Kilheeney at the double as Town maintain title charge

VIDEO: TOP scorer Ciaran Kilheeney bagged a brace of goals as Warrington Town extended their unbeaten run to seven with a 4-1 win over Trafford.

It was just the response that manager Shaun Reid will have wanted following Saturday’s draw at Witton Albion, which was only the third time his side have dropped points in their last 17 outings.

They got off to a perfect start through Daniel O’Donnell and Kilheeney’s double had the hosts 3-0 up inside 20 minutes, before Danny Ventre’s second half free-kick made the points safe after a brief rally by the visitors.

Scott Metcalfe made a return to action having sat out the 1-1 draw at Witton, and he left a third minute free-kick to Ventre, who found O’Donnell running in at the back post to head home for his third goal of the season.

Ventre was provider again barely three minutes later when his lofted ball from inside his own half was just too high for a defender to head away, enabling Kilheeney to bear down on goal and finish, although the goalkeeper perhaps should have done better rather than letting it squirm through his grasp and across the line.

Town’s relentless start almost fashioned a third goal as Chris Gahgan headed over from Ally Brown’s right wing cross after a couple of minutes of real sustained pressure at the Trafford end.

The third goal did come on 20 minutes, once again Ventre creating the platform with a clever ball over the top for Metcalfe, who drilled it back for poacher Kilheeney to fire in to the back of the net, the strikers 18th goal of the campaign.

Metcalfe had a right foot shot spilled by the goalkeeper shortly afterwards, and Town cruised to a 3-0 half time lead.

That led to warm applause from the majority of the 408 crowd and they nearly had something else to shout about eight minutes after the break when Metcalfe’s awkward free-kick evaded everyone and bounced just over the bar.

Trafford had improved after the interval and they got something to show for their efforts on 61 minutes, when Jack Dorney cut in from the left and was pulled down by Gahgan for a penalty. Up stepped Chris McDonagh, who managed to get enough on his penalty to beat Karl Wills, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to the ball.

Town weathered a brief rally after that and eventually added a fourth on 78 minutes. Ventre this time got his own name on the scoresheet, direct from a free kick close to the left touchline which went over everyone and the goalkeeper in to the far corner to mark the hard-working midfielder’s first goal for the Yellows.

Substitute Ben Wharton came close late on as Town finished the game with five Warrington-born players – Wills, Gahgan, Liam Turner, Jack Rudge and Ben Collins – on the pitch to keep up the pressure on league leaders Northwich.

Warrington are next in action away at Clitheroe on Saturday (3pm).

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

Trafford: Saunders, Roberts-Nurse, Langford (Horrocks), Duggan, Ledson, Watson, Palmer (Davies), Jacobs, Noar (McDonagh), Burns, Dorney. Unused subs: Tuanzebe, Martin.