Penalty turns tide against Town

A penalty in the 20th minute proved to be the turning point as Warrington Town crashed out of the F.A. Trophy 5-2 at higher league Whitby Town on the East coast.
Warrington raced into an 8th minute lead with a great solo effort from in form striker Jimmy McCarthy (pictured) at the seaside town resort.
With Town totally dominating the opening exchanges they saw two more efforts ruled out for what must have bene marginal off-side decisions. On another day McCarthy’s second effort and a super strike by Tony Evans would have seen Warrington out of sight at 3-0.
But it wasn’t to be Warrington’s day as Whitby got back on level terms against the run of play.
Warrington were dispossessed near half way and could have easily been given a free kick but Whitby broke upfield with skipper Mike Thomlinson seeing red with a lunging tackle and Anthony Hackworth converting from the penalty spot on 21 minutes.
Manager Joey Dunn had to reshuffle his team with striker Evans dropping back to plug the hole left by Tomlinson in the centre of defence.
The tide had now turned against Warrington as the home side dominated possession with Ashley Lyth finding a way through on 34 minutes to make it 2-1 at the break.
Three goals in six minutes took the game out of reach as Jimmy Beadle struck after 51 and 56 minutes with Daniel Brunskill finding the back of the net straight from the kick off as Warrington looked in disarray.
To their credit Town dug deep for their vocal supporters and the industrious McCarthy got a late consolation goal with a great lob over the keeper.
After the match Tomlinson was gutted for his team mates after only the second sending off of his 13 year career, in his first game back after serving a one match ban for his first ever dismissal at Radcliffe in the F.A Cup.
Warrington will now hope to bounce back on Tuesday night when they entertain Skelmersdale in a league clash at Cantilever Park, kick off 7.45pm.
After the match a disappointed Town manager Joey Dunn said: “That’s football for you. On another day we would have been 3-0 up and had the game in the bag. The penalty changed the game and while I have no complaints against the penalty but I think the sending off was a little harsh.
“Thommo made a genuine attempt to play the ball.”

Town: Mottram, Grogan, Kinsey, Hardwick, Tomlinson (c), Taylor (Smith, 67), Hadland, Connelly (Chetcuti, 52), Evans, McCarthy, McLennan (Brown, 71)