WARRINGTON Town continued their unbeaten home run in the league with a 2-0 win over Stockton Town.
Niall Watson fired home a second six minutes from time to make the points safe after Chris Doyle had diverted home an opener late in the first half, as the Yellows made it 17 points out of a possible 21 at the Cal.Delivery Stadium this season.
It was the same starting 11 that suffered an 8-0 humbling at Hebburn Town last week, and a repeat of that was never on the cards.
There wasn’t much in a dour first quarter of the game, and it took 20 minutes for a first chance on goal, a good touch in the box by Mark Isong creating space for a shot that he dragged well wide.
Watson should have done better when released on 37 minutes, the ball getting stuck under his feet and though he dug out a shot, it was saved by Nathan Harker’s outstretched left hand.
Seven first half corners had come to nothing for the hosts until a foul on Jay Harris gave them a free-kick 22 yards out two minutes before the break.
Jack Doyle fired a low one through the wall and it took a touch off namesake Chris to score his first Yellows goal and give Paul Carden’s side a 1-0 advantage going in to half time.
But for Kevin Hayes fizzing a shot a yard or so wide of Isherwood’s left hand post, Stockton struggled to create any chances of note and the Yellows should have had the game sewn up with 20 minutes to go when they hit the post twice inside a minute.
First, in-form Reece Daly was found in space on the left and he unleashed a shot that beat the ‘keeper but cracked the inside of the post.
Play stayed alive, and James Melhado’s cross was when headed against the inside of the other post by man of the match Jay Harris.
Stockton momentarily threatened to punish those missed chances, substitute Amar Purewal turning sharply and shooting to force a first save out of Isherwood, before the same man dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box.
But moments after the introduction of Matty Waters for Isong shifted Watson to a central role, he latched on to an Isherwood goal kick and fired past Harker to secure the win.
There was some brief drama in added time, Jack Doyle shown a second yellow card and subsequently a red, though hadn’t actually been booked previously, and eventually the officials came to their senses after comparing notes.
The Yellows are in action at home again on Tuesday at home to former manager Mark Beesley’s FC United.
Warrington Town: Isherwood, Melhado, J Doyle, Gumbs, C Doyle, Vela, Brazier (Gabidon 88), Harris (Lloyd 90), Isong (Waters 83), Daly, Watson. Unused subs: Roper, Tweedley.
Stockton Town: Harker, Bramwell, Steels, King, Arjun Purewal, Coulthard, Sweet (Gallagher 60), Petitjean (Painter 71), Scott (Amar Purewal 60), Thompson (Faulkner 60), Hayes. Unused sub: Birtles.
