by Garry Clarke
UNBEATEN in the NPL Premier Division fixtures through November, December started with defeat as ten-man Warrington Rylands were denied a well-earned point by a late goal at a sunny but chilly Gorsey Lane.
After a lengthy feeling-out period Rylands started to get on top but were denied on several occasions by Nantwich goalkeeper Tom Booty.
The on loan from Crewe custodian saved at point-blank range from Dean Furman in the 37th minute after Kelly N’Mai had danced his way through the Nantwich defence, as well as keeping out efforts from James Neild, Sam Egerton, Callum Dolan and cutting out a dangerous Jak McCourt cross as his blue-shirted colleagues waited for the ball to drop.
Nantwich had a couple of half chances early on but their best chance of the first half came moments before halftime. A desperate Ben Hockenhull blocked a Casper Hughes shot deflecting the ball wide for a corner.
Rylands started the second half on the attack with Dolan curling a shot just wide of the target and Kallum Mantack having a blocked by a defender. Nantwich, despite having several attempts, struggled to clear the resulting corner with McCourt chipping the ball onto the roof of the net.
The balance of play soon swung in Nantwich’s favour as they went close on several occasions with Egerton blocking a Hughes shot and goalkeeper Joel Torrance diving full length to tip a curling Dan Cockerline shot around the post.
Rylands were reduced to ten men in the 58th minute Jak McCourt was shown a red card for a poor challenge which left Rylands to play out the final half-hour with ten men against a side whose performance belied their lowly league position.
Nantwich got their reward as the game entered stoppage time. Substitute Curtis Morrison fired a shot from outside a packed penalty area, which with the aid of a deflection was just out of the reach of Torrance and nestled in the bottom corner of the net.
WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Torrance Mantack Duxbury (Cooke – Vassallo) Hockenhull Egerton McCourt Neild Furman Dolan (Pratt) N’Mai Mustoe; Subs not used: Hunt Cookson
NANTWICH TOWN: Booth Bircumshaw (Malumo) Lawton Bourne Nevin Moran Hughes (Morrison) Bell (McWilliams) Cockerline Scully Harrison; Subs not used: Sherratt Chiduka
ATTENDANCE 339
