Report: Warrington Town 1-1 Stocksbridge Park Steels

Warrington Town were forced to come from behind to rescue a point at home to relegation-threatened Stocksbridge Park Steels.

Scott Butler's deflected long-range strike secured the Yellows a share of the spoils as they ended a run of three straight defeats in the Northern Premier League.

Despite a first half largely dominated by the visitors, the two sides headed into the break goalless.

Manager Paul Carden was indebted to his goalkeeper, Liam Isherwood, who kept out Luke Rawson's penalty after the referee adjudged that Paul Iggulden was felled inside the box.

Stocksbridge, who came into the weekend three points from safety, made much the brighter start and had the ball in the back of net, only for the offside flag to deny Rawson after he had tucked home the rebound after Isherwood saved well from Iggulden.

Eventually the breakthrough did come, after a long throw-in towards the Yellows penalty area which wasn't fully dealt with. Instead, the ball dropped invitingly for Tomas Poole and the Stocksbridge man fired past Isherwood.

That goal proved the catalyst for a Yellows revival, the home side coming on strongly towards the end.

After a sustained spell of pressure, the equaliser came in the final minute of regular time as Butler, who only recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off, took aim from distance and saw his effort take a crucial deflection which wrong-footed Stocksbridge goalkeeper Ben Townsend.

But it was the visitors who came closest to a winner after that, Alfie Bradshaw afforded space near the edge of the box to get an effort away but fire over the bar.

The game ended level, with the Yellows losing further ground in the play-off race.

The club's next game is away at Guiseley on Saturday 21 February, before a return home seven days later to take on Hyde United.