WARRINGTON Town hit four for the third time this season as they eased past 10-man Scarborough Athletic 4-0.
Ryan Qualter was sent off for a second bookable offence in fouling Josh Amis in the box midway through the first half, and Sean Williams’ subsequent penalty sent the hosts on their way.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ brilliantly taken solo goal on the stroke of half time doubled the advantage, with Josh Amis and Connor Woods adding further scores in the second half and it could have been more.
It was the first time the two sides had met since Scarborough beat the Yellows in the Northern Premier League final in 2022, and by full time, Warrington had leapfrogged their opponents in the National League North table on goal difference.
After two fine away performances ended with no points, the Yellows returned home in the league for the first time since the 2-1 win over Rushall on November 11th without new signing Josh Popoola, who pulled out through illness.
Bohan Dixon, sent off on Tuesday night, started ahead of his two-match ban and he had the first chance of the match on 14 minutes, steering a first time shot just wide after good link-up play between Buckley-Ricketts and Andy White on the left.
Moments later a second chance fell for Dixon, robbing Andy Purver in midfield and driving forward to have a shot parried wide by Ryan Whitley.
Qualter picked up his first yellow card for a foul on Amis in midfield and when the forward got goalside of him in the box, he tripped him just as Amis was about to shoot leading to a penalty the inevitable marching orders from the festively named referee Robert Claussen.
Williams stepped up and converted from the spot for the second successive game.
Scarborough responded well to going behind, creating a chance through Luca Colville, but were almost hit on the counter attack a few minutes from half time, Alex Brown blocking well to deny Connor Woods.
A counter attack did result in a goal in first half injury time, from a Scarborough corner, Buckley-Ricketts beat Purver to the clearance, sat down Brown midway through a 60 yard scamper up field and then cut inside to steer a shot inside the far corner.
That gave the hosts breathing space for the second half and Buckley-Ricketts in particular was finding plenty of room to run at the defence. He had a shot well saved by Whitley from a Woods cross and then from a corner the ball somehow didn’t go in, when Andre Wisdom had a shot blocked on the line and then Woods’ follow up header was hooked away amidst appeals it had crossed the line.
The third goal came on 64 minutes and it had been coming, Woods putting it on a plate for Amis from the right, and it was four four minutes later when Woods latched on to Buckley-Ricketts’ clipped ball through and fired left-footed past Whitley.
The Yellows could, and maybe should, have had more – their best chance coming in the 82nd minute when Buckley-Ricketts was felled in the box by Whitley, only for the ‘keeper to redeem himself by tipping Dec Walker’s penalty on to the post.
Dixon and Woods bow out of the team for at least the next two matches through suspension, which take the Yellows away to King’s Lynn next Saturday before their final home game of the calendar year against Banbury on December 23.
Warrington Town: Atherton, Walker, White, Hannigan, Woods, Williams (Gill), Amis (Grivosti), Dixon, Buckley-Ricketts, Duggan (Harris), Wisdom. Unused subs: Goudie, Sinnott.
Scarborough Athletic: Whitley, Weledji, Qualter, Colville, Rutledge (Green), Purver (Durose), Wiles, Gooda, Tear, Barnes (Mulhern), Brown. Unused subs: Cracknell.
