WARRINGTON Town’s unbeaten start to the season came to an end with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Ashton United.
A dour game was brightened up by a sensational strike by John Pritchard which ultimately decided the game.
He fired home in to the top corner with a blistering left-footed shot from the best part of 30 yards on the half hour mark, and the Yellows couldn’t fight back.
It was a game of few chances and in truth, the best Warrington could muster came prior to half time.
Ashton ‘keeper David Carnell went down for treatment and spent the last 20 minutes of the first half hobbling around his box, but was on hand twice to deny the hosts.
First, he beat away a powerful drive by Josh Hine, who probably had more time than he thought, and then Carnell got down low to his right to stop Joe Mwasile’s shot creeping in his near post.
The Yellows, who were forced in to two changes to the starting line-up in the absence of midfield pair Sean Williams and Liam Hynes, never really got going against a resolute Ashton side.
The visitors did a stern job of protecting their lead in the second half, and save for conceding a handful of set pieces in dangerous areas, were never really threatened.
Even a debut for Aboubacar Sanogo, signed in the off-season, failed to inspire a response from the Yellows, who slip to their first league defeat of the season having earned seven points from the first three games.
Warrington are at home again on Saturday, against Matlock Town, before a trip to Marine on Bank Holiday Monday.
Warrington Town: McMillan, Richards, McKeown, Goulding (Hughes), McCarten, Baker, Hine, Barnes, Jerome (Sanogo), Gray, Mwasile (Vassallo). Unused subs: Carden, Kinsella.
Ashton United: Carnell, Olapade, Coo, Granite, Chalmers, Roberts, Platt, Tomsett, Pilkington (Chadwick), Pritchard, Dyche. Unused subs: Durnin, Woodford, Banim.
Pictures John Hopkins
