GOALKEEPER Karl Wills was the hero as Warrington Town held on for three precious points in a 1-0 win at home to Brighouse Town.
Wills stood big to deny the dangerous Izaac Baldwin twice in the dying stages as the hosts held on to get their chase for a play-off spot back on track.
Warrington captain David Mannix (pictured below) struck the decisive goal in the first half, direct from a free kick from at least 35 yards out which caught the goalkeeper in no mans land inside his box.
That goal came on 11 minutes after Warrington had made a lively start, looking to bounce back from Saturday’s disappointing defeat at home to Mossley.
Ben Wharton hit one with the outside of his right foot that goalkeeper Jordan Porter did well to tip wide of his left hand post, and Wharton was thwarted again minutes later when his low volley was smartly stopped.
After Mannix’s goal gave Warrington the lead, Brighouse had the better of the first half. Long striding midfielder Kurt Harris beat the offside trap, only for his final touch to enable Karl Wills to get out quick and make the shooting opportunity more difficult, the resulting lob cleared away by Gerard Kinsella.
The closest the visitors came was when striker Ernest Baofo cut in from the left and let fly with a vicious swerving shot that had Wills, and the bar, beaten.
In a rare foray up the other end, Mannix took on the ball from a quick throw and found Scott Metcalfe, who hammered a shot over the bar.
The second half never really got going and it took a penalty shout just after the hour to liven things up – Wharton seemingly bundled to the ground by Porter as they both chased a loose ball, with the referee waving away the home side’s appeals.
Wharton almost caught Porter out at his near post shortly after, getting away a first time shot from a tight angle having collected a quick throw by Lewis Field.
As the game entered its final quarter, Brighouse started throwing more bodies forward. A rasping shot by Baldwin stung Wills’ fingertips and a scramble in the box from a corner resulted in the ball flashing just wide of Wills’ right hand post.
With Craig Robinson and James McCarten standing firm in the middle, Brighouse’s best chance of finding space was at wide, and Baldwin should have done better when released down the right, sliding his shot wide of the far post.
But the two best chances came as the game entered stoppage time. Baldwin was found in acres of space inside the box, steadied himself only to be denied by Wills’ outstretched left hand, and the rebound was headed away by Field.
The late pressure ultimately came to nothing, as Warrington held on for a vital win which edges them within seven points of the play-off places.
Warrington: Wills, Field, Hardwick, Mannix, McCarten, Robinson, Kinsella (Gahgan), Burke, Wharton, Collins (Tames), Metcalfe. Unused subs: Corrigan, Turner, Astbury.
Brighouse: Porter, Field (Stor), Vinten, Gay, Wilson, Hurtley, Baldwin, Harris, Boafo, Law, Tolley (Thornton). Unused subs: Quinn, Scott, Brown.
