Report: Warrington Town 0-1 Alfreton Town

A wicked deflection sent Warrington Town to a second successive home defeat as they were beaten 1-0 by Alfreton Town.

Liam Waldock’s strike on 73 minutes wrongfooted an already diving Dan Atherton as it took a deflection on its way through to settle a game that otherwise had goalless draw written all over it.

Both sides hit the woodwork in the first half and the Yellows had a goal ruled out for a foul, as they went a third straight game without scoring.

Alfreton had the better of the opening quarter, Jake Day proving a handful for a defensive Yellows line-up, which was hit when left-back Andy White hobbled off injured inside 10 minutes.

Day was an offside bystander when Atherton got down to make a smart save to deny Lewis Salmon’s shot that he saw late, before the Yellows hit the post on their first foray forward.

Connor Woods gathered a loose ball in the box and his drive might have took a touch off Joe Rodwell-Grant on the way through as it came back off the face of the post.

Evan Gumbs had a shot blocked in the goalmouth from a low Woods free-kick, before Day then had two opportunities to put the visitors ahead. The first was a shot from an angle that was awkwardly kept out by Atherton, the second was put on a plate for him by Billy Whitehouse, his point-blank header deflected wide.

The long-throws of Adam Lund were a constant of the afternoon and from one shortly after the half hour mark, Max Hunt headed against the cross bar.

The ball was in the net on 37 minutes via Josh Miles, who swept home from Rodwell-Grant’s pull back after a neat one-two on the edge of the box with Matty McDonald, but the referee judged that Rodwell-Grant had fouled Dwayne Wiley.

There was less in the game second half, the best chance of it falling to McDonald on the hour, his left-foot shot steered just wide of the far post after Noah Halford and Miles had combined.

Alfreton made their only real chance pay, winning the ball in midfield and driving forward, before it fell to Waldock just inside the box, and his shot saw Atherton diving full length to his left, only for a deflection to send it the other way and send the Yellows to defeat.

Post-match reaction

Manager Paul Carden reflects on Saturday's home defeat.

Match facts

Warrington Town: Atherton, White (Dixon 10), Gumbs, Woods, McDonald, Rodwell-Grant, Halford (Amis 65), Douglas, Miles, Southern, Clarke. Unused subs: O’Neill, Roper, Amaral.

Alfreton Town: Willis, Clackstone, Newell, Lund, Wiley, Hunt, Cantrill, Waldock (Fewster 86), Salmon (Abbey 74), Day (Moyo, 77), Whitehouse (Perritt 90). Unused sub: Anson

Goals: Waldock (73)

Yellow cards: Southern (47), Clarke (90) / Willis (90)

Attendance: 957