THERE will be no repeat of last season’s FA Cup heroics at Warrington Town after they were beaten 3-2 by underdogs Abbey Hey.
It compounds what has been a difficult start to the new campaign for Shaun Reid’s side, who were always going to be a prized scalp in this season’s competition following the run that saw them reach the second round proper in 2014/15.
Ultimately, the North West Counties League side served Warrington a taste of their own medicine, with Town themselves knocking out no fewer than four sides from higher leagues in their historic campaign.
Despite Steven Gillespie’s first goal for the club, Town found a 3-1 second half deficit too much to reverse, though they will point to a controversial disallowed goal on the stroke of half time as potential defining moment in the match.
That came when Abbey Hey goalkeeper John McIlwaine appeared to drop the ball in to his net, with the linesman on the near side confirming it had crossed the line, only for the referee to blow his whistle for a mysterious foul which had most of the crowd bemused given the only players within touching distance of the goalkeeper were his own team mates.
It was 1-1 at that time, which was no less than the hosts had deserved following this first half display.
They took the lead against the run of play on 14 minutes when striker Asford Blake, a menace all afternoon, used his pace to get in behind down the left and deliver a measured cross which Sam Hind headed back the other way, over and past Karl Wills.
Town had had virtually all the play before that, with captain Craig Robinson going closest, his right foot drive well parried by McIlwaine.
Abbey Hey had just started to gain a foothold themselves when Town scored the equaliser. Robinson, the goalscoring hero of that famous night against Football League club Exeter City last November, glanced a header in to the far corner from Danny Ventre’s curling cross from a well worked short corner.
Neither ‘keeper had much to do for the rest of the first half, until the controversial moment shortly before the whistle.
The early warning signs for Warrington were there after the break, with Blake looking increasingly dangerous on the counter attack. It was, however, the visitors who had the best chance of the opening exchanges of the second half, when Ciaran Kilheeney knocked down Ally Brown’s cross for Nathan Burke, whose connected with an awkward bouncing ball skimmed off the top of the crossbar.
Abbey Hey hadn’t read the script though, and they picked off Warrington down the left hand side, Hind and Blake again linking up before the latter coolly finished, placing the ball past Wills in to the far corner.
By the hour mark, the deficit was two, a calamity at the back for Town as James McCarten put through his own net.
Substitute Gillespie netted an immediate response with just short of half an hour to play, a tidy finish after Kilheeney had cleverly flicked on Brown’s ball in to the box.
That early response appeared to give Warrington the momentum to kick on and at least earn a replay, but after seeing off the initial flurry, Abbey Hey made it difficult for the visitors to keep possession.
As it was, the Gorton-based outfit held on for a memorable victory, and send Warrington to Monday’s league trip to Trafford on the back of two successive defeats.
Abbey Hey: McIlwaine, Talbot, McDonnell (Moss), Flanagan, Smith, Freakes, Pickering, Cahill (Hickman), Blake, Hind (Robinson), Hardy. Unused subs: Hallows, Murray, Noon, Samms.
Warrington Town: Wills, Brown, O’Donnell, Ventre (Young), McCarten, Robinson, Burke, Roberts (Noon), Kilheeney, Wharton (Gillespie), Metcalfe. Unused subs: McQuade, Gahgan.
Skipper Craig Robinson attempts to start the fightback – PICTURE BARRIE SCHOLES
Ben Wharton in action PICTURE BARRIE SCHOLES
Scott Metcalfe in action PICTURE BARRIE SCHOLES
A dejected Skipper Craig Robinson PICTURE BARRIE SCHOLES
Manager Shaun Reid congratulates Abbey Hey players PICTURE BARRIE SCHOLES
