By Ashley Houghton
A spirited away performance kept Nantwich Town in the FA Trophy as Jimmy Quinn’s men drew 0-0 at AFC Fylde’s Kellamergh Park.
Nantwich have some late heroics from keeper Jonny Brain to thank for preventing the Lancashire outfit from grabbing a late winner.
And the Dabbers will now host The Coasters in a replay on Tuesday night at the Weaver Stadium.
Nantwich were unchanged from the side that thumped Eastwood Town 5-1 and started brightly as Kyle Wilson found space in the Fylde area but saw his shot deflect over off Matty Hughes.
The Coasters, who are the Evo-Stik Northern Premier Division’s only remaining representatives in the FA Cup, created opportunities of their own and looked dangerous on the break with James Dean volleying over from eight yards.
It was the hosts that went closest to breaking the deadlock as Jimmy McCarthy broke in behind on the half-hour and forced a sharp save from Brain before Glenn Steel hit the bar from the resulting corner.
Nantwich’s best opportunity of the first-half fell to Wilson who chose to go alone when Sean Cooke and Fraser McLachlan were free and the ex-Bangor City man was ushered out of play by Hughes.
The Dabbers came out in the second-half and began to control the game with Mat Bailey latching onto a Cooke cross before seeing his header cleared of the line by Steel.
Cooke then forced a fantastic save from Fylde stopper Ben Hinchliffe as the former Crewe Alexandra youth’s 25 yard half volley was dipping in the former Northwich Victoria stopper tipped over.
Wilson had another great opportunity to win it for Nantwich ten minutes from time but he couldn’t get the ball out of his feet as Bailey set the ball for him in the area.
Quinn’s men were thankful to their keeper Brain in the late stages as the former Port Vale stopper first saved from Adam Sumner and then from Michael Barnes as a late Fylde onslaught was resisted by The Dabbers backline.
Tuesday night’s replay kicks off at 7.45pm at the Weaver Stadium.
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