Table topping Town march on

WARRINGTON Town moved nine points clear at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Brighouse Town.

On a night where closest rivals Northwich Victoria lost their manager Jim Gannon to Stockport County, Warrington turned the screw on the team they beat 4-2 on Saturday by stretching their ominous unbeaten run to 11 games.

Second half goals from Ciaran Kilheeney and substitute Joe Holt were enough to earn Town the three points after a sluggish first half performance against a team who hadn’t played in more than a fortnight.

The only incident of note in the opening 20 minutes was a rare sight at this level, a yellow card for simulation to Brighouse captain Leon Henry for going down under a supposed challenge by Nathan Burke on the edge of the box.

The first chance of the half fell to Yellows winger Phil Dean, once again starting on the left ahead of Scott Metcalfe, who forced a save from the ‘keeper at the near post having latched on to Kilheeney’s short ball.

At the other end, Karl Wills had his fingertips warmed by Ryan Hall’s drive, the pacey right winger proving to be Brighouse’s main threat throughout the game.

After a goalless and somewhat uninspiring first half, it was perhaps a shock that the game’s opening goal came just two minutes after the restart.

Ben Deegan headed down Danny Ventre’s deep free kick in to the box, and Kilheeney got the ball down, held off a defender and created space for himself to get a shot away that beat the ‘keeper and found the far corner.

That gave the league leaders something to defend, and Brighouse were largely kept at bay, with only Hall cutting in from the right to drag a left-foot shot wide the best they could do.

Burke almost made it two when he connected well with Liam Turner’s cross from the right, but his side foot volley went over the bar.

The closest Brighouse came was on 79 minutes, Henry getting a cross in from the left that was headed goalwards by Ernest Boafo and cleared off the line by Daniel O’Donnell.

Holt entered proceedings in place of Phil Dean on 80 minutes and three minutes later he struck the decisive second.

Town hit the hosts on the break, Kilheeney drove the ball forward and then sent the ball left, Holt brought it down, cut inside and showed great composure in sliding the ball past the ‘keeper.

It was Town’s 19th win in their last 22 league games, and now moves them nine points ahead of Northwich, who have five games in hand.

Warrington are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to bottom club New Mills.

Brighouse Town: Hallwood, Pollard (Baldwin), Fisher, Field, Hurtley, Hewitt, Hall, Atkinson (Allison), Boafo, Harris, Henry. Unused subs: Hagreen, Wallace, Robinson.

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