WARRINGTON Town continued their run of good form with their fourth consecutive victory following a battling 2-1 victory over New Mills.
Goals either side of half time for Ciaran Kilheeney, from the penalty spot, and Ben Wharton earned Shaun Reid’s men a third league win of the season.
The visitors almost took an early lead in spectacular fashion, when Andrew Graham’s left wing cross was met on the volley by Jamie Rother, and the ball came back out off the underside of the crossbar.
At the other end of the pitch, Graham was being caused problems by Chris Gahgan, and it was Gahgan’s persistence, closing down a clearance, that resulted in Warrington earning a 20th minute penalty through a handball.
Up stepped Kilheeney, and he sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, finding the bottom right hand corner.
Town wasted an opportunity to double their lead soon after when Jack West launched a three on two counter attack, only for the goalkeeper to beat Scott Metcalfe to Kilheeney’s through ball.
New goalkeeper Josh Cook, drafted in to replace Craig Dootson following his departure back to Kendal Town, got his first taste of action on the half hour mark, when he pushed wide Daniel Grimshaw’s deflected free kick.
Town’s other recent recruit, Metcalfe, curled a free kick narrowly over the bar after Gahgan was tripped on the edge of the box, while Wharton had a penalty shout turned down shortly before the break.
New Mills started the second half strongly, and Cook was forced in to his second save of the night, low down to his left from Rother’s right foot drive, with James McCarten’s block diffusing the rebound.
As the visitors grew in confidence, Warrington hit them with a killer blow shortly before the hour, when Graham failed to deal with Craig Robinson’s long ball, and Wharton lashed home from just inside the box for 2-0.
In a game of few clear cut chances, Warrington allowed the Derbyshire side back in to the game when both McCarten and Robinson slipped, allowing Michael Fish to nip in and slot home past Cook.
But unlike the opening home game of the season which saw a 2-1 lead squandered, Warrington were able to close out the game with minimal fuss to earn the three points.
Pictures show (from top) goal scorers Ciaran Kilheeney (left) and Ben Wharton, new signing Scott Metcalfe, the hard working Chris Gahgan and below Skipper and Man of the Match David Mannix, receiving his prize of Sunday Lunch for four at the Devere Village Hotel, from Legends’ Lounge sponsor Carl Palmer from Urban Building Projects.
Warrington: Cook, Davies, Thompson, West (Millington), McCarten, Robinson, Gahgan, Mannix, Wharton (Newby), Kilheeney, Metcalfe. Subs: Millington, Newby, Dogan, Mooney, Dawson.
