Warrington Town 2 Rossendale United 0
TOWN entertained Rossendale for the second time in as many games on Tuesday, having beaten them 3-2 in the FA Trophy ten days earlier.
The game marked the debut of Matthew Elder who had just signed from Cymru Alliance club Buckley Town after spending the past five seasons on Everton’s books.
The first half was one of limited long range shots.The first chance fell to Karl Robinson following a good passing move but the shot was blocked and proved no true threat. Then Chris Moores had a shot saved after Rossendale lost possession when clearing their lines. David Foy tried his luck shortly afterwards with a long range shot following a corner. Chris Moores tested the fingers of Lee Bracey moments later with a drilled shot from the edge of the penalty area. A further Rossendale corner after 21 minutes again found Foy but this time his shot was blocked by the covering Town defence.
Then Rossy’s Mark Redshaw cleverly created space when cutting left across the edge of the penalty area to make an opening for a shot, but pulled his shot wide of the right hand post. As the half promised to conclude goalless Phil Mitchell came close from a free kick with Redshaw also missing the target with a shot. The best chance of the half fell to Rossendale’s captain Kelvin Brown. A corner was put in and met with the head of Brown but from a great position his downward header was put beyond the right hand post.
The second half’s first chance fell to Rossendale’s Mark Drew but Danny Morton was up to the task and saved the shot well. The breakthrough came on fifty one minutes and was a move of some quality. Chris Moores collected the ball out of defence. A superb cross field ball split the Rossendale defence. Phil Mitchell collected it in his stride and after one touch shot over the advancing Bracey and into the far corner. Town almost gifted Rossendale an equaliser within a few minutes. A Rossendale cross saw an attempted clearance by Colin McAllister sliced goalwards forcing Danny Morton to palm the ball round the post at full stretch. From the resultant corner Adam Cook shot wide. By this stage the game was flowing from end to end and following another such break Steve Smith shot wide. There was then another anxious moment for Town at the back. Collin McAllister attempted to clear a right wing cross close to the far post. His first attempt resulted in the ball popping up and between boot and post was scrambled away at the second attempt.
Town’s second and decisive goal came on seventy six minutes. A run down the left saw the ball crossed to Steve Smith at the far post. With some precision he laid the ball back to Karl Robinson who drilled the ball goalwards. It struck the underside of the bar, bounced down and in so doing hit the beaten keepers back and dropped into the net. Danny Morton was forced to make a couple of good saves in the closing stages, the first from the head of Rossy’s Mark Redshaw and the second from a low drive by substitute Phil Eastwood. Town were always in control from this point and deservedly ran out winners to progress to the third round, whence all the Premier Division clubs join the fray. The draw has not yet been made for round three.
Town: Morton, McAllister, Fitzsimmons ©, Elder, Coyne, Robinson, S Smith, Ellison, Moores, P Mitchell (G Mitchell), Hannon.
Subs not used: Salt, Thomas
