VIDEO:DEBUTANT John Shaw turned in a man of the match display as Warrington Town beat Ilkeston 4-1.
The centre half, who arrived this week from Stalybridge Celtic, scored the Yellows’ second after Gerard Kinsella had opened the scoring with a long-range stunner.
Ben Deegan’s tidy third rounded off a fine first half performance for the hosts who bounced back from last week’s FA Cup exit with a second successive home league win.
Ilkeston briefly rallied after the break, pulling one back through the lively Anthony Dwyer, before captain Ciaran Kilheeney made the points safe with a second half header.
The visitors, playing only their fourth league game of the campaign after being suspended due to a breach of the league rules on the eve of the season, started brightly and Karl Wills was out quick to deny Luis Rose on seven minutes.
Kinsella had already had a sight of goal before he opened the scoring on 12 minutes, firing in right footed from range to the delight of the majority of the 333-crowd.
Ilkeston continued to threaten going forward, particularly through Dwyer, who sent a warning shot to the Yellows with a weaving run and effort that Wills scrambled away to his right.
At the other end, Scott Metcalfe drove through the middle and forced a save out of the goalkeeper, and he then turned provider for Warrington’s second goal.
Metcalfe’s inswinging corner caused problems at the front post, and with the ball half cleared, Shaw stretched to fire the ball in to the far corner for a goal on debut.
That dented the visitors’ ambitions and by half-time, they were three goals down. Deegan brought a ball down in the box and as the keeper raced out, the big striker delicately placed the ball under him and it just crossed the line before a defender could recover.
Dwyer provided another reminder of his threat on the stroke of half time with a fierce shot that fell wide, and he finally got the goal his endeavours deserved five minutes in to the second half to give Ilkeston hope.
He was left with time on the edge of the box and keeping the ball active at his feet, he then picked his spot and beat Wills.
Ilkeston had the better of the next 20 minutes of the game, though their main threat came from Dwyer and down the right with Rose.
They couldn’t find the crucial second goal that may have made Warrington nervous, and in the end the hosts made the points safe.
After a couple of breaks came to nothing, Metcalfe finally got away down the left and stood up a ball to the far post which was headed home by Kilheeney for 4-1.
It was only Warrington’s third win of the season, but lifts them up in to ninth position in the league table ahead of next Saturday’s re-arranged trip to Grantham.
Mike Grogan on the break Picture John Hopkins
Danny Ventre slides in Debutant Picture John Hopkins
Debutant John Shaw – Picture John Hopkins
Ben Deegan scores Picture John Hopkins
Warrington Town: Wills, Grogan, Nicholas, Ventre (Winder), McCarten, Shaw, Harries, Kinsella (Rudge), Kilheeney, Deegan, Metcalfe (Codling). Unused subs: O’Donnell, Turner.
Ilkeston: Durrant, Kenworthy, Coleman, Gordon (Morris), Baker (Jones), Foster (Bather), Rose, Goddard, Dwyer, Skelton, Atkinson. Unused subs: Owen, Walters.
