Town march on in FA Cup

WARRINGTON Town kept up their hopes of reaching the FA Cup first round proper for the first time in their history with a dramatic 1-0 win over Colwyn Bay.
After Chris Gahgan’s injury-time equaliser on Saturday forced a replay, the score was still goalless when the floodlights went out at Cantilever Park on 74 minutes, but after a short stoppage, the light returned and the home side snatched it through Nathan Burke’s (pictured right) winner.
It sets up a home clash with another Conference North side, North Ferriby United, on Saturday October 25 in the fourth qualifying round – just one win off the 1st Round Proper.
Warrington had been good value for the stalemate before the stoppage, despite making a slow start.
The visitors had the first chance of the game, when Obi Anoruo strode through on goal and lobbed his shot over the bar.
But having seen out the first quarter, Town started to create chances of their own.
A low free-kick from David Mannix caused the Colwyn Bay defence problems, and Craig Robinson got a left foot to it and guided the ball just wide.
Mannix then forced former Town ‘keeper Josh Ollerenshaw to tip a shot over the bar.
The best chance of the half fell to Steve Foster, who ran on to Ben Wharton’s flicked header, and fired over the bar, a missed chance that many thought Town would live to regret.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Colwyn Bay creating early chances through Wes Baynes, who twice forced Karl Wills to make a save, before an outstanding Robinson tackle denied Anoruo on the counter attack.
Town had their best chance just before the lights went out, when substitute Ash Ruane sprang the offside trap and put a ball in across the box, that Burke couldn’t quite get on the end of.
After a 20 minute stoppage with the lights out, play resumed and Town scored the winner on 81 minutes.
Wharton did well close to the byline and pulled the ball back for Burke inside the box, and the former Liverpool academy player controlled the ball, composed himself and slotted the ball home for his first goal for the club, to the delight of the 284-strong crowd.
That gave Town something to hold on to, and they were indebted to goalkeeper Wills who tipped a sliced clearance wide of the post.
As it turned out, that was the closest the visitors came, and to the delight of most of the crowd, Warrington progressed to the fourth qualifying round for only the second time in the club’s history.

Nathan Burke turns away in delight after scoring the crucial goal.

Warrington: Wills, Davies, Field, Mannix, McCarten, Robinson, Doughty (Booth), Burke, Wharton, Foster (Ruane), Roberts. Unused subs: West, Corrigan, Gahgan, Collins.
Colwyn Bay: Ollerenshaw, Bembo-Leta, Buckley (Hodgson), Royle, Stevens, Noone, Mendez (Haywood), Anoruo, Hopley, Williams, Baynes. Unused subs: Sharpe, Pilliner, Moss, Sinclair.