WARRINGTON Town battled to a 2-1 win at Leek Town, despite having to play 40 minutes with 10 men.
Jack Goodwin had just restored the Yellows lead when Reece Daly was shown a second yellow card for a 50/50 challenge on Lucas Weir.
That prompted a rearguard action by the visitors, held together masterfully by captain Evan Gumbs and centre-back partner Scott Butler, as they saw out everything the hosts threw at them.
The Yellows had started the game brightly and took the lead on 11 minutes when Goodwin squeezed a shot in from a tight angle for his first goal for the club.
But the celebrations had barely died down when Leek equalised through Jack Griffiths.
That led to Leek’s best spell of the game without them creating anything clear cut, and at the other end Zayn Sadiq had a penalty shout waved away.
Leek had the ball in the net on 23 minutes, Weir denied by the offside flag after Alex Panter only got a faint touch on to Alex Hurst’s cross.
Butler forced a save at his near post from ‘keeper Kornel Misciur, on-loan from Liverpool, as the sides went in level at half-time.
The Yellows had a dream start to the second half, Goodwin getting on the end of a free-kick in the box, finding Ewan Bange who backheeled it back in to Goodwin’s path to steer home from six yards out.
But just as in the first half, the Yellows had barely had time to settle after scoring when the game was ripped up again. Daly clashed with Weir for a 50/50 in midfield in front of the respective dugouts, and Weir stayed down on the floor, only to spring back up immediately after Daly was shown a second yellow card.
That left 40 minutes for the Yellows to play with a man less, and inevitably the home side got on top.
Hayden Campbell headed Griffiths’ cross straight at Hewelt before screwing a shot wide from a good position off Jack Stafford’s pull back.
At the other end, Goodwin could and maybe should have had a hat-trick when the ball fell to him at the back post, he had time to take a touch and steady himself, but shot straight at Misciur from close range.
Leek had the ball in the net for a third time on 74 minutes through Liam Buckley, but the offside flag was already up as Campbell had nodded it back to him.
Campbell shot over from another Stafford pullback before a fantastic block by Butler denied Panter.
Leek came closest to an equaliser in the 89th minute, substitute Zak Emmerson’s shot tipped on to the post and somehow being scrambled away by Gumbs and Butler in the goalmouth and the Yellows hung on.
Leek Town: Misciur, Buckley (Emmerson), Bickerton (Stafford), Hockenhull, Edwards, Reeves (Shenton), Griffiths, Weir, Panter, Campbell, Hurst. Unused sub: Friars, Towns
Warrington Town: Hewelt, Burke, Doherty, Bjork, Gumbs, Butler, Goodwin (Edwards), Vela, Bange (Elliott), Daly, Sadiq (Bayode). Unused subs: McIntosh, Morgan.
