WARRINGTON Town marched into the 1st qualifying round of the F.A Cup as
they over turned an early goal to beat Barton Old Boy’s from the
Northern Counties East 1st division 4-1with Scott Metcalfe grabbing a hat-trick – with two from the penalty spot.
The lower league visitors started well in the preliminary round tie and had a couple of early chances before taking the lead after Warrington’s Tom Hardwick was adjudged to have brought down Scott Philips in the box on 17 minutes.
Philips got to his feet and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors a deserved lead.
But Warrington responded and within a minute of the re-start skipper David Mannix forced a flying save out of Barton keeper Ben White.
Mannix also had the next chance when his long range effort went wide on 28 minutes.
Warrington started to take control of the game and two quick corners exerted more pressure on the visitors with Ben Wharton heading wide on 30 minutes.
The pressure eventually told when Wharton slotted the ball through for the lively Anthony Hickey who was brought down in the box. Up stepped Scott Metcalfe to fire the ball into the back on the net and level the scores on 40 minutes.
Within a minute Metcalfe was celebrating his second as he calmly lobbed the keeper to make it 2-1. But Hickey was injured in the build up and had to be carried off with a knee injury to be replaced by Chris Gahgan.
Just before the break Metcalfe and Louis Corrigan both found themselves in the referees book alongside Conor Roberts who went int he book for a high challenge. Metcalfe joined him for not being 10 yards at a free kick and Corrigan for dissent.
After the break Barton started lively forcing Wills to save smartly with his knees on 47 minutes.
On 64 minutes Corrigan fired across the box but no one could turn it into the net but on 74 minutes Wharton was brought down in the box allowing Metcalfe (pictured right) to complete his hat-trick to make it 3-1.
Ten minutes from time Warrington made sure of a home tie with near neighbours Trafford in a fortnight’s time when substitute Gahgan latched onto a Doughty cross to make it 4-1.
