Pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Town were held to their second stalemate over the Bank Holiday weekend as they played out a 0-0 draw at Bamber Bridge.
The hosts missed a first half penalty in what was a relatively entertaining game that could have been won by either side at the death.
But the Yellows failed to register on the scoresheet for the third time in four games and had to settle for a point.
The injured Jack Dunn joined David Raven and Jack Mackreth on the sidelines, both still waiting for international clearance, while Liam Hynes was also absent.
The game was generally open and it took just three minutes for the first chance, Adam Dodd’s teasing ball from the left headed goalwards by Brad Carsley, with Tony McMillan pulling off a fine save.
Richard Brodie started up front for the Yellows and he was causing a nuisance of himself, first almost charging down a goalkeeper clearance and then nodding down for James Caton, who had a shot blocked.
Although Brodie was winning his fair share of aerial duels, the Yellows just couldn’t get their foot on the second ball, and were perhaps on the wrong side of lady luck on a number of occasions.
One of those moments came on 18 minutes when Kieran Charnock went down in the box off a free kick, the referee judging that Luke George had brought him down when the defender appeared to know very little of Charnock’s presence.
The Yellows were let off the hook though as Dodd tried a cheeky chip from the resulting penalty and it came back off the crossbar, with McMillan and Mitch Duggan scrambling away the rebound.
The hosts had the better of the first half and more good work by Carsley resulted in his cross being diverted wide by Ryan White at the back post.
It took a while for the second half to get going, but the closing quarter provided entertaining fare, as both sides went in search of a winner.
A Dylan Vassallo free-kick was nodded back by Ben Garrity and Brodie headed just wide for what was the Yellows best chance so far, and Brodie again was involved on 67 minutes when he ran at a defender, found Tony Gray and then was inches away from diverting the return in to the net.
The Yellows started to turn the screw as the game entered the final 10 minutes and won a succession of corners. From one, Gray’s near post flick was cleared back to Vassallo and his curling left foot cross from the right came off Adam Hughes and agonisingly wide of the far post.
Gray’s driven free-kick deflected behind off the wall and from the resulting corner, substitute Josh Amis headed just over.
But just as it seemed only one team might win, Brig hit the Yellows on the break and McMillan had to pull off a superb one-handed stop to deny Alistair Waddecar, a menace for the Yellows over the years, and then Hughes got back to block Carsley’s shot on the line.
There was time for an even better chance at the other end in the final minute of normal time, Amis battling to win possession and then centering the ball for Garrity, who took a touch but hesitated for too long and ended up having his shot blocked by onrushing goalkeeper Lloyd Rigby.
Warrington now look forward to a trip to North Ferriby United on Saturday.
Bamber Bridge: Rigby, Wilson (Dawson), Dodd, Lawlor, Charnock, Potts, Waddecar, Forbes, Carsley, Dudley, White (Marlow). Unused subs: Milligan, Tanner, Churchman.
Warrington Town: McMillan, Duggan, Hughes, Garrity, Roberts, George, Beeley, Evans, Brodie (Amis), Caton (Gray), Vassallo. Unused subs: Carden, Speare.
