WARRINGTON Town travelled to lower league Winterton Rangers and produced a flat, lifeless performance to be dumped out of the 2008-09 FA Cup 4-2 in the first qualifying round.
Winterton, who play a league below Warrington in the Northern Counties Eastern League but had dispatched of fellow Unibond outfit Radcliffe in the previous qualifying round, were on top from the off, with striker Danny Clarke first to go close, but his shot went high and wide. 
Soon goalkeeper Ritchie Mottram was called into action, to produce the first of a number of fine saves to deny the home side, when he was forced to tip the ball over whilst under pressure.
Town’s first chance of the game fell to Anthony Daniels, whose header from Danny Toone’s cross went narrowly wide of the target.
Mottram was soon back in action to deny the home side once again and it was no surprise when Winterton took the lead, when midfielder Andy Holt was allowed an unmarked header from six yards. The home side continued to press on looking for a second goal, but were again denied by Mottram on more than one occasion.
The second half was when the game sprang into life, when within two minutes of the restart, Billy Webb headed a Scott Williams cross against the upright, and saw the rebound scrambled away. Within four minutes, Town were level, when Franny Smith’s curling free kick went in off the inside of the post.
Within five minutes Town, having equalised, were two goals down, firstly centre half Matt Plant blasted home after a
scramble in the Town penalty area, then Holt, was allowed to run free and slam an angled drive beyond Mottram into the corner of the net.
The introduction of Carl Rendell gave Town some fresh impetus, and within six minutes, he had got them back into the game, when he and Billy Webb forced a mistake from Plant, and despite a slip, blasted into the roof of the net.
Town began to press forward looking for an equaliser, but fell two goals behind once again, when Holt was allowed to complete his hat trick when he poked home beyond Mottram.
The final substitution of the game, saw manager Paul Moore bring himself off the bench to get a taste of FA Cup action for Town!
Town: Mottram,
Smith, Toone, Farrell (C), Fitzsimmons (Moore P (D), 87), Holme, Towey,
Daniels (Rendell, 64), Webb, Hadland (Davies, 81), Williams. Sub not used: Lynch
Pictures show (from top) Carl Rendell scoring, manager Paul Moore and Billy Webb heading against the post with just the keeper to beat.
