Town pay the price in cup exit

A WEAKENED Warrington Town side were beaten 2-0 by Ramsbottom United to end their defence of the Doodson Sport Cup at the first hurdle.

Shaun Reid made nine changes from the team that lost to AFC Fylde in the FA Trophy on Saturday, and they were undone twice in the first half by the hosts, who play a league above Town in the football pyramid.

Town’s woes were compounded by a red card for regular starter Nathan Burke, who now faces a three-match ban following his dismissal having entered proceedings as a first half substitute, and injury worries over first team fringe players Ben Wharton and Jack Rudge.

With a big game against high-flying Spennymoor coming up on Saturday, Reid shuffled his pack, meaning a return to the starting line-up for captain Craig Robinson, alongside youngster Niall Ford at centre half.

Wharton lined up with Ben Collins up front, while there were also starts for midfielders Rudge and Chris Lester.

Only Karl Wills and Chris Gahgan remained from the starting line-up from Saturday’s game, though Burke and Alex McQuade both eventually featured off the bench.

It was fourth time lucky for the tie, which had been called off on each of the last three Tuesday nights due to a waterlogged pitch.

But it got off to the worst possible start for the visitors, who fell behind after just 35 seconds when striker Aaron Smith headed home from a left-wing cross.

That would have shot the gameplan to pieces, and Town struggled to impose themselves on the game for the first 25 minutes.

A quick thinking Wills prevented a second goal, the goalkeeper doing enough to put off striker Jordan Bove after he had beaten the offside trap, eventually lifting the ball wide of the far post.

Warrington then had a purple patch for 10 minutes and could have took the lead. First, Gahgan dragged a shot wide, and then Burke, on for Rudge who had limped off with a thigh injury, curled a shot just wide.

Wharton drove the ball across the face of the keeper and wide, and then had a shot deflected wide after picking up Burke’s well taken free-kick at the back post.

But just as the visitors were building momentum, they were hit by a sucker punch at the other end. Collins was outmuscled in midfield by Nia Bayunu, Bove’s shot was well saved by Wills low to his left and Smith outmuscled Danny Hughes to tap in the rebound at the far post.

Wharton did have half a chance to drag Warrington back in the game before half time, until he was clattered by Ramsbottom goalkeeper Grant Shenton, who picked up a yellow card for his troubles. The subsequent knock eventually forced Wharton to limp off early in the second half, to be replaced by Rhys Bowers.

McQuade entered the action for Hughes at half time, though the changes in personnel didn’t do much to alter the pattern of the game.

Bayunu and Liam Gibson at the back for Ramsbottom were making light work of cleaning up any balls forward, despite the efforts of substitute Bowers, who at least managed to provide a few flick ons for Collins.

As time passed, a goal was looking less likely but a further blow was dealt when Burke was shown a straight red for kicking out at Kayde Coppin, which will rule him out of crucial league matches ahead of the Christmas period.

It was the first time Town had lost back-to-back matches since August.

They return to league action on Saturday at home to Spennymoor Town (3pm kick-off)

Ramsbottom United: Shenton, Doyle, Woods, Cliffe, Bayunu, Gibson, Coppin, Crothers (Edghill), Bove (Oates), Smith (Heron), Pritchard. Unused subs: Bromley, Poscha.

Warrington Town: Wills, Turner, Hughes (McQuade), Richards, Robinson, Ford, Lester, Rudge (Burke), Wharton (Bowers), Collins, Gahgan. Unused subs: Brown, Hayes.