Champions Town get Thorpe boost as they sign off with last minute win over Rangers - Match Report: NTFC 3 Smethwick Rangers 2
By Matt Jones
Nuneaton Town 3-2 Smethwick Rangers
(Recci 62, 72, Thorpe 90+6 : Green 42 (p), Solecki 45+3)
Att: 717
Match day sponsor: Rothesay Bennett Financial Planning
Match ball sponsor: Kevin and Valerie Brown
Nuneaton Town's final league game of a record breaking season was at home to Smethwick Rangers, as they signed off from Step 6 with the league trophy.
Back into the side came Brandon Bache and Danico Johnson, who were rested in last week's defeat by Saffron Dynamo.
In the opening minutes Cody Mullan had the first chance of the game, heading the first corner of it just over from Callum Carsley's cross. At the other end Dylan Green robbed Jake Lamb on the left of the box but Brandon Bache was able to palm away easily on the tight angle.
Nuneaton looked to keep the ball and be patient, and only after 22 minutes did Carsley have a speculative effort deflected out for a corner, but it didn't result in a further chance.
3 minutes later however Nuneaton would curse their luck as Stuart Hendrie had a shot saved by the keeper on a tight angle, but the ball was recycled forward to James Harrison who was very unlucky to poke the ball against the post when played through on goal under pressure from 2 defenders and the keeper. Mullan had another effort a minute later which whistled just over the bar.
After the drama of those couple of minutes the game went back to factory settings as it lacked chances, but on 42 minutes Nuneaton conceded a rare penalty as the dangerous Green weaved through defenders and was tripped in the box. He duly slotted the ball towards the corner, although unluckily for Bache he got a strong hand to the ball and pushed it against the post, but it just dropped over the line (0-1).
Nuneaton looked to get back on terms straight away, and some pinball in the box found Aaron Williams who from just 6 or 7 yards managed to hit the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Nuneaton's unlucky half was complete as Kamil Solecki’s overhead kick from a cross, and the kick wrong footed Bache and bounced onto the post and over the line before he could claw it away (0-2).
Half time: Nuneaton Town 0-2 Smethwick Rangers
If Smethwick hadn't read the script in the first half, Nuneaton looked to rewrite it in the second. And Harrison tested the Smethwick keeper in the opening seconds, as he pushed his shot wide. From the corner pinball ensued before the ball was finally cleared.
Corey Currithers went into the book with a late challenge on 50 minutes before Green had a run at Nuneaton's defence again on 54 minutes, bringing a comfortable save from Bache.
On 62 minutes good work down the right to Hendrie brought a good save from the Smethwick keeper, but Loyiso Recci rose high to power his header from the corner into the net (1-2).
Acton and Dodd rang the changes as James Spruce, Justin Marsden and Declan Somel entered the field for Hendrie, Mullan and Harrison as they looked to freshen the side for an assault on the Rangers back line. And on 69 minutes Nuneaton were unlucky again as first Danico Johnson hit one post with an effort before Carsley hit the other post.
But on 72 minutes Town finally got on terms as the ball fell to Recci inside the box and his header was placed beautifully over the keeper and into the top corner (2-2).
Two final subs saw Callum Thorpe replace Jake Lamb as Town looked to continue the momentum, and a nice touch saw Jackson Acton given a few more minutes in goal as he replaced Bache.
As the clock ticked into stoppage time and a draw looked likely, good work on the right from Trevor Edwards found Somel but his header was just over the bar, but dramatically in the final seconds Spruce found Thorpe with a peach of a low cross which he poked home through the keepers legs to send the Town fans into delirium (3-2).
It was perhaps fitting on Easter weekend that Nuneaton would come back from the dead to win the game, just as they came back from the dead almost exactly a year ago. And it epitomised the season they have had in the Midland League Division 1. Many times the team has showed character to dig themselves out of holes and fight to the end to earn the points.
Nuneaton Town finished on 103 points and 121 goals, and duly lifted the league trophy and celebrated long into the night. A long overdue 26 year wait for league silverware was finally over.
Now it's onto a cup final on Wednesday 30th April v Cradley Town at Walsall FC, and onto the next step in the journey back, Step 5 next season.
Full time: Nuneaton Town 3-2 Smethwick Rangers
