Report: Curzon Ashton 1-0 Warrington Town

Warrington Town’s relegation from the National League North was confirmed by a 1-0 defeat at Curzon Ashton.

Isaac Sinclair’s goal settled the game shortly before half-time but there was nothing the Yellows could have done to prevent their fate, with Radcliffe winning at home to Scunthorpe United.

It was another example of a game where the Yellows competed and were very much in the game, but were toothless in attack and couldn’t find a goal.

Their cause wasn’t helped by the late withdrawal of skipper Josh Amis through injury, and they also lost striker Lee Williams to a first-half injury.

Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, the man who fired Warrington to play-off glory two years ago, had the best chance of the first half, latching on to an Alex Curran through ball and lofting the ball over Dan Atherton but beyond the far post.

Warrington’s best chance fell to Williams, his header from a Jay Harris cross landing on the roof of the net.

The goal came on 38 minutes when Peter Clarke’s attempted clearance fell to James Spencer, who set the ball for Sinclair to measure a right-footed shot first-time into the bottom corner.

Matty McDonald was twice denied by former Yellows ‘keeper Bobby Jones in first-half stoppage time after being turned into a makeshift striker following the withdrawal of Williams, that made the Yellows task even harder.

Curzon had the better of the early exchanges of the second half and only a superb left-handed save by Atherton denied Spencer adding a second, his header pushed over the bar.

The hosts were perhaps fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men when another of their ex-Yellows contingent, Will Hayhurst, dragged down Joe Rodwell-Grant when through on goal, but the referee decided a yellow was sufficient punishment.

A couple of crosses were flashed across the box by the Yellows until in stoppage time, ‘keeper Atherton almost replicated his goalscoring heroics of last season, heading Bohan Dixon’s free-kick goalwards and past Jones, only for Stefan Mols to get back and clear off the line.

In the end, it didn’t matter, as the Yellows succumbed to their 24th defeat of the season and will now return to the Northern Premier League after two seasons.

Curzon Ashton: Jones; Litherland (Mason 87), Poscha, Sobowale, Hayhurst; Sinclair, Barton; Afuye (Lacey 73), Curran (Kouam 81), Buckley-Ricketts (Mols 64); Spencer. Unused subs: Griffiths.

Warrington Town: Atherton; James, Makinson, Clarke, Southern; Harris, Dixon; Rodwell-Grant, McDonald, O’Neill (Douglas 90); Williams (Amaral 41). Unused subs: Noone, Hont, Bennett.

Post-match reaction