Report: Warrington Town 0-1 Radcliffe

Warrington Town’s survival hopes took another hit as Danny Greenfield fired Radcliffe to a 1-0 victory at the Cal.Delivery Stadium.

In a fixture dubbed a ‘relegation six-pointer’ ahead of kick-off, it proved to be a low-quality affair between two teams at the wrong end of the table.

With clear-cut chances at a premium, it took an excellent solo effort from Boro midfielder Greenfield to seal all three points.

Defeat for Paul Carden’s side means they are now six points from safety ahead of next weekend’s all-important trip to Oxford City.

The Yellows made one alteration to their starting XI following Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at Chester, left-back Jack Hont returning in place of Hamish Douglas.

It was they who started the brighter, the first real chance coming with seven minutes gone. A floated Ollie Southern cross into the box was headed inside by Peter Clarke to find Aaron James, who couldn’t keep his effort down from eight yards out.

The visitors grew into the game heading towards the midway point of the first half without really threatening Dan Atherton in the Yellows goal, aside from a couple of blocked efforts inside the penalty area.

Then, with 20 minutes gone, Olly Thornley got on the end of a corner from the right but headed straight at Atherton, who made a point-blank save to keep it out.

The hosts responded quickly and midfielder Mikey O’Neill, who had recorded two goal contributions in as many games ahead of Saturday’s home outing, linked up well with captain Josh Amis but saw his right-footed snapshot deflect just wide of the near post.

But it was the visitors who proved to be more of a goal threat approaching half-time, shot-stopper Atherton twice more called into action.

Just after the half-hour mark, he was forced to react quickly to keep out Anthony Dudley’s rasping effort before denying Greenfield after he swept goalwards a cross from the right.

A half-time change saw the departure of captain Amis, and it meant a loss of the Yellows’ main focal point at the top end of the pitch.

Nevertheless, it was the visitors who continued to apply the pressure as an arrowed shot from Greenfield was beaten away by Atherton.

But eventually pressure told for Radcliffe as the deadlock was broken on the hour. Greenfield picked the ball up in space and took aim from 20 yards out, firing past Atherton to find the bottom left corner.

That goal seemingly sparked the Yellows into life as they tried to mount a fightback in the final quarter.

Debutant Ben Hatton forced Mateusz Hewelt into a save at his near post, shortly before Southern was found in space inside the box but rushed his effort and failed to work the Radcliffe goalkeeper.

As the pressure built in the closing stages, so too did the Yellows’ desperation for a goal as veteran defender Clarke was sent up front as an extra striker.

Although he didn’t manage to work the target, the presence of an extra forward saw further chances fall the way of the Yellows.

Hatton spurned their best moment of the afternoon, blazing over the bar from eight yards out after substitute Matty McDonald unselfishly opted to tee up his team-mate rather than working Hewelt from the angle.

It took some last-ditch Radcliffe defending to deny Clarke a tap-in as stoppage time loomed, the defender agonisingly close to getting on the end of Lee Williams’ cross-shot towards the far post.

Then most of the 928 spectators in attendance at the Cal.Delivery Stadium were left in a state of disbelief as the Yellows were somehow denied in the eighth minute of added time.

Goalkeeper Atherton, who famously scored twice during the Yellows’ debut season in the National League North, popped up inside the Radcliffe penalty area, heading beyond Hewelt but against the base of the post, then McDonald was somehow thwarted by the visiting ‘keeper as his fierce follow-up effort was kept out.

That near miss at the death epitomised the Yellows’ struggles in front of goal, and they will now turn their attention to the visit of Crewe Alexandra in the Cheshire Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night (7:30pm kick-off).

Warrington Town: Atherton, Southern (Makinson), James, Clarke, Hont, Harris, Ackroyd (Dixon), Rodwell-Grant, O’Neill (McDonald), Green (Williams), Amis (Hatton).

Radcliffe: Hewelt, Duxbury, Thornley (Smith), Maynard, Hulme (Owolabi), Dudley (Navarro), Roscoe, Walker (Partington), Sargent, Riley, Greenfield. Unused subs: Glendon.

Post-match reaction