WARRINGTON Town lost a league game for the first time since the opening day of the season as they were beaten 1-0 by Matlock Town.
Craig King swept home in the first half to bring to an end the Yellows remarkable run of 15 hours without conceding a goal, the first time Tony McMillan had been beaten in the league since the 3-1 win at Lancaster back in August.
Matlock were then able to keep Warrington at bay for the rest of the match to end their 10 match unbeaten run.
The visitors came in to the game on the back of a three-match unbeaten run under manager Dave Frecklington, who was brought in earlier in the season, and has built a team far stronger than their current league position suggests.
A blustery wind at Cantilever Park made it difficult for either side to get in to a rhythm, though it was Matlock who stamped their authority on the game first, even if a wayward shot by striker Marcus Marshall was all they could muster in the first 10 minutes.
They broke the deadlock on 21 minutes, and with it ended Warrington’s defensive run, when Craig Westcarr’s cross was sliced by Dave Raven and former Leicester City winger King swept home at the back post.
Warrington had their best chance just five minutes later when Tony Gray rode a tackle in midfield and then curled a low shot past the keeper and against the face of the post, with Matlock able to get it behind for a corner.
But Matlock would have their own skirmish with the woodwork at the other end too, the hard-working Westcarr crossing in and it flicked off the head of a defender and back off a post before it was hacked away.
Warrington needed a response after going in 1-0 at the break, and they started brighter in the second half, Gray volleying just over the bar from Alex Whittle’s cross before Ben Garrity’s ball in was headed away from under his own crossbar by Bradley Beatson.
That flurry didn’t last for long though, and Matlock managed the game well given their lead, without dropping too deep, making it hard for the Yellows to carve an opening.
A trio of changes did little to improve Warrington’s hopes, though their best chance fell on 77 minutes when substitute Bohan Dixon disguised a through ball for Jack Mackreth, who was in loads of space in the box but rushed at the chance and didn’t put a decent cross or shot in, instead blazing high and wide.
Matlock held on comfortably for a fourth win of the season, while Warrington’s game against Stafford on Tuesday has been postponed, while they prepare for next Saturday’s FA Cup 4th qualifying Round tie at home to Halifax Town.
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Warrington Town: McMillan, Duggan (Reid), Whittle, Garrity, Roberts, Raven, Mackreth, Evans, Gray, Amis (Dixon), Vassallo (Kirby). Unused subs: George, Hughes.
Matlock Town: Durrant, Beevers, Beatson, N Whitehead, Yates, Wiley, Green, Davie (Vince), Westcarr, Marshall (Jackson), King (Lemon). Unused subs: Wood, B Whitehead.
