WARRINGTON Town paid the penalty for not taking their chances as they suffered a surprise 0-2 home defeat to near neighbours Trafford.
After beating their visitors away from home earlier in the season and a recent run of good league form Town hoped to continue their push for the play-offs but were brought back down to earth with a bump.
Prior to kick-off there was a minutes silence in memory of club cater Simon Hitchmough who tragically died on a family holiday aged just 36, the previous weekend.
Town had the first chance of the game with Jimmy McCarthy and then striker Tony Evans forcing keeper Tom Read into a double save. Mike Grogan saw his header beat Read but defender Paul Ashton cleared the ball off the line. The visitors were next to go close, with winger Scott Metcalfe first shooting over when well placed and
then glancing a header across the face of Town’s goal. The last chance of the half fell to Trafford midfielder Shelton Payne, who shot narrowly across the face of the goal.
Town came out with far more purpose in the second half, but despite some fine build up work could not put in an effort of note to test Read, Grogan going closest, seeing his shot go narrowly wide. Evans went close to putting Town ahead, but saw his effort saved by Read. A piece of quick thinking from centre half Mike Tomlinson tested Read, who had to back pedal quickly to save Tomlinsons quickly taken 60 yard free kick effort.
Town fell behind in the 72nd minute when Metcalfe, who arguably, could have been red carded for leading with the elbow on fullback Lee Smith in the first half, ran onto substitute Joe Shaw’s through ball to clinically drive past Richie Mottram in the Town goal.
Despite going behind, Town could not raise their game in pursuit of an equaliser and fell further behind in the 82nd minute when Metcalfe dispatched a penalty after Mottram committed a foul on substitute Marvin McDonald.
Town now had to raise their game and had the ball in the net when Richie Chetcuti beat Trafford’s offside trap and squared to the on-rushing Evans who tapped home from close range, only to see the linesman raise his flag for offside, despite appearing to be well onside when the ball was played across the box. It was clearly not going to be Warrington’s Day.
Town are next in action when they travel to AFC Fylde in the 3rd Round of the President’s Cup, tomorrow, Tuesday, kick off 7.45pm followed by a trip to high flying Curzon Ashton next Saturday, kick off 3pm.
Pictures show the players paying their last respects to club caterer Simon Hitchmough, Chris Gahgan taking on the Trafford defence and Grogan heading just wide.
Town: Mottram, Smith (Kennedy, 79), Kinsey (Chetcuti, 79), Hardwick, Tomlinson (c), Taylor (O’Donnell 79), Hadland, Grogan, Evans, McCarthy, Gahgan, subs not used: Roberts, Brown
