PICTURES: JOHN HOPKINS
THE glorious spring weather was just about all Warrington Town had to shout about as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Ossett Albion.
With the Doodson Sport Cup final around the corner, and also a hotly-anticipated fixture against title-chasing Darlington on Tuesday, boss Shaun Reid shuffled his pack and they struggled to impose themselves on Ossett, who climbed up to 17th in the table with the three points.
Town’s afternoon was perhaps best summed up by an uncharacteristic penalty miss by top scorer Scott Metcalfe, (pictured top and right) who had been introduced as a half time substitute, at 2-0.
Striker Anthony Hickey was handed only his second start of an injury-hit season, and his first since August having scored the equaliser against Scarborough in midweek, and he had a glimpse of goal inside the first 10 minutes, not realising how much room he had in the box and snatching at the chance.
A lovely turn by Chris Gahgan saw him get inside the box and his deflected shot was pushed wide the ‘keeper. From the resulting corner, Louis Corrigan whistled a half volley just past the right post.
Ben Wharton then gathered a long Karl Wills kick and hammered a rising shot over the bar, and for the first quarter of an hour, a Town goal looked likely.
It never came, though, and having worked their way back in to the match, took the lead on 34 minutes, as striker Adam Muller got across his man in the box to steer the ball home from a left-wing cross.
After then, Albion controlled large parts of the game, with Town unable to create anything of note, despite the introduction of Metcalfe and Phil Bannister at the break, in place of Chris Gahgan and captain David Mannix.
The visitors then looked to have made the points safe when an unmarked Connor Brunt headed past Wills for 2-0.
Town were handed a lifeline on 79 minutes when hard-working Stephen Tames got a touch on the ball in front of a defender and was brought down in the box, enabling the usually unflappable Metcalfe to step up to reduce arrears, but he dragged his penalty wide of the keeper’s left hand post.
Albion rubbed salt in the wounds five minutes later, as Town failed to clear and Aaron Matthews managed to squeeze it wide of Wills from close range to make it three.
Town could have grabbed a consolation at the death, as Tames stood up a cross at the back post for Metcalfe, but he headed against the post.
The league title could be won at Warrington on Tuesday night – if Darlington fail to beat Town, it will mean Salford City are champions.
Warrington: Wills, Turner, Corrigan, Beattie, Hardwick (McCarten), Robinson, Tames, Mannix (Bannister), Wharton, Hickey, Gahgan (Metcalfe). Unused subs: Hayes, Bibby.
Ossett Albion: Souter, Nicholson, Hardaker, Harrison (Riordan), Clayton, Jones (Walker), Brunt, Sharray, Muller, Bower, Matthews. Unused subs: Reece, Paylor, Grech-Brooksbank.
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