Substitutes bag points for Rylands in another late show

by Garry Clarke Pictures John Hopkins

WARRINGTON Rylands emerged from a game which with ten minutes left had 0-0 written all over it with three points thanks to two late goals from their substitutes as they move into 2nd in the NPL Premier Division table.

The home side dominated the first half creating the better chances against a Morpeth side who struggled to get out of their own half with Rylands goalkeeper Luke Pilling only having two shots from distance to save, comfortably holding efforts from Sam Hodgson and Liam Noble.

Rylands centre half James Butler was causing the visitors problems getting his head on to a series of corners, hitting the top of the cross bar in the 38th minute with a looping header.

Ben Hough and Mo Touray had shots deflected wide before Joe Piggott received a cross from Hough with his back to goal in the 36th minute, turning he fired in a shot from 12 yards out which drew a good save from the visiting keeper Dan Lowson.

After a feisty first half, neither side could gain the upper hand after the break as the game struggled to find its rhythm being interrupted by several stoppages, bookings and substitutions.

Good build up play from Morpeth resulted in Andrew Johnson forcing a good save from Pilling with shot from outside the area.

A couple of minutes after being introduced from the subs bench in the 71st minute Adama Sidibeh was brought down as he rounded Lowson only for the referee to dismiss his penalty claim , but he made no mistake in the 81st minute. Racing on to a through ball played in behind the defence, he held off a defender’s challenge and coolly slide the ball past Lowson to break the deadlock.

Scott Bakkor and Ben Hardcastle both went close to increasing the lead while Hodgson tried a long range shot from inside his own half before Eddy Maieco made the game safe five minutes into stoppage time.

Brought on as a substitute in the 84th minute his first shot was blocked by Lowson but the Morpeth keeper could not prevent him from following up and netting the rebound.

WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling Smith Swaby-Neavin Neild Butler Furman Hardcastle Hough Piggott (Sidibeh) Touray (Maieco) Uche ( Bakkor) subs not used Baillie Kyffin
MORPETH TOWN: Lowson Robson Miller Donaldson Henderson Reid Steels Noble Hodgson Barlow Johnson; SUBS: Wombwell Foalle Thomson Jenkins
Attendance 357