It was the Vinnie Mukendi show at Kidsgrove Athletic as he helped himself to a hat-trick for Nantwich Town, writes Richard Scott.
Mukendi also had two goals disallowed and was unlucky to see his penalty well saved.
An Adam Pepper strike and a brace from Harry Clayton helped sealed the win for Nantwich as they blew the hosts away.
Despite the final score it was the Dabbers who fell behind after five minutes, when Kidsgrove’s number nine tapped into the net from close range against the run of play.
Nantwich could have been level on 10 minutes when Max Harrop was brought crashing down inside the area when through on goal.
The referee pointed to the spot, but Mukendi saw his well taken kick saved by the keeper low to his left.
Nantwich were deservedly level on 22 minutes when Andy White worked his way down the left and found Pepper, who fired home from a tight angle.
The Dabbers continued to assert their dominance whild restricting the Grove to playing long balls which were swept up well by Phillips.
Nantwich thought they had taken the lead after 38 minutes, when a cross from White found Mukendi.
He rose high to head home, but the linesman flagged for a foul and the referee disallowed the goal.
But the pressure told when the Dabbers took the lead just three minutes before the break.
A long throw from Harrop found Pepper, who played a lovely through ball to Mukendi.
He finished coolly from 10 yards inside the near post.
Just two minutes into the second half, the Dabbers extended their lead when Harrop nipped to the byline and pulled it back to Mukendi, who slotted home to make it 3-1.
On 49 minutes a Harrop free-kick allowed Pepper to hit a half volley, which was well saved at a tight angle.
But Mukendi latched onto the rebound to slot home from yards out, which completed his hat trick.
It could have been five to the Dabbers on 59 minutes, when sub Harry Clayton tried to lob the keeper after teeing himself up, but the Grove stopper caught the ball as he slammed into his own post.
Then it was Mukendi’s turn once again.
Pepper placed a sublime chip over Kidsgrove’s back line, allowing Vinnie to smash a perfect volley from over 20 yards out into the top corner.
But his fourth goal was ruled out by the linesman’s flag for offside.
The Dabbers did add a fifth on 70 minutes, when Harry Clayton’s long range shot nestled into the back of the net.
Kidsgrove reduced the deficit moments later when a shot took a huge deflection to leave Phillips rooted to his spot for 5-2.
Spurred on by conceding, Nantwich went looking for more goals and a minute later Cohan Bramall made a blistering run down the wing.
His cut back cross almost made its way to Clayton, but he was narrowly beaten to it by a defender from point blank range.
Similarly, with 12 minutes to go Bramall again broke down the wing and got his cross in. It deserved a goal but fellow sub Peter Green was inches from connecting with it.
The sixth goal did come three minutes from the end, when Alex Meaney beat seven Kidsgrove players by himself as he ran from the centre circle to the byline.
He was then able to flick it backwards for Clayton, who calmly finished high into the back of the net to complete his brace.
The Dabbers now look to their final game of pre-season on Saturday (August 9) away at Northwich Victoria. Kick off at Valley Road is 3pm.
Nantwich Town: Philips, Dowling, White , M.Jones, A.Jones, Wilson, Mukendi, Pepper, Johnson, Blake and Harrop.
Subs: Clayton (on for Harrop), Callaghan (on for Pepper), Meaney (on for Blake), Green (on for Mukendi), Bramall (on for Johnson), Bhakti (on for White), Long (on for A.Jones), Hood (on for Wilson) and Smith.
Recent Comments