Mellor boost for Dabbers (From Crewe Guardian)

Mellor boost for Dabbers

3:52pm Friday 9th October 2009

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THERE is no such thing as a settled side for Nantwich Town at the moment.

Suspensions and injuries have been eating into squad selections.

In these circumstances, it was almost a luxury to have new blood on board for the trip to Buxton at the weekend.

Kelvin Mellor has been brought in on loan from Crewe Alexandra and Dabbers boss Peter Hall had no hesitation in throwing him straight in.

Mellor is no stranger to ‘The Dabbers’ having been a prominent youth player at the club until his transfer to the Gresty Road club in February, 2008, when 17 years old.

Former Nantwich head coach Steve Davis demonstrated his faith in the player by calling him into the first-team squad on several occasions during which time he acquitted himself very well in both right back and right midfield positions.

He will be hoping to keep his place in the side when The Dabbers continue their pursuit of league points on Saturday.

Town, who drew at Buxton, entertain North Ferriby United in the UniBond Premier Division at 3pm, before a long trek up the M6 to visit Kendal on Tuesday.

As 0-0 suggests, the weekend’s clash with Buxton was not a classic and both sides missed penalties.

At least Nantwich maintained their unbeaten run against the Derbyshire side.

Strong winds accompanied by showers produced testing conditions at the Silverlands Stadium.

Nantwich, playing up the slope against the wind, started brightly but the first real chance came in the 20th minute when Buxton’s Kieran Lugsden tested Lee Jones with a rasping shot that Jones did well to save.

The first penalty came on 25 minutes after Mahmoud was brought down in the box by Buxton midfielder Joe Wilcox.

Carter took the spot kick but Nantwich were denied the lead by the reaction of Hartley, who dived low across the path of the ball.

Buxton then had an opportunity when Scott Maxfield set up defender turned emergency striker Tommy Agus but finished wide of the target.

On the half hour The Dabbers’ injury hoodoo struck again when Mahmoud had to be replaced by Rodney Jack due to an ankle injury.

The second half progressed with chances were few and far between.

Buxton were given an opportunity to take the lead in the 75th minute when Dave Whittaker brought substitute striker Doryl Proffitt down in the area but in an almost repeat scenario of Nantwich’s first-half penalty Jones dived the right way to block Knight’s spot kick.

Nantwich: Jones, Reeves, Tickle, Whittaker, Tinson, Sedgemore, Mellor, Blackhurst, Rhead, Carter, Mahmoud, Substitutes: Aaron Carter, Jack, Flynn, Haughton, Chapman (goalkeeper).

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