Town sweep Rangers aside to reach the semis - Match Report & Reaction: NTFC 5 - Paget rangers 1 (Floodlit Cup QF)

Match report by Matt Jones

Nuneaton Town 5-1 Paget Rangers
(Johnson 5, Harrison 14, Perkins 25, Mullan 39, Wootten 84 : Hesson 17)
Att: 236

Nuneaton Town took a break from league action on Tuesday evening as they sought to keep their treble hopes alive with a quarter final tie, against Paget Rangers, in the Birmingham Midweek Floodlit Cup.

Danico Johnson returned to the eleven after suspension, and Harry Jackson returned to the bench after illness. Also on the bench was Daniel Wootten, signed from Bolehall Swifts ahead of the game.

Playing against the side bottom of Nuneaton's league, Town were expected to make a fast start and did so, Lewis Hayden having an early effort on goal after a ball forward was chested down to him by Johnson, but it went well over. However within 5 minutes Nuneaton were ahead, as Callum Carsley crossed into the box from the left and after some pinball between Hayden and defence, it fell to Johnson who lifted the ball on the angle into the top corner (1-0).

Nuneaton kept on pushing the shaky Paget defence into errors but couldn't get clear cut chances until the 14th minute, Johnson used his skill to beat his defender on the right and whip the ball across goal and keeper, where an unmarked James Harrison was able to take a touch to control the ball and tap it home into the open net (2-0).

If Nuneaton were thinking it was going to be comfortable they were given a reminder that they needed to stay focused just 3 minutes later, as Paget broke down the left and the cross into the box found Dante Hesson who had managed to find himself between the centre backs and fired into the roof of the net past Hill (2-1).

That seemed to give Paget some confidence, and they came forward again on 24 minutes, Nedaie having an effort on goal himself that was saved. Nuneaton came forward themselves from it and on the right wing Cody Mullan was chopped down by Paget captain Raphael Johnson and the latter was yellow carded.

Carsley stepped up to take the free kick, and whipped it into the box where Dominic Perkins had managed to find space to head it home (3-1).

Minutes later Nuneaton could have added two more in as many minutes as they had the ball in the net, Harrison slotting the ball in from a Johnson through ball but was given offside, and Johnson himself was given offside as he headed back to Hayden who was denied a goal.

On 35 minutes it was Declan Somel who had a couple of great chances in just a few seconds, as Harrison played him in on goal but, off balance, he managed to toe the ball past the keeper but was cleared off the line by the defender. As the ball came back to him off the left he tried to score at the near post but hit the post instead.

Four minutes later though the fourth did come as Cody Mullan picked up the ball on the right side of the box and used good skill to jink between defender and keeper and roll the ball home into an empty net (4-1).

Half time:

Nuneaton Town 4-1 Paget Rangers

Corey Currithers replaced Aaron Williams for the second half, which took a more solid tone given the work done in the first half. It was certainly less entertaining than the first half, with an eye on saving legs for Saturday, Nuneaton focused on keeping hold of the ball and the lead.

Harry Jackson replaced Danico Johnson on 56, and on the hour Somel took a knock to the knee and was taken off as a precaution, Callum Thorpe his replacement.

On 66 minutes Currithers nearly added his name to the goal of the season contenders as a cross into the box was headed away and he fired the ball from well outside the box and was only denied a goal by a brilliant save by the keeper as he got his fingertips to it to push it onto the post and out. Town won a free kick on the right seconds later, which Carsley cleverly played into an unmarked Johnson into the box along the ground, but Johnson's clever flick was straight at the keeper.

Johnson was given a rest for the final 17 as Justin Marsden got some minutes. And with 8 to go Carsley tried to score directly from a corner and almost did so but for another save from the keeper, tipping it onto the post again.

On 84 minutes though it was finally 5 as Edwards crossed in from the right to Jackson, his shot was saved but the ball fell straight to Wootten who slotted past the keeper and into the corner for a goal on his debut (5-1).

The last chance of the game fell to Carsley after a ball across goal from Jackson, but it was put wide.

All in all very comfortable for Nuneaton, who will expect tougher opposition for the semi finals.

Full time:

Nuneaton Town 5-1 Paget Rangers

Team:
Hill, Edwards, Recci, Perkins, Carsley, Hayden, Williams (Currithers 45), Somel (Thorpe 60), Mullan (Wootten 67), Harrison (Jackson 56), Johnson (Marsden 73)

Subs: Currithers, Marsden, Wootten, Jackson, Thorpe

REACTION:

Joint manager Darren Acton gave his thoughts after the game:

'First 10 minutes or so when we went 2-0 up I thought we were dominating the game. We let them back into it on a poor goal that we conceded which was from a set piece. To be fair we work hard on our set pieces and we shouldn't have conceded a goal like that.'

On reacting to the goal:

'Yeah we reacted quite well when it went 2-1 then we went 3-1 up, I thought our build up play was very good tonight. Just at times our lack of passing let us down, we played short passes when we didn't need to. I thought first half we were OK, there's a couple of things we could have been better at, but second half I think we came out and just dominated the game, but they put 11 men behind the ball and made it harder for us.'

On saving players for Saturday's leagur game (at home to Coventry Copsewood):

'Yeah 100%. Obviously we're not training this week so we wanted to get players minutes on the pitch and keep them ready for Saturday.'

On Dan Wootten's debut and goal:

'Yeah I've watched Dan a couple of times. He's been at Bolehall (Swifts) and we've got good contacts with them and they've got some good players there. I've been and watched them as Jackson is playing there as well, and I just think Dan's a very good player, and he could be a good addition to the squad.'

On avoiding relaxing too much against a team bottom of the table:

'Yeah I say to the lads every game to stay focused. Every game's a hard game. Even though they've conceded a lot they still try and make it hard for you. It was a hard game tonight they just sat 11 men behind the ball and obviously we had to break them down.'