Five star WarringtonTown march on

WARRINGTON Town hit Mossley for five to move within a point of league leaders Northwich Victoria.

Shaun Reid’s side completed the double over the visitors with a comprehensive victory, with goals from Alex McQuade, Ben Deegan (2), Daniel O’Donnell and Ciaran Kilheeney.

It was a 14th win in the last 16 league games for Town, as they made it five straight wins in the league without conceding a goal since the reverse against Burscough back in October.

Fresh after a week off last weekend, due to a waterlogged pitch at Prescot Cables, youngster Liam Turner was handed a start in the middle of midfield in place of the suspended Nathan Burke.

Town made light of the rainy conditions in the first half, creating the first chance after just five minutes with some lovely football down the left. Captain Kilheeney took in Deegan’s flick and created a chance for Chris Gahgan, who forced a solid save from Mossley goalkeeper Liam Flynn diving to his right.

It took just eight minutes for the hosts to take the lead, left-back McQuade left completely unmarked from Scott Metcalfe’s corner and able to pick his spot with his header.

Kilkenny could have made it two midway through the first half, when he diverted Ally Brown’s dangerous right wing cross over the bar after some tidy work in midfield by Turner.

Mossley’s first real foray forward saw winger Tom Pratt flash a drive across goal having stood up O’Donnell on the left, before Town lost Metcalfe to injury, replaced by Ben Wharton.

The second goal came before the break, again from a corner. This time, the excellent Danny Ventre took it short to Gahgan, who jinked past two men inside the box and his drive goalwards was put away by tireless centre forward Deegan.

That gave Town adequate breathing space at half time, and they put the game beyond doubt seven minutes after the interval.

Ventre’s in-swinging corner from the left was missed by James McCarten and the goalkeeper, only for O’Donnell to come charging in at the back post and tap home.

Kilheeney took advantage of a defensive error to add a fourth, and the fifth came from a corner too, Deegan adding his second.

Town could have had more, the luckless Wharton striking the post with an instinctive half-volley from 20 yards out two minutes from time.

Northwich dropping two points against Clitheroe means Warrington move within a point of the league leaders, albeit having played two games more.

The busy festive period sees Warrington travel to local rivals Witton Albion on Boxing Day, before hosting Trafford on December 28 and a trip to Clitheroe on January 2.

Warrington Town: Wills, Brown (Rudge), McQuade, Ventre, O’Donnell, Gahgan (Collins), Turner, Kilheeney, Deegan, Metcalfe (Wharton). Unused subs: Robinson, Hayes.

Mossley: Flynn, Henson, McDonnell, Fitzgerald, Dean, Bennett, Howell (Warburton), Fish, Robinson (Short), Abadaki (Carroll), Pratt. Unused subs: Cheetham, Lofthouse.