Warrington Town held at Lancaster

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WARRINGTON Town were forced to settle for a point in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Lancaster City on Tuesday night.
Although the result marks an improvement on last season, when Town lost both home and away to the Dolly Blues, they will have been disappointed not to have made more of their chances, with Shaun Reid’s front-line once again failing to find the net.
A brilliant solo goal by Scott Metcalfe (pictured top) had fired Town in to an 11th minute lead. He picked up the ball in midfield after Town had pressured their opponents in to losing possession, took on his man on the outside and then fired a low left footed shot in to the far corner.
Warrington’s eagerness to press in midfield limited Lancaster in the opening quarter, although the visitors got a warning on 23 minutes when Tom Kilifin almost stole in after Tom Hardwick and Matt Doughty put each other under pressure at the back.
Doughty, who would go on to be replaced by Chris Gahgan on the half hour mark, was struggling with a knock and Lancaster looked most threatening down their right hand side with Ryan Winder twice putting dangerous balls in the box that came to nothing.
Gahgan had a penalty shout turned down moments after coming on, with claims for handball waved away as he tried to release Steve Foster.
Foster, making his first start for the club, had the ball in the net on 32 minutes, finishing well from a short Wharton through ball, but for the second consecutive game was denied by a linesman’s offside flag.
By now the game was opening up. Karl Wills pulled off the first of a number of fine saves, denying Kilifin from inside the box, and then at the other end, Wharton had a header from a Foster right-wing cross well saved by Lancaster stopper Mike Hale.
With just five minutes to go before the break, Lancaster restored parity. Having gradually built pressure from numerous set pieces, Lancaster took advantage, with striker Kilifin pouncing on the rebound after Wills had saved a spectacular 25-yard half-volley from Winder.
In the second half, the game soon adopted an end-to-end feel. Gahgan should have done better when he was granted with space and time in the box, but saw his right foot shot curl away from the far post, and then Metcalfe was close to bringing down a Foster through ball.
Town were grateful to ‘keeper Wills at the other end on a number of occasions too, nonemoreso than when he got down to save an Aaron Taylor shot and then tipped the rebound on to the post.
A goal still eluded hard-working striker Wharton (pictured right), who was replaced by Ash Ruane on 85 minutes, and the substitute almost had an immediate impact, causing havoc in the defence and setting up a chance for Foster, who was denied by the goalkeeper, before Ruane (pictured below) was shut down quickly on the rebound.
Lancaster almost snatched it at the death when Taylor crashed a header against the crossbar after Town had been sloppy in midfield, but as it was, a draw was probably the fair result.

Lancaster: Hale, Bailey, Elderton, Hudson, Marshall, Hunter, Winder, Akrigg, Kilifin, Taylor, Dodgson (Clark). Unused subs: Woods, Birch, Davis, Donlon.
Warrington: Wills, Shinks (Davies), Doughty (Gahgan), Mannix, McCarten, Hardwick, Corrigan, Roberts, Wharton (Ruane), Foster, Metcalfe. Unused subs: Collins, Jones.


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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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