Town hit five past Clitheroe for second time this season

VIDEO: WARRINGTON Town made it 10 goals in two games against Clitheroe this season with a 5-2 win at Shawbridge.

At a ground that is notoriously hard to win at, and a place where Town haven’t won for several years, they raced in to a three goal lead in the first 26 minutes that the hosts found it too hard to come back from.

They did give it a good try though, reducing arrears to 3-2 before a Nathan Burke brace finished them off and extended Warrington’s current unbeaten run to eight.

Town welcomed back Burke to the starting line-up following a three match suspension, with Liam Turner switching to right back in place of the injured Ally Brown.

They started strongly, forcing a corner inside the first minute off Alex McQuade’s early cross in to the box.

It took just six minutes to break the deadlock, Scott Metcalfe’s ball in to the box misjudged by James Walker and a battling Chris Gahgan managed to get possession and steer a shot past Ben Woodhead.

Town had started brightly in the Bank Holiday Monday win over Trafford, scoring three inside 20 minutes, and the opening quarter of this display was perhaps even more impressive than that.

A loose ball from a Turner throw-in fell at the feet of Danny Ventre, only for him to be beaten to it by Gahgan who fired home a fine finish that flew past Woodhead’s left hand for his fifth goal against Clitheroe this season, having scored a hat-trick in the reverse fixture.

Metcalfe and McQuade were getting a lot of room on the Town left and a one-two saw Metcalfe in to the box and his drive across the face of goal was almost diverted in to his own goal by Brandon Barski.

Ventre’s overhit free kick had Woodhead scrambling to tip the ball over the bar, before Ben Deegan headed wide from Turner’s cross.

Deegan was causing the Clitheroe back line no end of problems with his physicality, but it was a deft touch on half way that created the platform for Town’s third goal. He knocked a bouncing ball over his marker, and then spread the play out to strike partner Ciaran Kilheeney, who took it on and then lifted the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper with a superb finish.

Considering Clitheroe are the only team to have taken points off league leaders Northwich Victoria this season, it was a commanding first half hour from Shaun Reid’s side.

But they let the hosts back in to the game on the stroke of half-time, Walker allowed to win the ball back in the box and tee up Simon Garner, who laid on for Kurt Willoughby to screw the ball in to the far corner.

That gave Clitheroe hope and they started the second half on the front foot. Sefton Goncalves gave an early warning to the Town defence as he flashed a shot across the box.

He then delivered more than a warning on 59 minutes as he notched the hosts’ second goal. A long ball forward was taken round keeper Karl Wills, and although James McCarten blocked Goncalves’ initial shot, the frontman headed home the rebound.

It looked like it was going to be a long last half hour for the visitors, but they restored their two goal cushion seven minutes later.

A weaving run by Gahgan gave Town territory and although the ball was initially cleared, Turner won it back and played a lofted ball across for Burke, who looped a header over the goalkeeper for 4-2.

That knocked the wind from Clitheroe sails, and gave Town the security to see out the game.

They added icing on the cake in injury time, Burke completing a one-two with debutant Phil Dean and firing in a second.

Clitheroe: Woodhead, Heywood (Benjamin), Barski (Steele), Bonaminio, Brady, Garner, Harries, Dent, Goncalves, Willoughby (Bakkor), Walker.

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