Pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Town registered a much needed victory as they eased past Hyde United 4-1.
The Tigers couldn’t contend with the Yellows right hand side, as Shaun Beeley and Jack Mackreth tormented them throughout.
They could even afford for Mackreth to miss a first half penalty as they led 2-1 at the break and then dominated in the second half to maintain their place in the Northern Premier League play-offs.
Paul Carden handed a first start to recent loan signing Jack Banister on the left wing, but the Yellows were still without Josh Amis, Jack Dunn and Louis Barnes through injury.
After back-to-back home losses, they started brightly and Bohan Dixon perhaps could have done better in the very first minute when a drop of the shoulder created room for him to advance towards the box, his left-foot shot forcing an early save out of Luke Mewitt in the Hyde goal.
Both Banister and Mackreth were finding lots of joy out wide early on, and Mackreth would be a constant menace to Hyde left-back Jack McConville.
Hyde’s first foray forward almost resulted in a goal, James Neild forcing a corner off Tom Warren, who then had to clear Morrison’s header off the line from Jack Dyche’s delivery.
Mackreth would regularly get balls in to the box without anyone getting on the end of them, the first seeing Gray denied by Luis Morrison’s outstretched leg.
Another Mackreth cross was just beyond Gray before Banister struck wide, and Banister then hit a rising shot over the bar after Dixon had recovered a deep ball in by Mackreth.
It was a Mackreth run that set the platform for the opening goal, getting beyond McConville and forcing a corner, from which Steve Jennings clipped to the far post, Ben Garrity headed back and Gray glanced home for 1-0.
The lead lasted five minutes, the Yellows giving Chris Sharp too much space on the edge of the box and he hit a low shot beyond Tony McMillan and in to the far corner.
Two minutes later the Yellows had the chance to restore their advantage, Gray left in a heap in the box and the referee pointed to the spot, up-stepped Mackreth, who couldn’t get the goal his efforts deserved, Mewitt diving the right way to keep out his spotkick.
It didn’t change the pattern of the game too much, Hyde’s hopes dented when the impressive Dyche was forced off on the half hour mark with an injury.
The hosts would take the lead five minutes before half-time, Dixon picking the pocket of Jordan Fagbola before rounding the ‘keeper and firing in to the empty net.
It was all Warrington in the second half, and they doubled their lead 10 minutes in to it with the pick of their goals. Dixon turned on the speed in midfield to find space in the Hyde half, found Garrity to his right, who then laid on the marauding Beeley, excellent at right-back, his excellent cross nodded in to the far corner by Garrity.
After that it was a case of by how many the Yellows would win by. It took until the 80th minute for them to add a fourth, Gray glancing in his second off Jennings’ free-kick.
The Yellows left the field to rapturous applause, something of a rarity at home this season, and it puts them in good stead ahead of the re-arranged visit of Stafford Rangers next Saturday.
Warrington Town: McMillan, Beeley, Warren, Jennings (Duggan), Roberts, Raven, Mackreth, Garrity, Gray (Jordan), Dixon, Banister (Murray). Unused subs: Byrne, Sephton.
Hyde United: Mewitt, Nield, McConville, Owolabi (Starcenko), Morrison, Fagbola, Pratt, Wynne, Turner, Sharp, Dyche (Benns). Unused subs: Crawford, Hardacre, Gibney.
