By Garry Clarke
ATHERTON Collieries ended a six game run without a win with a hard fought 2-0 victory over Warrington Rylands last night.
Rylands never fully got to grips with a sloping bobbly pitch in a scrappy encounter with a strong hard working well organised side.
There was very little goalmouth action in the first half to keep the 272 strong crowd entertained, playing down the considerable Skuna Stadium slope the home side had the better goal scoring opportunities, and only went in at the break goal less due to two fantastic saves by Luke Pilling.
The closest Rylands came to hitting the target in the first half came when Dylan Vassallo’s free kick evaded everyone in the Colls area and drifted just wide of the far post.
Colls playing a more direct style than their visitors started the second half strongly and went close to breaking the deadlock five minutes into the second half. Rylands lost the ball on half way and allowed Colls to break down the left, a low cross found Ben Hardcastle whose shot from close range struck the underside of the bar and rebounded into Pilling’s hands.
The home side took the lead in the 67th minute. In a game littered with fouls, Colls launched a free kick into the Rylands area where it found the head of an unmarked Adam Rooney who guided the ball into the bottom corner with Pilling rooted to the spot.
Pilling made another sharp save in the 75th minute before Rylands broke downfield and had their first shot of the night on target when Vassallo shot from outside the area, Colls keeper Nico Defreitas-Hansen gathered comfortably.
Pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Rylands started to cause a few concerns for the Colls resolute defence, their best chances coming from crosses from the right by Kallum Mantack.
The first was just inches above the head of substitute Daniel Okwute’s head as Defreitas- Hansen missed his punch, the second Johnny Hunt at the far post, his shot whistled just off target with the keeper beaten.
For all of Rylands endeavours, the home side continued to look the more dangerous and were rewarded with a second goal in stoppage time. Trying to dribble out from the back Pilling was caught in possession, losing the ball he allowed Jay Fitzmartin the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net.
Pictures: John Hopkins
RYLANDS – Pilling, Hayde (Robinson), Hunt, Mustoe, Egerton, Hockenhull, Neild, Furman, Pratt (Okwute), Mantack, Vassallo, subs not used Cooke, Wright, N’Mai.
COLLS – N Defreita-Hansen, Rooney, Amado, Brown (Petifer), Lafferty, L Defreitas-Hansen, Hardcastle, Lenehan, Bakkor (Kershaw), Thompson (Fitzmartin), Cusani. Subs not used Ebossele, Peet.
Attendance: 272 Referee: Louis Smith
