Nantwich Town held to 2-2 draw by Widnes at Swansway Stadium

First-half - second Dabbers goal - Courtney Meppen-Walters celebrates his goal (1)

Nantwich Town and Widnes shared the points in an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Swansway Stadium, writes Liam Price.

The Dabbers were unchanged from their FA Trophy win on Saturday, while Widnes made several switches from their defeat in the competition.

The visitors had the first real chance inside the first 10 minutes, Courtney Meppen-Walters gave the ball away at the back and only an excellent challenge from Matty Tweedley stopped a clear goal opportunity.

This spurred the Dabbers into life and they went up the other end and had a chance of their own, in-form Tom Pratt bringing a good save out of Mark Halstead.

Nantwich came closer still from a corner, a double chance that first saw a Callum Saunders header narrowly clawed off the line by Halstead and Kelvin Mellor seeing his rebound also stopped on the line, a crazy sequence that somehow didn’t end in a goal.

The Dabbers did take the lead on 18 minutes but in fortuitous circumstances.

It came from a searching long ball from Meppen-Walters towards Saunders which caused confusion at the back for Widnes between Halstead and defender Louis Isherwood.

This ended with Isherwood heading the ball over the onrushing Halstead and into his own net.

Jack McGowan fired over the bar for the Vikings and Pratt brought another save from Halstead as the high energy of the game continued.

Meppen-Walters headed wide from a corner before Paddy Kennedy made a great block from a Niall Battersby shot.

Kofi Moore’s runs inside from the left flank were causing Widnes some issues and another of those nearly brought another chance as he was played in by Pratt but Halstead again did just about enough to deny him a try at goal.

First-half - second Dabbers goal - Courtney Meppen-Walters nods in (1) — Second Dabbers goal – Courtney Meppen-Walters nods in

But from the very next corner, the Dabbers did double the lead.

It was poor defending again from Widnes that saw Halstead flap at the corner and a deflection bounced up for Meppen-Walters to nod in from point-blank range for his second goal of the season.

Sharif Deans miscued a presentable chance to halve the deficit, but they did manage to do that on the stroke of half-time.

A beautiful first-time strike from Matty Rain gave Ben Garratt no chance as it whistled into the top corner.

Half-time sub Adam Bott curled straight at Garratt to open the second half, then Tweedley had an attempt of his own that Halstead had to turn around the post.

First-half - Widnes keeper Mark Halstead saves off the line (1) — Widnes keeper Mark Halstead saves off the line

Cole Lonsdale struck a free kick well but into the wall from the edge of the box.

That free kick had been given for a challenge on Kai Evans that forced him off with injury.

Garratt was sharp to save a near post header from a Widnes corner.

But there was ‘nervousness’ that was in everything the Dabbers were doing, as Paul Carden put it afterwards.

That allowed the pressure to build and build, and after another Widnes chance went by, they did eventually get the equaliser they deserved.

In what had turned into horrible wet conditions, Liam Paton got the ball in the corner of the box and was able to curl low past Garratt to make it 2-2.

Second-half - Widnes equalise - Liam Paton fires low past Garratt (1) — Widnes equalise – Liam Paton fires low past Garratt

After that it was more panic than nervousness as the Dabbers scrambled to hold onto a point when earlier in the game they should probably have put the game out of sight.

Challenges at the last moment from Tweedley again and Lonsdale denied Widnes the chance to win it.

The next home game for Nantwich Town is against Congleton Town on Saturday September 28 at 3pm.

(Pictures courtesy of Jonathan White)