Nantwich Town manager Phil Parkinson was delighted with how his squad started pre-season with a 6-1 win away at Audley FC, writes Richard Scott.
The Dabbers notched half a dozen against the Staffordshire Counties senior league side on their first run out of the new season.
And Parkinson felt the first pre-season friendly was a good work out for his Weaver Stadium outfit.
“Audley are a very competitive team, who are use to winning in their league so they were not going to roll over and just let us have it all our own way,” he said.
“They put in a lot of hard tackles and a real workmanlike performance from them made it difficult first half.”
Nantwich were ahead early on when youth team player Callum Jones rounded the keeper and pulled it back to Steve Jones at the back stick to tap home.
But Audley levelled on 15 minutes from the spot, after Hill tripped his man. Greg Woodcock stepped up and sent goalkeeper Krysitan Burzynski the wrong way.
“Really disappointed to give away a penalty due to poor defending from our point of view,” added Parkinson.
“But apart from that everything we have been working on in training, ball retention and formation going forward at times was top draw.”
Nantwich regained the lead when Jones on 31 minutes ran down the line and crossed to Matt Bell who scored from close range.
Liam Shotton and left back Andy White should have also scored before the break.
At half time Parkinson changed his entire team, which included Terry Smith, PJ Hudson, Sam Hall and Tom Fisher coming on for the Dabbers.
And Fisher was next to score just moments after the restart when last season’s player of the year Matty Kosylo played him in and he was to beat the keeper at his near post.
It was four to the Dabbers on 56 minutes, a cross from PJ Hudson found Elliot Booth at the back post who slid in to fire home.
On 76 minutes, the Dabbers went 5-1 up as Sam Hall turned a Kosylo corner home in the former Leek captain’s first game in the green of Nantwich.
Jon Moran missed a good chance on 80 minutes when he headed narrowly wide, but with three minutes to go Short executed an overhead kick to beat the Audley keeper and make it 6-1.
“Overall a good work out and which is what you like to see and should see against Audley and ourselves,” added Parkinson.
“I really enjoyed coming down here.
“I know Chris Homes really well, their manager, I use to play with him when I was at Newcastle Town.
“He is a real character and a fantastic keeper. So I knew exactly what to expect from there lads in terms of the tackling and their attitude to the game.”
Next up for the Dabbers is Macclesfield Town this Tuesday July 14, kick off 7.30pm.
Meanwhile, the draw for the first round of the Intergo Doodson Sports Cup sees Nantwich Town visit Ashton United on November 10.
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