Report: Stalybridge Celtic 0-1 Warrington Town

Warrington Town made it two wins from two to start the new season as they won 1-0 away at Stalybridge Celtic.

Tom Hannigan’s header on the stroke of half time proved the difference as the Yellows kept another clean sheet with Tony Thompson rarely troubled.

Hannigan and Evan Gumbs withstood a late aerial barrage from the hosts, who failed to register a shot on target in the match.

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Playing in their new dark blue away kit for the first time, the visitors were gifted the first chance of the game when ‘keeper Greg Hall scuffed a clearance in to the path of Josh Amis.

Amis couldn’t correct his feet quick enough, but was able to lay off for Luke Duffy who checked inside and blazed over.

Two crosses from the left saw Amis head straight at the ‘keeper and then Stefan Mols couldn’t quite get his foot round Andy White’s ball in.

In the closing stages of the first half, Isaac Buckley-Ricketts cut inside and shot, with the ball cleared off the line.

From the resulting Sean Williams corner, Gumbs peeled off at the back post and headed across for Hannigan to head home and open the scoring.

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The Yellows were playing up the infamous Bower Fold hill in the second half, and the game was constantly broken up by the referee’s whistle.

Neither side created a clear cut opportunity, until substitute Matty McDonald saw a shot deflected wide.

Although Stalybridge enjoyed more territory, they couldn’t unlock the Yellows defence.

And as time wore on, the Yellows could have sealed it with a second – Mikey Howard making his debut showed great pace and control from half way, and forced a fine save from the legs of Hall.

The Yellows are next in action away at Belper Town on Saturday.

Stalybridge: Hall, Summers, Woods, Harrison, Waldron, Miller, Grewal, Padden, Correia, G Abadaki (Darkwah), O Abadaki. Unused subs: Liptrott, Chakwana, Lingouba, Leach.

Warrington Town: Thompson, Seary, White, Hannigan, Gumbs, Mols (McDonald), Buckley-Ricketts, Williams, Amis (Buckley), Dixon, Duffy (Howard). Unused subs: Murray, Putnam.