by John Hopkins
Warrington Rylands began the new season in true style with a 3-0 victory over title contenders FC United of Manchester in front of 1,200 supporters.
FC United started confidently, moving the ball accurately around the pitch, but it didn’t take long for Rylands to settle into the game and begin taking control.
However, Rylands fans were disappointed to see powerful defender Matt Regan limp off after just 17 minutes with a calf problem. With Neil Reynolds on the sidelines serving a four-match ban, Lewis Hardcastle brought midfielder Dean Furman into the action, changing the shape of the team.
Pre-season had been all about trying different formations and styles of play, so the team were not fazed by the change. In fact, just a minute later, Ben Hardcastle made the crossbar wobble with a superb run and shot.
Jake Burton then took on a defender and, despite the size difference, won the ball. With only Dan Atherton to beat, Jake calmly placed the ball into the net to give Rylands the lead.
Just before half-time, new signing and captain Joe Riley found himself through on goal. He chose to lob Atherton and successfully found the net to make it 2-0.
United pushed hard to reduce the deficit after the break, but The Blues were more than equal to the challenge. Rylands also continued to look dangerous whenever they moved forward.
Both sides made changes late in the game, but it was a former Ryland’s Development Squad player who would score the next goal.
Ryan Tioffo took advantage of a slip by the opposition midfielder and raced towards goal. With Riley supporting him, Ryan did what any striker would do and went for goal. Despite a strong challenge, he beat Atherton for a third time to make it 3-0.
A marvellous start to the season against strong opposition.
Next up is a trip to Lancaster on Tuesday, with Lancaster looking to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat at the hands of Ashton United.
