
The next home games for Nantwich are against York in the FA Trophy on Saturday December 9, then Widnes in the league on Tuesday December 12 at 7.45pm.
(Images by Jonathan White)
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