
Tuesday 29th July 2003
New Mills 3 - Chadderton 1
The Millers completed back to back victories against the NWCL division 2. Cheadle Town had already succumbed on Saturday and another impressive performance followed against Chadderton in this unseasonal rainy mid week fixture at Church Lane.
Wes Gibbons side-footed home 5 minutes in following excellent work from a sharp looking Stacey Wilde, from the left flank. New Mills looked comfortable on the ball and while the visitors tried their luck from afar throughout the first half, it was the team in amber that looked the most threatening.
A good all round performance from Stacey Wilde (shown right) was reward during the second half when his drilled shot found the back of the net to put New Mills two up. Ben Candlin was in top form when needed but a third goal came courtesy of Chris Lees following constant Millers pressure. Carl Rushton scored a consolation for the visitors in the 89th minute but these pre-season fixtures will have given Tony Rigby a better chance to discover the many options available for the forthcoming season.
Matt Buckley was a revelation and stamped his authority on the left back position, using outstanding vision to instigate attacks from deep. Julian Dowe showed some good touches and spread the ball around with immaculate zest. However, the most impressive contribution was by the team as a whole who craved and caressed the ball at every opportunity.