WARRINGTON Town marked their first home game of the season with victory as they saw off Radcliffe Boro 2-0 at Cantilever Park.
They didn’t have it all their own way against gutsy opponents, and the points only looked safe once Nathan Burke scored the second goal on 80 minutes.
Town had taken the lead inside three minutes, when Aaron Walters diverted Scott Metcalfe’s cross past his own goalkeeper.
But they squandered a host of chances throughout the match and on another day, the impressive Burke could have had at least a hat-trick.
The first 15 minutes was all Town, Burke twice forcing a save out of Chris Cheetham, first with an attempted lob having sprung the offside trap to run on to Ally Brown’s long ball, and then seeing a shot parried away following Ciaran Kilheeney’s slide rule pass.
Radcliffe’s first real foray forward saw them claim a penalty when a striker went down under a clumsy looking challenge by Warrington number one Karl Wills, but the referee waved it away.
By now, at the other end, Kilheeney was looking dangerous and he got in behind on two occasions, setting up a chance for Burke, which was blocked by the keeper’s legs, before blazing over from a glorious position from another superb Brown ball forward.
On the half hour mark, Radcliffe got their penalty following a coming together in the box from a corner. Richard Smith stepped up, and saw his spot kick saved by Wills down to his left.
There was still time before the break for another Burke chance, this time a first time hit that curled over the bar from Chris Gahgan’s lay off.
Radcliffe stemmed the tide after half time, and had much of the play for the first 15 minutes.
Town were finding it hard to carve out openings compared to the first half, though they should have doubled their lead on 64 minutes when first Kilheeney and then Ben Wharton were denied by the goalkeeper from point blank range.
Despite their efforts, the visitors never really troubled Wills and Warrington finally made the points safe.
Burke, having poked a shot at the ‘keeper and then screwed another effort wide just minutes earlier, finally got the goal his endeavours deserved when he curled home left-footed after Scott Metcalfe’s scuffed shot had somewhat fortuitously fell to him inside the box.
Wills was called in to action late on to deny Kevin McGrath, but the hosts closed the game out to earn their first win of the season.
They are next in action against Farsley Celtic, their opponents in last season’s Doodson Sport Cup final win, at Cantilever Park on Saturday (3pm).
Penalty save by Karl Wills PICTURE JOHN HOPKINS
Ciaran Kilheeny in action PICTURE JOHN HOPKINS
Warrington Town: Wills, Brown, McQuade, Ventre (Roberts), McCarten, O’Donnell, Gahgan (Noon), Burke, Kilheeney, Wharton (Gillespie), Metcalfe. Unused subs: Robinson, Cooper.
Radcliffe Boro: Cheetham, Bardsley, Walters, Smith, Forbes, McGrath, Burey (Hindle), Fitzgerald, McMahon, Landregan (Amadi), McKenzie. Unused subs: Tinker, Hoctor, Foster.
