Report: Spennymoor Town 2-0 Warrington Town

Warrington Town succumbed at Spennymoor Town to two first-half goals that just about summed up their luck at times this season.

On a long road trip on a Tuesday night following the February postponement of this fixture in the north-west, the Yellows fell behind inside seven minutes when Finlay Shrimpton’s scuffed shot took a wicked deflection off Aaron James on the edge of the box and wrong-footed Dan Atherton.

The second goal midway through the first half was similarly fortuitous, Matty Dolan’s shot from outside of the box blocked by his own man and the ball fell for Aidan Rutledge to poke home from six yards out, despite appearing to be in an offside position, leaving several Yellows players complaining to the assistant.

Playing down the hill in the first half, Spennymoor had a couple of other chances, Atherton doing well to claw away Corey McKeown’s shot and then Rutledge somehow headed against the base of the post from barely yards out after McKeown had put it on a plate for him.

Paul Carden made a double change at half time, reverting to a more familiar 4-1-3-2 formation, as opposed to the 3-5-2 he had started the game with, deploying Murphy Bennett and Mo Doro as wing backs.

Bennett and Doro were replaced by Ollie Southern and Josh Amis, who gave the Yellows a focal point in attack.

For the first 10 minutes of the second half, they had their best spell of the game, creating a few chances.

Lee Williams forced a smart save from Rohan Luthra, pushing around the post, and then the ‘keeper saved well with his legs on the line after Matty Makinson fired a shot through bodies off a corner.

Amis hit a couple of efforts over the bar and Williams twice cut in from the left to fire wide.

Eventually the pressure subsided and Spennymoor, ahead of a big FA Trophy semi-final at Rochdale on Saturday, sought to manage out the game with minimal fuss.

There were few further chances of note, Makinson doing well to block a shot from Junior Mondal that had gone past Atherton, and in the dying stages, Matty McDonald had a header pushed around the post by Luthra.

Warrington’s relegation from the National League North could be confirmed on Saturday, if they lose to Curzon Ashton or Radcliffe beat Scunthorpe.

Spennymoor Town: Luthra, Dyson, Pollock, Ledger, Staunton, Shrimpton, Dolan (Beals), Harris (Mondal), Ramshaw (Simpson), McKeown (Myers), Rutledge (Taylor).

Warrington Town: Atherton, Bennett (Southern), Makinson, Douglas, James, Doro (Amis), McDonald, Dixon, O’Neill (Gill), Williams, Rodwell-Grant. Unused subs: Roper, Noone.

Post-match reaction

Featured photo credit: David Nelson