WARRINGTON Town crashed to an embarrassing 1-4 home defeat to basement
club Garforth Town, who deservedly secured their first win of the season.
Looking to bounce back from their 5-0 Cheshire Cup drubbing in midweek, Warrington were again out of sorts and looked more like a team at the foot of the table as Garforth exposed them with pace and direct football.
Town manager Shaun Reid (pictured right) introduced
debutants Ben Say and Andy Graham, both recently signed from Stockport County
into the starting line up after the poor cup defeat by Runcorn in midweek. 
The
visitors immediately took the game to Town, and should have taken the lead
within the first 60 seconds, striker Mbalanda Brett being played through before
rounding Town keeper Andy Robertson, only to shoot into the side netting.
After
the early scare, Town came into the game and almost took the lead in the 8th
minute, winger Luke Holden, seeing his cross cum shot strike the Garforth cross
bar, with keeper Chris Senior backpedalling. Allan Collins was to go close a
minute later, his diving header going narrowly over the bar.
The visitors took
the lead in the 15th minute, a ball into the Warrington penalty area was
misjudged by keeper Robertson, and allowed winger Myles Smith to roll the ball
into the unguarded net.
The visitors now had their tails up and ten minutes
later, they increased their lead, winger Fernando Moke was played through, and
paused before shooting past Robertson and into the net. Manager Shaun Reid
reacted to this by introducing Adam Flynn into defence and changing their
formation. Despite this change, it was soon 3-0 to the visitors, Brett chasing
down a throughball and poking home before Robertson could get there. Town went
close to opening their account shortly before the interval, Holden seeing
his curling free kick well saved by Senior.
The second half began with another substitute, John Miles replacing Graham, as
Reid looked to freshen up his attacking options, and it was Collins who
went close early on, seeing his curling effort saved by Senior.
Twelve minutes
into the half and the visitors increased their lead, striker Dan Sherife
meeting a cross by Smith, looping a glancing header beyond Robertson and into
the net. As often happens, when a team are well behind, Town began to play
their best football of the afternoon, with Mark Beesley (pictured top) being influential in
it, initially shooting too close to Senior, before seeing his shot on the turn
strike the upright and rebound to safety. With 10 minutes left, Town suffered a
blow, captain Peter Dogan being forced to leave the field with a suspected
dislocated shoulder, leaving Town to play with only ten men for the remainer of
the game. With two minutes of the ninety left, Town pulled a goal back. Adam Flynn
seeing his deflected shot wrong foot Senior and find the net, after James
McCarten saw his earlier header cleared off the line by Garforth defender Shaun
O’Neill.
There was still time for Town to go close twice more, Beesley shooting
straight at Senior before the same player saw his shot from the edge of the
penalty area go just the wrong side of the upright.
Allan Collins takes on the Garforth defence
Peter Dogan is led from the field with another dislocated shoulder
Town: Robertson, Ben Say (D), Davies, Dogan (c), McCarten, Doran (Flynn, 29),
Reid, Beesley, Collins (Ruane, 70), Andy Graham (d) (Miles, 50), Holden, subs
not used: Mooney, Gratton
