Report: Warrington Town 1-4 Curzon Ashton

Two former Yellows players returned to haunt Warrington Town as they were humbled 4-1 at home by Curzon Ashton on Bank Holiday Monday.

Stefan Mols, part of last season’s promotion-winning team, won a free-kick and a penalty that were both converted in the final two minutes of the first half to put the visitors in control.

The penalty was scored by Will Hayhurst, who featured for the Yellows in the 2017/18 season, and he then lashed home a third after more good work by Mols.

Those were the only three attempts on goal in the opening hour of a dour game that did little to showcase the merits of having two games within 72 hours over the Bank Holiday weekend.

BUY NOW: Home tickets

Despite making three changes, including a return to the starting team for Andy White, the Yellows looked sluggish and unbeaten Curzon were happy to get men behind the ball and kept possession well.

There had been very little in the game until the 44th minute when Mols was felled by Mitch Duggan on the edge of the box, and Jordan Richards stepped up to fire in to the right corner with Tony Thompson motionless in the Yellows goal.

It went from bad to worse for the Yellows before half-time when Mols backed himself past Peter Clarke, who then dragged him back in the box for a penalty, from which Hayhurst sent the ‘keeper the wrong way.

That left the Yellows needing at least two goals in a game that had seen no chances before the double blow, and Mark Beesley made two changes at the break, introducing Jordan Buckley and Aaron Bennett.

Bennett at least helped the hosts command more possession, but they couldn’t carve out an opening of their own before Mols again caused problems for Clarke and squared for Hayhurst to lash in to the top corner from the edge of the box.

There was never likely to be a comeback from 3-0 down, with only a Matty Grivosti shot whistling just wide of the post, before the Yellows got on the scoresheet following a period of play that saw more shots on target than in the entire match before it.

Buckley’s header was cleared off the line, Tom Hannigan’s shot was blocked on the rebound and then Andy White’s drilled drive was parried by Cameron Mason in to the path of on-loan South Shields striker Dylan Mottley-Henry to nod home.

SHOP NOW: Yellows merchandise

The visitors had the final say though, substitute Miles Storey racing down the left to play it across for Isaac Sinclair, who played for Bamber Bridge in the Northern Premier League play-off final at Cantilever Park in May, to tap home and wrap up the win.

The Yellows are next in action away to Brackley Town on Saturday, before welcoming Spennymoor Town to the UNIS Compliance Stadium the following Tuesday.

Warrington Town: Thompson, Walker (Buckley-Ricketts), White, Hannigan, Woods (Buckley), Williams, Pettifer (Bennett), Mottley-Henry, Duggan, Grivosti, Clarke.

Unused subs: Murray, Atherton.

Curzon Ashton: Mason, Poscha, Matthews, Kenyon (Sinclair), Spencer, Hayhurst (Mahon), Waring, Mols (Storey), Richards, Allen, Barton.

Unused subs: Walker, Ollerenshaw.