JOSH Amis came off the bench to score a dramatic last minute winner as Warrington Town won 1-0 away at FC United.
Amis steered home from the edge of the box in the final minute of injury time to earn the Yellows a priceless win in the play-off race.
Both goalkeepers had made fine saves in an entertaining second half that could have gone either way, but the win will come as welcome relief for the visitors after conceding late themselves in recent weeks.
The Yellows were without Sean Williams through injury, so Ben Hough came in for a first start since September.
He was involved in a flashpoint in the game, a late tackle on Michael Donohue prompting a melee in the dugout involving players and staff from both sides.
It hadn’t been a particularly fractuous game until that point, as both sides sought a vital three points.
Dan Atherton was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the early stages, without really being forced in to anything too strenuous – he comfortably got his body behind a Regan Linney shot.
A late run by Paul Ennis got him on the end of a deep cross by Adam Dodd, and his sidefoot volley was juggled but ultimately comfortably saved by Atherton.
At the other end, the first time Dan Lavercombe made a decisive intervention was when a superb cross by James Baillie was tipped away just as Jordan Buckley looked to nod in at the back post.
A miscue from Linney early in the second half was tipped on to the bar by Atherton, before the volume on the match was turned up a notch by that foul by Hough on 54 minutes.
Hough was responsible for the best chance of the match shortly before the hour, his run down the left saw him cut inside and rather than shoot from well-placed, he laid off for Stefan Mols, who saw his first time shot parried away.
Lavercombe’s best save came minutes later when Luke Duffy pulled back for Mols, his shot looped up via deflection and looked destined for the top corner until the ‘keeper stretched and clawed away one-handed.
The game swung both ways and on 73 minutes, Atherton somehow shifted his weight midair to get fingertips to Ennis’ header and keep the game goalless.
The Yellows were staying firm at the back and were starting to look the more likely on the counter attack.
A teasing low cross by the excellent Lewis Coulton somehow evaded Amis, Jack Mackreth and Duffy and flashed right across goal.
But just as it looked like both sides would have to settle for a rather unhelpful point, the Yellows struck a winner.
Mackreth held the ball up well and headed wide, before cutting a lovely right foot ball across to Mols.
Mols cushioned the ball back for Amis, who struck first time from the edge of the box across Lavercombe and found the bottom corner.
The win, and a first clean sheet in 13 league games, consolidates Warrington’s play-off place.
FC United: Lavercombe, Donohue (Duckworth), Dodd, Smith, Morris, Halls, Waddecar, Griffiths, Linney, Ennis (Potts), Galloway. Unused subs: Humphries, Taylor, Unsworth.
Warrington Town: Atherton, Baillie, Coulton, Hough, Gumbs, Regan, Grivosti (Mackreth), Mols, Buckley (Amis), Dixon, Duffy (Roberts). Unused subs: Hall.
A last-gasp winner from Josh Amis gives the Yellows all three points at Broadhurst Park! 🟡🔵 pic.twitter.com/u2OHFFuioI
— Warrington Town FC (@theyellows) February 15, 2022
FC go down to a solitary goal in the 4th minute of the 3 mins added, after an absorbing encounter between two evenly matched sides where a key moment made the difference, FC managed to avoid getting sucked into the games but couldn't get past a GK in form
0-1 to WT pic.twitter.com/uQKXAPnqN9
— FC United of Manchester (@FCUnitedMcr) February 15, 2022
How did he save that, great play from FC puts it on the head of Duckworth and his header is on target but the GK somehow tips it over the bar from point blank range
'75 0-0 pic.twitter.com/23ZHuW3ajQ
— FC United of Manchester (@FCUnitedMcr) February 15, 2022
Second half action from @FCUnitedMcr v @theyellows in @NorthernPremLge #fcum #warrington #npl #NonLeague Score 0-0 pic.twitter.com/I1BwrHl2D9
— Matt Wilkinson (@mwilkinsonsport) February 15, 2022
