Alsager Town 2-3 Cheadle Heath Nomads
Alsager Town looked to get a rare result at home against an opposition who were just two points behind them in the NWCFL First Division South.
First half
Cheadle Heath Nomads wasted no time and opened the scoring with their first chance of the game. Former Alsager winger Matty Argent-Barnes placed a well weighted cross which was cooly finished by Dan Lewis into the bottom corner.
Alsager Town went on to have much of the possession, but played a number of long balls forward which proved to be ineffective.
The hosts did have a big chance when Alfie Carmichael looked certain to finish from close range. However, the striker slipped on the moist surface as he stretched for the ball, putting the ball out for a goal kick.
Alsager’s persistence paid off with Jay Lee making it 1-1 shortly before half time. The midfielder carried the ball and struck it from outside the box. His effort took a big deflection and looped high into the net, beating goalkeeper Andrew Jones.
The away side looked to regain their lead straight away, with a powerful strike which was hit with height. Charles Burgess was forced to make a diving stop in order to keep the score level at the break.
Half time: Alsager Town 1-1 Cheadle Heath Nomads
Second half
Despite having most of the ball in the first half, Alsager found themselves having to defend for large parts of the second.
It looked like the visitors might take the lead when their forward advanced through the middle of the pitch, but a last man tackle stopped the player in his tracks.
Alsager’s first half chance came when Menny Rose got a shot away from inside the box. The attempt was quite poor in the end and landed over the bar by some distance.
Cheadle Heath eventually took the lead with a goal which had been coming all half. Jack Ryan scored a screamer, striking a half volley into the top right corner past Burgess.
Lewis got his second goal of the game in the 87th minute to seal the victory for the Nomads, finding the bottom left corner of the net to make it 3-1.
However, the Bullets did mount a late comeback with a goal from a corner in stoppage time. Both the goalkeeper and his captain Callum Graham went for the ball, but this mix-up caused it to fall in the pathway of Taylor Swift and Brayden Barlow, with a close range finish proving simple enough.
Alsager pushed for a last minute equaliser, but it was the visitors to Wood Park who wrapped up all three points.
Full time: Alsager Town 2-3 Cheadle Heath Nomads
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