Dabbers head to Colwyn Bay as league leaders

THE Dabbers head to Colwyn Bay today hoping to remain in top spot come 5pm.

A first clean sheet of the season and a hat-trick from Liam Shotton helped Nantwich maintain momentum in Leicestershire in midweek.

Shotton came off the bench to get his second-half treble after Josh Gordon netted the opening goal just after the interval.

Phil Parkinson named the same team that demolished Grantham 6-2 on Saturday, the only change was on the bench with Troy Bourne being rested ahead of Wednesday's FA Youth Cup game.

It was a tough opening for the Dabbers with Barwell starting well and Iyseden Christie had the first chance for the hosts. However the volley fell wide of the goal.

Nantwich should have had a penalty on four minutes when Steve Jones crossed for Kosylo, who was stopped by the defender who was seemingly infringing on Kosylo. However, the referee wasn’t interested in pointing to the spot.

The Dabbers were getting into the game with Steve Jones looking as ever a threat as the leading goal scorer.

Nantwich could have gone ahead on 16 minutes when Ben Harrison played a cross to Mat Bailey. The centre back ghosted in at the back post and put his effort just inches wide of the goal.

Chances were at a premium for both teams as the game was certainly one for the midfielders and Dabbers trio consisting of Matt Bell, Sam Hall and Josh Hancock were certainly on top form as they looked for that breakthrough.

With just over 10 minutes to go until half time Christie had a chance for the hosts when a cross fell to him from outside the area. However, the former Mansfield man volleyed the ball well wide of the goal.

Just before half time Steve Jones broke the offside and got a shot at goal. However, in the best chance of the half Liam Castle was able to save it with his leg; the former Northern Ireland international man will be disappointed that he didn’t hit the back of the net.

In the first minute of injury time Kosylo picked up an excellent cross and fed the ball in Hancock, his shot was blocked for a corner, and from the corner Bailey headed straight at the keeper.

The second half started with pace and Ben Harrison had to clear one off the line when the hosts looked most likely scoring. It was a vital interception from the former Witton Albion man and actually allowed the Dabbers to start an attack, which eventually lead to the opening goal.

That goal came on 49 minutes, when a corner was flicked on by Harrison to Gordon, who turned in the area and smashed the ball home for his first goal for the club and it was the Dabbers 30th goal in just 10 league games.

That opener for the Dabbers in fact revitalized the hosts with them pumping the ball into the area. However the Nantwich defenses lead by Smith was able to shut them out.

Parky made his three changes with Jones, Gordon and Hancock all being withdrawn with Saturday’s game in mind. Shotton, Lewis Short and Elliot Osborne all on for the Dabbers.

With 20 minutes to go Kosylo was booked for a foul. However many thought Scott Lower should have been cautioned for barging Kosylo over in the resulting melee.

Nantwich doubled their lead when on 72 minutes Thornton left his defender for dead and in the area crossed it for Shotton to slide home in what was his first of the hat trick.

However despite being 2-0 Nantwich needed some last ditch defender as Harrison once again had to intervene on a Barwell attack as they were approaching the area.

The hosts were starting to try and fashion chances from the edge of the area. But their best effort was to fly well wide of Smith’s goal, it was never going to trouble the Dabbers number 1.

Osborne was keen to keep up with Jones in the leading scorers pack as he tried to fashion an effort. But he hit his effort well wide of the goal and into the wall of the Bowling arena behind the goal.

Nantwich should have made it 3-0 on 85 minutes when Short robbed Kay of the ball and advanced into the area before crossing for Shotton. But the ball was behind the forward.

Andy White was looking for his first goal in nearly two years and he almost got in when shortly afterwards he cut inside the area. But he hit his shot wide of Castle’s goal.

The game was safe with two minutes when Kosylo broke forward and played the perfect to Shotton who made no mistake in guiding the ball past Castle to put the Dabbers in dream line and all but confirmed that Nantwich were going top of the league.

In the second minute of injury time the win was complete and Shotton got his hat-trick, when Osborne broke down the line and he played in Shotton who fired home to complete a twenty minute hat-trick.

Barwell: Castle, Lower, Towers, Kay, Gaunt , Lavery (C), Tomkinson, Julian, Christe, Woodward and Carney. Subs: Brennan (on for Chrisite), Wakeling , Hickey (Julian), Thornton (on for Gaunt) and Nisevic.

Nantwich Town: T.Smith, White, Thornton (c), Harrison, Bailey, Bell, Jones, Hall, Gordon, Hancock and Kosylo Subs: Short (on for Gordon), Shotton (on for Jones) and Osborne (on for Hancock).

Attendance: 168