Taylor made victory (From Warrington Guardian)

Taylor made victory

KNUTSFORD FC maintained their four-match unbeaten run with a narrow victory against struggling Cheadle Heath Nomads on Saturday.

They snatched a win at the Mid Cheshire League's bottom club with 12 minutes left when Ryan Taylor beat the offside trap to score.

The Norton Avenue pitch was sticky and flowing football was never likely.

In the end the game was scrappy, ugly and totally unglamorous.

Offside

Knutsford reshuffled their pack, with leading scorer Paul Fry absent, and Simon Mellor was pushed up as a target man.

The visitors struck after just six minutes when Richard Ingles went on a typically charging run and rammed the ball home past goalkeeper Rouse.

But the Reds then sat back and the home side, who are bottom and fighting relegation, came more into the game.

On 32 minutes Knutsford claimed for a dubious offside and left Billy Bailey in the clear to close down on Coleman's goal. The visitors' goalkeeper tried to narrow the angle but the Cheadle man slotted home comfortably to level the score.

Bell forced an excellent save from Rouse on the hour after Grant Ingles won a free kick on the edge of Cheadle's penalty area.

But it was a rare exciting moment amongst the turgid display on offer.

About 78 minutes in Knutsford's slight advantage in terms of possession turned to their reward when Ryan Taylor beat the home side's offside trap.

He scored a winning goal with a low side footed shot inside Rouse's right hand post to put the Reds ahead with little time left.

It was a victory that the side's possession just about merited.

On Saturday Knutsford's unbeaten start to the New Year will come under threat when title contenders Middlewich Town are visitors to Manchester Road.

Kick off in the D & P M Sheldon sponsored game is 2.15pm.

TEAM: Coleman, Moss, Bell, Cocksedge, Booth (Potts 45 minutes), Taylor, R Ingles, Stevens, G Ingles, Mellor (Dow 70 minutes), Wright. Substitute not used Riley.