Final warm up game ends in defeat

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WARRINGTON Town’s final pre-season game ended in a 1-0 defeat to a young and energetic Blackburn Rovers outfit in this hastily arranged fixture.
Town, who started with what many in attendance believe will be close to the starting line up for the first league game against Ossett Town this Saturday,kick off 3pm, began slowly, with the visitors immediately going onto the offensive, and indeed, they should have taken the lead in only the fourth minute, when livewire winger Osayamen Osawe
got onto the end of some fantastic build up play, only to see his shot go high over the bar from eight yards out.
It was the same player who went close soon afterwards, cutting in from the left flank, before dragging his shot narrowly the wrong side of Adam Judge’s upright.
It was the visitors creating most of the chances, and striker Jamie McLaren saw his shot from the edge of the penalty deflected wide.
The visitors hit the front in the 38th minute, after Town midfielder Phil Davies was adjudged to have brought down McLaren in the box, and strike partner John O’Sullivan stepped up to send Judge the wrong way from the penalty spot.
At half time, Town manager Shaun Reid, freshened things up, making a raft of substitutions, introducing a number of players into the fray, including former Wrexham, Rochdale and Cambridge City striker Lee McEvilly and former Rochdale and Macclesfield Town striker Kevin Townson, and it was this duo who looked most like getting Town back into the game, combining well on a number of occasions throughout the half.
The first chance of the half fell to Blackburn’s McLaren, who shot across the face of Judge’s goal from a narrow angle, before midfield substitute Carl McKenna got onto the end of a knock down by McEvilly, only to see his shot go narrowly over the bar from twelve yards, with substitute keeper Chris Dilo well beaten. This was as close as
Town were going to go to finding an equaliser, against a Blackburn side who defended very resolutely. Town were indebted to Judge shortly afterwards for producing a fine low save to deny Blackburn midfielder Raheem Hanley and to keep the deficit to only one goal.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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  1. Given the gap between the two clubs, Town acquitted themselves well. The defence was strong and in the second half several chances went begging and with a little more control Town could have won the game.

    I think the Ossett game will be a little easier.

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