WARRINGTON Town needed extra time to see off lower league Cheadle Town
to progress to the quarter-finals of the Cheshire Cup as they edged a
nine goal thriller 5-4 at Cantilever Park last night.
Town made a number of changes from Saturday’s league victory
against Ossett Albion, introducing youngsters Josh Kavanagh, making his
competitive debut for Town, and George Emson, making only his second start for
the club, into the starting line up.
Neither side started particularly
impressively, with Jamie Henders shot into the side netting the closest either
side came early on. The first goal of a crazy first half, came in the 11th
minute, when Cheadle midfielder Arron Riley was given space to shoot home beyond
Chris Oldfield. The visitors lead lasted barely two minutes before Cheadle
defender Paul Walley sliced Liam Shipton’s dangerous looking cross beyond his
keeper and into his own net. Within a minute, Town took the lead for the first
time, Jamie Henders rounding keeper Joey Kavanagh, after good work by the
recalled Chris Gahgan and slotted home into the empty net.
Cheadle equalised on
seventeen minutes, once again Riley got on the end of a teasing cross to beat
Oldfield to level up the scores.
With the game evenly poised at 2-2, Town once
again took the lead six minutes later, striker Lee Madin, (pictured) beating the offside
trap to lob home beyond Kavanagh, and into the net. Within a minute, Town went
further ahead, Chris Gahgan slotting home at the second attempt, after seeing
his penalty saved by Kavanagh, but reacting fastest to the rebound.
Even with
the score at 4-2, there was still to be another goal, and it went the way of the
visitors, winger Ben Brookes slotting home from the penalty spot, sending
Oldfield the wrong way. There was still time for each side to go close before
half time, but neither side could add to the previous seven goals.
As with
many other games in a similar situation, the second half was tame by comparison,
with chances at a premium early on, the only real chance falling to Madin, who
despite rounding Kavanagh, saw his shot blocked by defender Warren Gaskin on the
line, before Cheadle midfielder Andrew Lindon forced Oldfield into a fine low
save at his near post.
Midway through the half, Town twice went close to adding
to their score and sewing up the game, but on both occasions, they were denied
by the woodwork. The first chance fell to River Humphreys who saw his half
volley smack back off the crossbar, before less than a minute later, Jamie
Henders saw his header strike the underside of the bar, only to see Kavanagh
smother his follow up at close range.
A one goal lead was always precarious, and
with less than two minutes left the visitors found a goal to take the game into
extra time, substitute Arron Carroll seeing his effort deflected and looping
over a full length Oldfield, who was powerless to keep the ball out of the net.
There was still time for Oldfield to produce a fine save to keep Town in the
competition and to take the game into extra time.
Like the second half,
chances in the first period of extra time, were very few and far between,
Oldfield coming out smartly to deny the visitors before central defender Mike
Duffy saw his towering header blocked on the line by Gaskin, and Madin saw his
free kick tipped over the crossbar.
The second period of extra time once again
saw few clear cut chances as the players visibly tired and just as the lottery
of penalties loomed, Town found a winning goal, Lee Madin latched onto a long
clearance, only to be sandwiched by the two retreating defenders and referee Mr
Cunliffe pointed to the spot. Substitute Chris Thompson coolly slotting home the
penalty to the relief of the majority of the crowd within Cantilever
Park.
Recalled Chris Gahgan takes on the Cheadle defence
Chris Gahgan scores at the second attempt after seeing his penalty saved
Town: Oldfield, Josh Kavanagh (D) (Collins, 78), Emson (Matthew
Cook, 81 (D), Humphreys (c), Duffy, Hamid, Shipton, Jackson, Madin, Henders
(Thompson, 90), Gahgan, subs not used: Brown, Scott Bakkor.
