Report: Warrington Town 1-1 Chester

Ten man Warrington Town held on to claim a point at home to in-form Chester, in front of their biggest crowd for a regular season league game.

The Yellows had hit the front through Connor Woods’ penalty 18 minutes from time, but a red card for skipper Josh Amis had them on the back foot.

Chester made the weight of pressure tell, Harrison Burke crashing home a header with five to play, but they couldn’t find a winner in front of 2,296 at the Cal.Delivery Stadium.

It was from a pinpoint Declan Weeks set-piece that Burke scored, and it was from that source that Chester looked most threatening throughout the match, which had a lively opening.

Woods’ blocked shot in the opening minutes fell for Matty McDonald to drive an effort straight at Elyh Harrison, before Chester went up the other end and Burke was denied by a superb low save by Dan Atherton.

Chester hit the bar through Kevin Roberts’ header on 15 minutes, again from a Weeks free kick, while the man himself had a rising half-volleyed shot fly over the bar.

Atherton adjusted himself well to deny Will Hugill as there were fewer chances in the second half, Woods coming closest for the Yellows drilling a ball that was neither really a shot or a cross right across the face of Harrison’s goal.

The introduction of Amis off the bench created some uncertainty and on 72 minutes, the Yellows were awarded a penalty, Roberts bringing down Elliot Morris.

For the second successive week, Woods stepped up and kept his cool to convert, celebrating acrobatically in front of the away fans, who had been hurling abuse at him throughout the second half as he took corners, and they promptly responded by hurling drinks and plastic cups on to the pitch.

The Yellows will never know if they would have held on with a full compliment of players, as they were reduced to 10 men with 12 minutes to play, Amis shown a straight red card by referee Neil Pratt following an altercation with Chester captain Connell Rawlinson.

It wasn’t a surprise when Chester did find their equaliser on 85 minutes, Burke heading home from Weeks’ free-kick from the right, but the hosts did well to stand firm late on.

They had a chance of their own on the counter-attack, Bohan Dixon’s raking ball finding the tireless Woods who pulled back for McDonald, denied by an important block by Jordan Hunter.

Warrington had to settle for a third successive draw, ahead of next Saturday’s visit of Curzon Ashton.

Warrington Town: Atherton, Gumbs, Douglas, Clarke, Hont, Harris, McCourt (Amis 66), McDonald, Dixon, Woods (Rodwell-Grant 90), Morris. Unused subs: O’Neill, Bennett, Miles.

Chester: Harrison, Hunter, Rawlinson, Burke, Woodthorpe, Hugill (Hancox 84), Roberts (Willoughby 80), Weeks, Murray (Daly 58), Caton, Peers (Mottley-Henry 66). Unused subs:: Pollock.

Post-match reaction

Manager Paul Carden reflects on Saturday's point.