Blistering second half sends Town ten clear at the top - Match report & Reaction: NTFC 5 AFC bridgnorth 0

Match report by Matt Jones

Nuneaton Town 5-0 AFC Bridgnorth
(Johnson 39, 64, Williams 51, Spruce 56, 72)
Attendance: 399
Match day sponsors: Jenna Rhodes and Jack Rhodes
Match ball sponsors: DPs Financial Advice and Services

Nuneaton Town were back at The Oval on Saturday afternoon looking for a tenth successive win, after racking up their ninth away at Paget Rangers last week.

Jake Lamb made his home debut at centre back, whilst the front three was James Spruce, Justin Marsden and Danico Johnson.

Bridgnorth had improved in form from their last meeting with Town, and started well, as Ethan Jarrett crossed from the right but Town keeper Brandon Bache claimed ahead of the attacker.

Town won a free kick on 10 minutes and Callum Carsley curled towards goal but it was well saved by Pain in goal. Jarrett had another chance on 12 minutes, firing just over. Joel Westwood thought he'd beaten the offside trap on the quarter hour and slotted home but the flag went up.

Nuneaton got themselves slowly but surely into the game and on 20 minutes Carsley had a shot towards goal from Aaron Williams' lay off, but it sliced wide. Johnson had his first of many efforts on 23 minutes but curled over the bar. At the other end Westwood capitalised on Loyiso Recci slipping on the damp surface but hit his shot straight at Bache.

On 27 minutes Town somehow were prevented from going in front as a ball across to Williams was fired at goal but Mat Gritton somehow got his body in the way. Justin Marsden, who had fallen awkwardly in the build up, did well to run back through the pain and produce a great tackle at the other end to stop the Bridgnorth breakaway.

With over half hour gone it continued to be end to end, as Johnson turned in the box to fire a shot goalbound that skimmed an inch wide off the defender, while the dangerous Jarrett got through on goal at the other end, Bache was quick off his line to smother the shot.

On 38 minutes Johnson was unlucky again as his shot from the right side of the box cannoned off the far post and back into play, but it was only half cleared by Bridgnorth, and seconds later he received the ball again in a similar place, and tried his luck with the near post, the keeper got a hand to the ball but it squirmed under him and over the line for the opener (1-0).

That proved to be the final chance of the half and a competitive first half ended with Town in front.

Half time: Nuneaton Town 1-0 AFC Bridgnorth

Town looked a more prepared side for the second half, and started to get much more of the ball in the early minutes. And just 6 minutes into the half it was two, Corey Currithers played a lovely ball to James Spruce on the right wing, and his low cross was turned into the top corner by Williams (2-0).

That seemed to knock some confidence out of Bridgnorth, and fill Nuneaton with it. Spruce attempted to receive a ball played forward but was off balance, Johnson picked up the loose ball and fired it towards goal, Pain got a fingertip to it to prevent a potential third. But just 2 minutes later on 56, it was 3 as Spruce picked up the ball in space on the left just inside the Bridgnorth half. He drove towards goal and slotted under the keeper in a brilliant solo effort (3-0).

Nuneaton were rampant now, and it took only 6 minutes to add a 4th, as a ball forward to Johnson was slotted under the keeper, despite protests of offside from the Bridgnorth players (4-0).

Bache was still kept busy on the break, as he saved from Mitch Bradford after a driving run from Kosh Sappleton.

Town weren't finished themselves though, and nor was Johnson, as he drove towards goal from the left looking for his hattrick, his shot was saved but fell straight to Spruce who had only the open net to volley into (5-0).

Nuneaton rang the changes as all 5 subs (Perkins, Mullan, Harrison, Gardner and Thorpe) came on for Somel, Spruce, Williams, Carsley and Marsden over the next 10 minutes, and played keep ball, happy to stick with the 5, and protect the clean sheet, and that's how it stayed until the end.

Nuneaton extended their lead to ten points with Heather St John's not in action, with a chance to extend it to thirteen away at Coton Green on Wednesday, before another difficult trip to Cradley Town next Saturday.

Full time: Nuneaton Town 5-0 AFC Bridgnorth

Team: Bache, Edwards, Lamb, Recci, Carsley (Perkins 80), Currithers, Somel (Mullan 72), Williams (Thorpe 80), Marsden (Gardner 80), Spruce (Harrison 72), Johnson

Subs: Perkins, Mullan, Harrison, Gardner, Thorpe

REACTION

Coach Dan Kembery reflected on the game:

'Yeah it was quite a slow one to start, it's just trying to find those crisp passes and be more concise with the passes especially in the final third. But to be fair we could have been a few up at half time, the lads stepped up a level in the second half and went on to win the game in a professional manner.'

Thoughts on the even first half:

'Bridgnorth had a gameplan, to exploit us in behind and things like that, as the game went on I thought they got a bit frustrated, and it didn't work as well as the game went on, I thought we dealt with it quite well and nullified it in the end. Credit to them though I thought they did quite well in the first half but in the second half our quality overpowered them.'

On the difference between the first half and second and what was said at half time to improve:

'We just talked about ramping it up the level we know we can play to, and sort of taking the game to them a little bit more. I think we spoke about the times where the gaps became quite big, and tightening them up in terms of our shape, to limit the space when they had the ball. But also for our players getting into pockets with the ball, trying to shift them a little bit. I think when we won the ball back, they sat in with a bit of a mid block, made it quite difficult. So if we started moving around it would unsettle that a little bit. And that showed in the second half.'

On opening the gap at the top and putting pressure on title rivals:

'It's good. Everyone can say about games in hand, but I'd rather have the points on the board to be honest! At least when you've got the points on the board it keeps the pressure on them to go and win those games in hand, and if they don't, then that'll get in their heads a little bit. All we've got to do is keep on going, it's in our hands, we've got to have the mentality to just go and win every game now, and put all the points on the board we can do.'

Regarding the next match (away at Coton Green Wed 12 Feb):

'It's another game, that's how we're going to approach it, we've got to do a job and make sure we get the win, treat it like any other game we've won, obviously we know if we did win that game it would put us in a very good place, but we're going to approach it the same as any other game.'