TWO second-half goals from Danny Newton fired Brackley Town to the top of National League North with a 2-0 win over Warrington Town.
Newton swept home the rebound from his own saved header in a frantic start to the second half and then added a late second when he headed home from the excellent Riccardo Calder’s cross.
The Yellows may point to a disallowed Peter Clarke header in the first half, and they hit the crossbar shortly before the opening goal through Connor Woods, but ultimately fell to a third straight defeat.
Dan Atherton was preferred to Tony Thompson in goal for his first appearance for the Yellows since his return to the club, and his 50th in total and Mark Beesley tweaked his system to match the hosts, playing three at the back with two wing backs.
There was a return following suspension for Bohan Dixon, the only survivor in the Yellows team from the only previous meeting between the two sides back in 2019, which ended in the same outcome.
Brackley started the game strongly and Newton could have scored within five minutes, his powerful shot denied by a strong Atherton hand, and then from the subsequent corner, Zak Lilly headed against the crossbar after a nice short corner routine involving Tyler Lyttle.
Lyttle on the right and Calder on the left both caused problems, particularly with their delivery in to the box, but gradually the Yellows got in to the game.
Matty Grivosti had a free-kick spilled by the ‘keeper which may have created an opportunity had anybody been following up, and then the main talking point of the first half followed when Clarke found the far corner from a Sean Williams free kick, only to be denied by the assistant referee’s flag, much to the experienced defender’s dismay.
Dylan Mottley-Henry should have done better when released through the middle, while at the other end, Jimmy Armson steered over a Lyttle corner at the near post.
Goalless at half time, the second half started at break neck speed and both sides could have scored before the deadlock was eventually broken.
Atherton denied Newton one-on-one and then Woods headed against the crossbar from Mottley-Henry’s cross. Mottley-Henry himself had a chance, bringing in a Dixon through ball and shooting straight at ‘keeper Danny Lewis, who saved with his legs.
The opener came in the 54th minute when Calder, who had been marauding up and down the left all game, whipped in a teasing ball for Newton, who was at first denied by a point blank save by Atherton but then swept home the rebound.
That gave the Yellows work to do, but the closest they came was when substitute Isaac Buckley-Ricketts found the sidenetting from a deep Williams cross.
With six minutes left, the same Brackley duo combined for the settler, Calder measuring a cross to the far post for Newton to steam in and nod home.
The Yellows are next in action at home to Spennymoor Town on Tuesday, before another trip south next Saturday to Brackley’s near-neighbours Banbury United.
Brackley Town: Lewis, Carline, Calder, Murombedzi, Lilly, Dean (Matwasa), O’Sullivan, Newton, Lyttle, Turner (Roberts), Armson (Bates). Unused subs: McHale, Crawford.
Warrington Town: Atherton, Walker (Buckley-Ricketts), White (Pettifer), Hannigan, Woods, Williams, Dixon, Mottley-Henry, Duggan, Grivosti (Bennett), Clarke. Unused subs: Goudie, Smalley.
HALF TIME | Brackley Town 0-0 Warrington Town
Peter Clarke’s had a goal disallowed and Brackley have hit the bar, but it’s goalless at the break. pic.twitter.com/lGIffOdVlk
— Warrington Town FC (@theyellows) September 2, 2023
