Report: Rushall Olympic 1-1 Warrington Town

Warrington Town ended their goal drought to earn a deserved point on the road at Rushall Olympic.

Without a goal in five games, the Yellows could hardly believe it when after a first half full of chances, they fell behind on the stroke of half-time to Luke Benbow’s strike.

In the end, it was a penalty that earned them a first goal in six games, Connor Woods sending the ‘keeper the wrong way after his shot had been handled in the box.

Boasting three league debutants from the start in Jack Hont, Jak McCourt and Elliot Morris, the Yellows started brightly, backed by a strong wind, and Morris forced a save out of Paul White inside the first minute of the game, which led to the first of several corners the visitors had in the opening 45 minutes.

From one of those set-pieces, Peter Clarke’s goalbound header hit Josh Amis, who was then denied by the ‘keeper on the line, and then Bohan Dixon’s rebound was blocked as the ball somehow didn’t find its way in.

Woods had a long-range, wind-assisted free-kick whistle wide of the post, and he then had a deflected shot tipped over the bar by White.

The best chance fell to Amis on the half-hour mark, at full stretch he just couldn’t keep down his contact on McCourt’s teasing cross from six yards out.

Rushall had their chances too, Milan Lalkovic forcing a couple of routine stops from Dan Atherton, who had to be at his very best to deny the same player in the box a few minutes before half-time after the former Chelsea man had somehow managed to get the ball out from under Danny King on the floor.

The subsequent corner resulted in the opening goal, a poor Yellows clearance inviting the hosts back in and Benbow sat down his man, cut inside and drilled a shot home.

The visitors had a couple of early chances to double their lead in the second half, Dempsey Arlott-John screwing a shot wide and then Lalkovic should have done better with a first time shot from 14 yards out after Rushall had opened up the Yellows with a smart corner routine.

Their best chance fell to King, who sprung the offside trap after Benbow missed an attempted flick-on which released him on goal, with Atherton doing well to push the ball away from his feet as the striker tried to take it round him.

Woods had a free kick tipped over the bar following a foul on Jay Harris, before his cross was handled in the box on 70 minutes and the referee pointed to the spot.

After 527 minutes without a goal, it was Woods who was trusted with the task of getting the Yellows back on the scoresheet, and he duly obliged with his fifth goal of the season.

Either side could have won it after that in a cagey finale, the ball bundled in to the net at one point by the Yellows, albeit as a consequence of a collision between Amis and White which inevitably led to the referee’s whistle.

The Yellows are back on the road again on Tuesday night, with a trip to Scarborough.

Rushall Olympic: White, Green, Fairnie, Cameron, McAlinden, Thomas, Forde (Barkers), McGlinchey (Arlott-John), Lalkovic, King (McDonagh), Benbow (Charles). Unused subs: Hull

Warrington Town: Atherton, Gumbs, Douglas, Clarke, Hont, Harris, McCourt, Dixon, Woods, Amis, Morris. Unused subs: O’Neill, Rodwell-Grant, Bennett, Halford, Miles.

Post-match reaction

Manager Paul Carden reflects on Saturday's point on the road.