THE Dabbers host championship hopefuls Clitheroe tonight looking to complete the double over the pacesetters (7.45pm).

Player-manager Nigel Gleghorn freely admits his team are predictably unpredictable and as if to prove the point, they ended a series of poor results by going to the then league leaders and becoming only the second side to win there last Tuesday.

Lyndon Hall's goal 15 minutes from time gave Nantwich a 1-0 win after a defensive display Gleghorn hailed as one of their best of the season.

But the Dabbers' undoing all season has been their inability to kill off supposedly lesser teams and they needed a last-minute equaliser to salvage a point from a 4-4 draw at basement boys Atherton Collieries on Saturday, with their defence all at sea.

'That's Nantwich Town in a microcosm,' said Gleghorn, who missed the match at Atherton due to work commitments. 'We keep a clean sheet against the best team in the league and then concede four to the worst.'

Trailing 1-0 to Atherton at half-time, Nantwich bounced back with two goals in three minutes from Danny Griggs and Melford Knight, only for the hosts to equalise almost immediately.

Knight restored Nantwich's lead with his second of the game but poor defending let in Dave Conlon for goals in the 84th and 89th minutes. Tim Alexander came to Town's rescue with an injury-time leveller.

Gleghorn said: 'It would be nice to beat Clitheroe again. We've taken 12 points out of 15 so far from our games against the top three, but we've struggled against lower-table teams.'

Chairman Clive Jackson is determined such inconsistencies will not blight Nantwich's campaign next term.

The club is looking to assemble a championship-winning side in time for August and Jackson says the planning starts now.

'Nigel and the staff are in the situation that we will have to win the league next year for promotion,' he said.

'By September we need to be top and we have to stay there. He is already identifying the players needed and the sooner they are in, the better.

'We have some good kids here and we need to see if they are ready and get them in over the next few weeks.' Gleghorn said: 'I've started to change things about already and brought some fresh faces in.

'Nathan Comley-Excell will get goals for us when he's fit and young lads such as Melvyn Morrison and Lee Hughes are getting a chance.'

Winger Jamie Phoenix has left for Stafford Rangers with the Dabbers inserting a sell-on clause, while Jon Dawson has joined UniBond Leaguers Kidsgrove Athletic.

Meanwhile, former favourite Wes Wilkinson is becoming a regular in Brian Talbot's Oldham Athletic side, making his fourth appearance for the Latics in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Luton.

As part of the deal, Oldham will visit Jackson Avenue for a friendly on Saturday, July 17.

Gleghorn said: 'Only two players have gone into the Football League this season from the North West Counties League and one of them is from Nantwich Town, so we must be doing something right.'

Nantwich are at Fleetwood on Saturday and Warrington Town next Tuesday (7.45pm).