Pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Town continued their fine recent form with a nervy 1-0 win over Marine.
A first half penalty from Jack Mackreth was the difference but Marine provided a stern test to the Yellows’ credentials and they just about had all the answers.
Coming in to the game off six successive clean sheets and four commanding victories, the Yellows were forced back in the early exchanges by Marine, playing their first game under new manager Neil Young.
That said, the best opening in the first five minutes fell to Dylan Vassallo, who sliced wide after Robbie Evans had brought down a cross at the back post.
Dom Reid had the ball in the net for the visitors moments later, lobbing over Tony McMillan, but he had been flagged offside.
McMillan, who was named the Yellows’ player of the month for August, then had to be at his very best to deny former Warrington midfielder Liam Hynes from point blank range after Marine had got in behind down the right.
But it would be the Yellows that broke the deadlock, a tricky run by Vassallo ended up with him going down in the box after a couple of nibbles at his ankle, and Jack Mackreth converted the resulting penalty, despite the best efforts of Martin Fearon in the Marine goal.
Marine could justify an argument that was against the run of play, and they nearly cancelled it out barely 60 seconds later when Kenny Strickland’s corner was headed on to the bar by Chris Doyle.
The hosts eventually settled things down, and it was Josh Amis who had the best opening for the remainder of the half, shooting well wide when he had just one defender to beat on the edge of the box.
Marine started the second half with a similarly high tempo to the first, and McMillan did well to keep hold of a tricky Mitchley shot in the opening minutes of the half.
They would enjoy much of the second half, and as the game entered its final quarter, the Warrington Town goal was leading a charmed life.
A long throw was flicked off a couple of heads and landed on top of the crossbar, before two crucial blocks by Dave Raven denied both Hynes and Mitchley from dangerous positions.
The best chance would fall for Mitchley on 86 minutes when he instinctively hit a loose ball from out wide right with the outside of his foot and it bounced back off the inside of the post.
Warrington would go close late on through Vassallo twice and when Brodie hit the bar, but they would just about hold on, despite losing Brodie to a red card in virtually the last play of the game for a second bookable offence.
Warrington Town: McMillan, Duggan, Carden, Garrity, Roberts, Raven, Mackreth, Beeley, Amis (Brodie), Evans (Dixon), Vassallo. Unused subs: Benjamin, Dunn, George.
Marine: Fearon, Hine, Short (Joyce), Strickland, Shaw, Doyle, Carney, Donaldson (Kinsella), Mitchley, Reid, Hynes (Ready). Unused subs: Davies, Mendes.
