Sons on song as 9 man Gornal beaten at the Oval - Match Report & Reaction: Nuneaton Town 2 - Gornal Athletic 0
Nuneaton Town 2-0 Gornal Athletic
(Johnson 45, Harrison 90+8)
Att 402
Man of the match: Corey Currithers - Chosen by Match Ball Sponsors, Matt and Abigail Jones
Nuneaton Town were back at home on Saturday afternoon as they faced Gornal Athletic, the team they should have played away 2 weeks ago but for the ill-timed deluge that called it off last minute.
Looking to extend their unbeaten run to 9 matches, and earn a 6th straight win, a 5th in the league, Nuneaton started with a completely unchanged squad from the win at Bridgnorth.
Nuneaton started the match on the front foot, and James Spruce hit a rocket of a shot from the edge of the box on the 6th minute which Louis Carter in the Gornal goal parried away. On 12 minutes Danico Johnson reversed a lovely though ball to James Harrison but the keeper beat him to the one on one. Two minutes later Spruce should have put Town in front, as Callum Carsley got away down the left and his pull back was skewed wide at the back post.
The blue and whites continued to create the chances, and on 20 mins Johnson nearly scoring a brilliant solo goal as he weaved though the defence but his shot was saved, Spruce fired over the rebound. Gornal managed to finally have an effort on 22 minutes as Chad Carter curled over.
On 27 minutes another glorious chance to go in front was missed as a delicious pass to Cody Mullan had him through on goal, but his first touch allowed the keeper to smother the shot. Johnson had another effort on 32 from a tight angle.
Just as Town were ready to rue a half of missed chances they finally got in front on the stroke of half time. Harrison managed to break the offside trap latching onto a through ball on the right, and as he looked up spotted Johnson who nonchalantly flicked the cross in at the near post off his heel (1-0).
Half time:
Nuneaton Town 1-0 Gornal Athletic
The second half started like the first, with Town on the front foot, and in the first minute Carsley nearly diverted an early Spruce cross from the right in at the far post but hit the side netting.
On 52 minutes Brandon Bache got away with a near howler, as with the sun in his eyes, he misjudged a catch, but after clawing the ball off the line twice he gratefully grasped the ball at the third attempt much to his, and the majority in the Oval's, relief.
That was as much drama as there was for the next few minutes as Gornal made it a much more even contest. On 71 minutes Dec Somel and Stuart Hendrie replaced Danico Johnson and Cody Mullan, and on the next chance Trevor Edwards found space to unleash a shot from the edge of the box that whistled just over the bar.
On 73 minutes though the drama reignited, as only two minutes after coming on at the same time as Somel and Hendrie, Owen Waterfield saw red for a stamp on Dominic Perkins, and Gornal would need to find an equaliser with 10 men. The cards however kept coming as, possibly frustrated with the previous decision, Nathan Jones and Luke Sidaway both saw yellow for late challenges.
With Justin Marsden entering the game for Aaron Williams on 86 mins, a cynical challenge from behind on Marsden in seconds only added to Gornals frustration. And in the 2nd minute of stoppage time Nathan Guest who had had a good game until that point, cynically hauled down Marsden on the edge of the Gornal box, and was also shown a red card.
Playing against 9 men Nuneaton were happy to keep the ball and pass their way to victory, but a free kick given away on the edge of their own box gave Gornal a late chance to equalise. They threw all but the keeper forward to try to achieve it, but the header away fell straight to Harrison who had nothing between him and the goalkeeper to run at. He showed a burst of pace to outrun the retreating defenders and curled his effort past the keeper to seal the win (2-0).
Nuneaton sealed a fifth straight league win and clean sheet, a sixth win in a row in all competitions, and have the chance to avenge their only loss this season next Saturday away at Heather St John's
Full time:
Nuneaton Town 2-0 Gornal Athletic
REACTION:
Joint manager Darren Acton commented on the game:
'First half I thought we absolutely dominated the game, the Gornal keeper pulled off some really good saves. I thought the lads were really on it, the passing, the build up play, was exactly what we hoped for.'
On securing the win late in the game (again!) and the importance of focus right to the last minute:
'Its 5 clean sheets in a row, the defence have been doing an unbelievable job, obviously Brandon (Bache) keeping the clean sheets too. I look at the whole team and I don't think we're going to concede a goal that's how solid I think we are. We've got a good understanding with the players, we know their roles and responsibilities and that's what's getting us through it I think.'
On the sending offs:
'Yeah I don't really look at them that's on Gornal really I think they were both sending offs, and their manager will be very disappointed when he sees them. As for us we've got to keep our momentum, keep our cool, and not get involved with the opposition.'
On next Saturday's clash with Heather St John's:
'Yeah it's a big game, we'll train Tuesday, prepare right, obviously they beat us 2-0 down here (The Oval). I don't think it was a 2-0 game, a draw may have been a fair result, they celebrated the way they did and I think we owe them one. And I'm sure we'll go there in numbers as well.'
On the over 400 fans at the ground:
'I say it every week the fans have been unbelievable, they come every week, last week we took two coach loads and had a great day. This is what it's all about getting the fans back and enjoying it again. And next week hopefully taking numbers to Heather just up the road.'
