WARRINGTON Town returned to action after an enforced 10 day break with no fixtures and slipped to a poor 2-1 defeat against a hard working Burscough outfit at Cantilever Park.
It was the visitors who started brightest, and hit the front with their first chance of the game, prolific striker Niall Cummings finding the net after Town’s goalkeeper could only parry a shot from Cumming’s strike partner Connor Roberts.
Town struggled to get into the game, and the visitors went close to adding to their lead soon after, midfielder Liam Caddick lobbed over when well placed. As the half progressed, Town began to get a foothold in the game, firstly midfielder Phil Mooney shot wide from the edge of the penalty area, before winger Andy Fowler (pictured bottom) went close to equalising for Town, seeing his shot on the turn go narrowly wide of the far post.
The best chance of the half for Town to equalise fell to ex Liverpool startlet Jon Newby (pictured right) who shot over at full length after good work by his colleague Ciaran Kilheeney. As the half wore on, Town began to dominate proceedings without really testing Tim Horan in the Burscough goal, Fowler, David Mannix and Kilheeney all had good chances to equalise, but none were able to test the reflexes of Horan, Kilheeney (pictured top)going the closest, his header going narrowly the wrong side of the upright
Within a minute of the start of the second and Town managed to find an equaliser, Newby being played through, to poke home beyond the on-rushing Horan and into the empty net. Town now looked to take the game to their opposition, Kilheeney was next to go close, getting on the end of of a fine team move, only to see his shot deflected wide of the upright. This was the start of Town’s best spell of pressure, but a mixture of poor finishing and some resolute defending from the men in green kept the scores level at 1-1. Despite their dominance, Town fell behind just after the hour, a counter attack ended when Cummings went over Town keeper Chris Dibble in the box, and despite their being little or no contact, referee Mr Clayton pointed to the spot, surprisingly failing to show the Town stopper a card of any colour. Cummings it was who dusted himself down, to dispatch the penalty beyond Dibble.
Just over 10 minutes later, and Town were given a way back into the game, when Burscough centre half, Liam Duff was shown a straight red after hauling down Kilheeney just outside of the penalty area. Despite having a man advantage, Town once again failed to trouble Horan, as some resolute defending and poor passes gave the visitors the chance to increase their lead, substitute Darren Brookfield picking up on a mistake from Town defender Darren Kinsey, only to shoot high and wide from ten yards when through on Dibble’s goal. The same player forced Dibble to save again with two minutes left.
Deep into the five minutes of injury time, Town had a great chance of snatching a somewhat undeserved equaliser, Mannix finding a yard of space at the far post, only to see his shot go tamely wide of the Burscough upright.
Town: Dibble, Kerr, Kinsey, Parle, Dogan (c) (Miles, 90), McCarten, Mooney (Davies, 62), Newby, Kilheeney, Mannix, Fowler (Ruane, 54), subs not used: Coulter, Doran
