WARRINGTON Town continued their recent run of fine form with a 2-1 victory over Salford City at Cantilever Park – completing a Warrington double over their rivals on the football and rugby pitches.
Goals from Jon Newby and Phil Mooney rendered a second half Adrian Bellamy header a mere consolation for the visitors as Town followed up the Wolves’ success 24 hours earlier.
The opening exchanges saw Warrington run the show.
David Mannix tested Ritchie Branagan’s alertness in the Salford goal with a 25 yard drive after two minutes but Warrington’s earliest real opportunity came 16 minutes later. Jay McCarten’s long ball evaded the visitor’s defence and Ash Ruane poked the ball across goal only for debutant Liam Dawson to fail to reach far enough in order to stab into an open goal.
Warrington’s threat soon led to the opener eight minutes later and this time Dawson was the architect.
Mannix found the former Prescot Cables forward on the flank and he beat his man to drill a shot goalwards. Branagan was equal to it but could only parry into the path of Newby who duly tapped home from a yard out – in reality, he couldn’t miss.
Warrington kept pushing to add to their lead but the more they probed, the stronger Salford got on the counter. Rob Kinsella jinxed inside Peter Dogan and slid the ball across the box for Nathan Taylor but the retreating Nat Kerr pulled off a goal saving tackle to prevent Taylor stroking the ball home to level.
Another debutant, goal keeper Christian Dibble (Pictured right) saved at the feet of Adrian Bellamy after Chris Thompson’s free kick but the final chance of the half fell at the feet of Dawson. He volleyed Ash Ruane’s cross past Branagan from 17 yards only for the linesman’s raised flag to deny him a deserved debut goal.
The second half followed much of a similar pattern with Warrington dictating proceedings and twelve minutes in, they doubled their advantage. Liam Dawson attempted to round Branagan when one on one but the keeper stuck out a strong hand to deny him; Phil Mooney – who can’t seem to do anything wrong at the minute – made it three in three by picking up possession, rounding a grounded Salford centre half and tapped into an empty net.
Salford started to create chances but the Yellows adapted and looked threatening on the counter after the introductions of Andy Fowler and Ciaran Kilheeney. The latter fed Dawson eye to eye with Branagan once again but the presence of centre half Bellamy breathing down his neck was enough for Dawson to miscue his shot which Branagan parried wide.
Dawson’s impressive debut again saw him in the thick of the action nine minutes later. He rounded the keeper and slid the ball across the face of goal before Kilheeney tapped home, only for him to realise the linesman had had his flag
raised for a good 30 seconds before it had come to the referee’s attention – the second disallowed Warrington strike.
Adrian Bellamy popped up to nod past Dibble with thirteen minutes remaining and McCarten threw himself in front of a Chris Monaghan volley to prevent a late leveller. Aerial bombardment ensued for the home side, leaving home fans nerves jangling. In the end, the hosts stood firm and resisted to earn a vital three points in the hunt for a play off place.
Top picture shows Darren Kinsey making his return debut.
Players observed a minutes silence in memory of the 20th anniversary of the Warrington bombing
Goal scorer Jon Newby
Warrington: Dibble, Kerr, Kinsey, Parle, Dogan (C), McCarten, Mooney, Newby (Kilheeney 60), Dawson, Mannix, Ruane (Fowler 55)
Subs not used: Coulter, West, Doran.
