WARRINGTON Town suffered only their second defeat in nine league outings as they lost 2-0 to play-off rivals Spennymoor Town.
The men from the North East are favourites to go up through the play-offs, and they showed their strength with two Glen Taylor goals securing victory.
For Warrington, while it damages their play-off hopes, the season is far from over as the race for the top five promises to go to the wire.
Spennymoor flexed their muscles early on and had much of the early play, creating a few half chances from set pieces.
The Yellows had already had one warning on 10 minutes when a Taylor header was cleared off the line by Mitch Duggan.
But five minutes later, Taylor went one better and found the back of the net, Robert Ramshaw getting to the byline on the right and pitching up a perfect cross that Taylor guided in to the far corner.
Spennymoor had the momentum and almost made it two moments later when Mark Anderson’s run and cross from the left resulted in James McCarten diverting just wide of his own goal.
But as has been the case in their resurgent run of form, the Yellows fought their way back in to the game.
A bouncing ball fell kindly for Dylan Vassallo, who struck it well left footed and it bounced awkwardly for the goalkeeper and fell just wide.
Vassallo then fed Ruben Jerome and his left foot shot was well saved by Daniel Lowson low to his right, before Scott Bakkor dragged a shot wide after Jerome and Josh Askew had linked up with a one-two on the edge of the box.
The Yellows ended the half with another chance for Vassallo, his shot going just wide of Lowson’s left hand post, and the visitors took a 1-0 lead in to half time.
Within minutes of the restart, they had taken a significant step to the three points with a second goal, nicely worked from the left hand side and the ball came across for Taylor who took it well with a right foot shot on the half volley.
Warrington probed throughout the second half, though Spennymoor always looked stronger.
Michael Monaghan had a golden opportunity on the hour mark as a poor header fell straight to his feet in the box, but he could only fire straight at Lowson.
Jamie Chandler could have made the game safe on two occasions for Spennymoor, first shooting over following a scuffed Tony McMillan clearance, and then firing straight at the keeper when put through.
Sean Williams’ cross field ball released Lewis Codling down the right hand side and his low cross was cleared with Monaghan ready to pounce.
From the resulting corner, taken by Vassallo, Evan Gumbs headed in to the ground and it bounced up off the crossbar and out.
Time was running against Warrington, and when McCarten’s instinctive strike from the edge was deflected wide on 82 minutes, it looked like it would be too tall of an order for the Yellows.
And so it proved as Spennymoor jump above Warrington in the table.
Warrington are next in action on Saturday when they travel to Barwell.
Warrington Town: McMillan, Duggan, Askew, Ventre, McCarten, Gumbs, Bakkor (Codling), Williams, Jerome (Sherlock), Monaghan (Shaw), Vassallo. Unused subs: Carden, Smart.
Spennymoor Town: Lowson, Griffiths, Mason, Chandler, Baldwin, Curtis, Ramshaw, Henry, Taylor, Armstrong (Dowson), Anderson (Johnson). Unused subs: Tate, Mitchell, Smith.
