WARRINGTON Town’s hopes of ending the season with some silverware ended with a 1-0 defeat to Stalybridge Celtic.
Hoping to reach the Cheshire Senior Cup final for the first time in the club’s 75-year history, the Yellows lost out to a first half penalty from Jack Irlam, after Aaron James handled in the box.
James had thrown himself to block a Joe Duckworth shot five minutes before the break, and the Yellows couldn’t find a way back.
There wasn’t much in the way of clear cut opportunities, Devarn Green having a shot cleared off the line and Warrington’s best player, Joe Ackroyd, had a curling shot comfortably saved by Charlie Monks.
Monks’ opposite number Dan Atherton was largely a bystander too, though Celtic ended the first half with a flourish after taking the lead, Lewis Rawsthorn firing the ball in to the net from 20 yards moments after the referee had blown his whistle for a foul on Brandon Newell.
Warrington had more of the ball and territory in the second half without really threatening Stalybridge a great deal, the closest they came was when the excellent Liam Tongue cleared away Joe Rodwell-Grant’s effort from a narrow angle after he had rounded Monks.
Even the introduction of hometown midfielder Sam Gill failed to inspire a comeback, he had two shots one saved, and one over the bar.
The Yellows now have seven games left in National League North to round off a season to forget.
Warrington Town: Atherton, O’Neill, McDonald, Rodwell-Grant, Doro, Bennett, Makinson, James, Ackroyd (Adams), Hont, Green (Gill). Unused subs: Douglas, Southern, Roper.
Stalybridge Celtic: Monks, Swaby-Neavin (Leonard), Brownhill, Doyle, Newell (Butterworth), Tinning, Irlam, Tongue, Rawsthorn, Duckworth (Wilkinson), Smales-Braithwaite (Burton)
