Warrington Town see off South Shields again

WARRINGTON Town came from behind to continue their recent hoodoo over South Shields with a 3-2 win.

Sean Williams’ late free-kick sealed the points after Stefan Mols and Matty McDonald had cancelled out Darius Osei’s opener.

It was what the Yellows deserved as they controlled large parts of the first half, despite falling behind when Osei tapped in from Dillon Morse’s pull-back.

Morse was a second minute substitute for South Shields, who lost Thomas Broadbent in the first minute with an apparent ankle injury following a tackle on Matty McDonald.

McDonald forced a save from Myles Boney early on, while Eddie Clarke’s left foot shot was also tipped wide.

But the hosts were behind after 10 minutes when they failed to clear Mackenzie Heaney’s free-kick, and Morse played it across for Osei to score for a third successive game since his return from a loan spell at Ashton.

There was a bit of fortune about the Yellows’ equaliser, even if it was deserved.

Bohan Dixon took the ball in with a fine first touch, went to round Boney and was brought down, it looked like the ‘keeper might have got the ball, but referee Matthew Baird pointed to the spot.

With regular taker Williams nursing illness on the bench, up-stepped Mols to stroke the ball home from the spot for his sixth of the season.

The Yellows had brought in young goalkeeper Mackenzie Chapman on loan from Bolton, to cover for the suspended Tony Thompson following the well-publicised incident against Guiseley last week.

Chapman hadn’t had much to do before he saved well with his legs to deny Mackenzie Heaney on 38 minutes.

As the half wore on, it appeared both were happy to go in to the break level, though South Shields felt aggrieved that the referee hadn’t played an advantage that would have presented a shooting chance for Blair Adams in first half injury time.

Mols had the best chance of the early stages of the second half, blazing high and wide when well placed, and then Chapman and Andy White somehow managed to keep out Heaney’s low ball aimed for Dylan Mottley-Henry.

For a spell in the middle of the second half, it looked like the game would play out to be a draw, but the Yellows had other ideas.

Jay Harris and Josh Seary linked up well down the right and when Seary’s ball fell for Dixon, his dragged shot across at goal was tapped in by McDonald arriving late at the back post.

South Shields had no response and after Morse had checked Dixon on the edge of the box, Williams struck a low free-kick home just minutes after coming on off the bench.

That third goal proved crucial, Shields finding the net with virtually the last kick of the game through Gary Liddle in the sixth minute of added on time.

Warrington Town: Chapman, Seary, White, Hannigan, Gumbs, Harris, Mols (Duffy), McDonald (Williams), Woods, Dixon, Clarke (Walker). Unused subs: Buckley-Ricketts, Hall.

South Shields: Boney, Hunter, Adams, Liddle, Broadbent (Morse), Smith, Heaney, Briggs (Ross), Osei, Gomes (Mongoy), Mottley-Henry. Unused subs: Doherty, Alessandra.