SKIPPER Evan Gumbs struck the winner as Warrington Town secured a deserved three points away at Ashton United.
The defender popped up for only his seventh goal in more than 200 appearances after the Yellows had threatened to be left frustrated by home goalkeeper Tommy Taylor, who almost single-handedly kept the hosts in it.
He saved to deny Reece Daly and Rio Hawkins one-on-one, and also turned away two Ben Elliott efforts as Paul Carden’s side dominated the second half.
They had to wait until the 81st minute for the winner, Elliott holding up a corner for Gumbs to fire home first time from eight yards out.
The Yellows welcomed back Craig Noone to the bench after a brief spell away at Southport, while youngsters Hawkins and Harris McIntosh were in the starting team.
Elliott had the first chance on seven minutes, trying to beat Taylor at his near post, before Hawkins screwed wide from an Elliott pull back.
Ashton thought they took the lead on 13 minutes when a lob by Al Byrne was headed goalwards by Kurt Willoughby, somehow kept out by the right hand of Mateusz Hewelt amidst pleas it had crossed the line.
They felt aggrieved too on the half hour mark when former Yellows striker Enock Lusiama was bundled over on the edge of the box by Scott Butler, the referee waving away protests for a free-kick that would surely have landed Butler in real card trouble.
But other than an early block by Gumbs, the second half completely belonged to the Yellows who could have scored four or five.
Jack Goodwin put two teasing balls across the face of goal before a big chance fell to Daly, released by an Elliott through ball leaving him all alone in the box, but Taylor came out and saved well.
Taylor then denied Elliott at the near post again, before he also stopped Elliott’s first time effort from a Hawkins cross.
When Taylor also denied Hawkins one-on-one following good work by Lewis Earl, it looked like being one of them nights for the Yellows.
But the winner came from the unlikeliest of sources, Gumbs making his 217th appearance, chimed in with his first goal for two years, sidefooting home first time from a corner.
Ashton United: Taylor, Doro (Scanlon), Kendall, Okome, Naylor (Nelson), Knight, Byrne (Whaite), Burgess, Willoughby, Lusiama, Hardy. Unused subs: Leigh, O’Neill.
Warrington Town: Hewelt, Bjork, McIntosh, Earl, Gumbs, Butler, Hawkins, McHugh (Edwards), Elliott (Denton), Daly, Goodwin. Unused subs: Burke, Doherty, Roper.
