Report: Warrington Town 1-1 Leek Town

Warrington Town started the New Year as they ended 2025 – with a 1-1 draw, this time at home to Leek Town.

They looked well placed at half-time thanks to Jay Harris’ opener, sliding home at the back post after a good run by first-half substitute Devarn Green down the left.

But a missed clearance from an Alex Hurst cross enabled Ollie Shenton to fire home from 10 yards eight minutes into the second half and neither side could find a winner.

The Yellows were forced to play midfielder Liam Brazier up front due to the enforced absence of forwards Joe Rodwell-Grant and Max Thompson, both missing through illness, though there were welcome returns off the bench for long-term injury victims Kallan Murphy and Scott Butler.

Leek had the better of the early exchanges and really ought to have taken the lead when a counter-attack saw Hayden Campbell released through the middle, he opted to shoot early rather than take a touch and it resulted in a comfortable save for Luke Hewitson, who also denied Campbell minutes later after he cut-in from the left.

After then, it was the Yellows who created the majority of the chances, albeit all the shots they could muster were straight at ‘keeper Dino Visser, with the exception of an effort from Josh Vela that saw Visser punch away after being wrong-footed.

Brazier should have done better from the left after good work by Matty Waters, shooting straight at Visser, and then he fired a difficult chance on the turn straight at the ‘keeper.

Vela fizzed a rising shot straight at Visser, before Warrington were forced to make a change, Waters helped off to be replaced by Green.

Leek themselves had lost a player through injury too, left-back Ollie Heywood suffering a dislocated shoulder. It only took Green five minutes to make an impact in the first home game of his third spell at the club, getting at Adam Porter on the outside and getting a cross in from the left that was helped on by Elliott Morris for Harris to slide in at the back post to score the first goal in 2026.

The first half ended with a couple of Reece Daly shots both straight at Visser, but the Yellows were in control.

But Leek started the second half strongly and got the equaliser through Shenton on 53 minutes, and nearly took the lead when Connor Heath fired straight across goal and just wide of the far post.

The Yellows couldn’t create anything to trouble Visser, a dangerous cross by Jack Doyle landing between ‘keeper and Murphy about the best chance they had, while Leek almost stole it at the death, Josh Vela blocking a shot by Lucas Weir on the line.

Warrington Town: Hewitson, Melhado, J Doyle, Gumbs, Bourne, Vela, Morris (Murphy 68), Harris (Tweedley 75), Brazier (Butler 90), Daly, Waters (Green 34). Unused sub: Lloyd.

Leek Town: Visser, Curl, Heywood (Buckley 25), Dickinson (Ndene 46), Edwards, Reeves, Hurst, Porter (Weir 70), Heath, Shenton (Owolabi 86), Campbell (Leigh 76).

Post-match reaction