SKIPPER Josh Amis came off the bench to score the winner as Warrington Town ended their seven-game winless run with a 2-1 victory at Radcliffe.
In only his second game back following surgery in the summer, Amis swept home in the 74th minute, just five minutes after fellow substitute Josh Miles had lashed home an equaliser.
The Yellows had trailed to Tunde Owolabi’s first half strike, but Radcliffe lost their captain Jordan Hulme to a red card on the stroke of half time and couldn’t survive the numerical disadvantage.
Murphy Bennett came in from the start at right back and there was a welcome return on the bench for Peter Clarke, who was injured in the Yellows’ previous win against Kidderminster.
A fairly open first quarter saw Radcliffe come closest, Brad Jackson’s flick coming back off the cross bar, though gradually the hosts would start to gain greater control and create the best opportunities.
Owolabi got in behind and was well denied by Atherton on 25 minutes, but he couldn’t be stopped on 38, clinically finishing when released through on goal.
Hulme saw red in the final minute of the first half for an off the ball incident with Bennett to reduce Radcliffe, looking for their first win of the season, to 10 men.
Even with 10 men, they started brighter and a superb save by Atherton denied Scott Duxbury’s left-foot shot flying in to the top corner, before Owolabi flashed a shot right across the face of goal.
Miles and Amis were introduced just shy of the hour to try and spark the Yellows in to life, and they finally had a half chance in the second half, Connor Woods hitting a well struck shot just wide.
The equaliser came on 69 minutes, a sharp ball in to Amis on the edge of the box fell for Miles, who crashed a shot high in to the net from 20 yards out.
That breathed life in to the Yellows and barely a minute later, Woods’ dangerous cross took a flick off Olly Thornley and dropped agonisingly wide of the far post.
From the corner, Amis headed against the crossbar.
He didn’t have to wait much longer for a goal though, Woods driving at Duxbury and putting it on a plate for Amis to tap in from the centre of the goal.
Matty McDonald could have sealed the win seven minutes from time, dinking a shot just wide after a lovely move through the middle, but the Yellows were never really troubled in seeing things out for their first win on the road this season.
Radcliffe: Hewelt, Jackson (Hancock 86), Duxbury, Smith, Thornley (Morgan 84), Maynard, Hulme, Dudley (Doro 80), Roscoe, Sargent, Owolabi. Unused subs: Adams, Rowe.
Warrington Town: Atherton, White (Grivosti 80), Douglas, Gumbs, Harris, Woods, O’Neill (Miles 58), McDonald, Rodwell-Grant (Amis 58), Bennett, Dixon. Unused subs: Sithole, Clarke.