report & pictures John Hopkins
WARRINGTON Rylands ended their three-match winless run with a hard-fought victory over fellow promotion hopefuls Lancaster City, a result manager Neil Reynolds described as “fantastic.”
Both sides showed attacking intent early on. Lewis Hardcastle went close inside the opening minute, firing narrowly wide, while at the other end Patrick Gamble was forced to clear a Steven Yawson effort off the line in the 13th minute with goalkeeper Luke Pilling beaten.
Rylands took the lead in the 19th minute when Clive Smith rose highest to meet Ben Hardcastle’s corner, powering a bullet header past the Lancaster goalkeeper.
Clive Smith celebrates the first goal
Having won on their previous two visits, Lancaster asserted themselves after the break, pushing Rylands deeper into their own half. However, despite sustained pressure and numerous set pieces, they were unable to break down a resolute and determined defensive display from the hosts.
“We defended well in the second half,” said Reynolds. “For all their set-pieces, we were not really troubled.”
Pilling dealt comfortably with a handful of routine efforts, while Evangelinos and Christian Sloan failed to hit the target as the Rylands defence — strengthened by the introduction of centre-forward George Waring — stood firm.
Reduced largely to long clearances and counter-attacks, Rylands sealed the win five minutes into stoppage time. A long ball released Jake Burton, who advanced into the penalty area before cleverly finding Ben Hardcastle. The leading scorer turned his marker inside out on the edge of the box and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to claim his 12th goal of the season and lift Rylands into third place in the NPL Premier League.
“I’m delighted,” added Reynolds. “We knew how good they are. We had to be at our best, and I thought we played some good football.”
