Last gasp derby victory for Rylands at Widnes

By Garry Clarke Pictures Mark Percy

IT was a late one but Declan Walker’s last gasp goal deep into stoppage time got 2022 off to a winning start for Warrington Rylands with a 0-1 derby victory away at Widnes.

With time running out, Rylands launched one last desperate attack on their host’s goal, debutant James Neild, recently signed from Trafford, played a hopeful long ball into a packed Widnes penalty area.

Declan Walker, the game’s outstanding player, leapt highest looping his header over the Widnes goalkeepers head into the back of the net sparking wild scenes of celebration on and off the pitch.

Such a dramatic ending could not have been envisaged throughout the previously scrappy 96 minutes, although Rylands did have the ball in the Widnes net in the 28th minute but Andy Scarisbrick’s effort was disallowed for offside in the buildup.

The home side, struggling in the lower reaches of the NPL West table, almost caught their visitors cold in the 2nd minute when Stephen Rigby forced his way into the area, Rylands goalkeeper Graeme McCall did well to turn his shot around the post for a corner.

For the majority of the game McCall was a virtual spectator, just collecting the occasional high ball played into his area and watching shots fly high or wide of his goal. The closest Widnes came to scoring was in the 71st minute when Jordan Barrow fired a shot into the side netting.

For Owen Wheeler at the other end it was a similar brief, apart from having to punch away a dangerous Walker corner in the opening exchanges he was only required to catch a few crosses or corners.

Although never at their best against hosts whose whole game plan revolved around frustrating their opponents, Rylands dominated possession for large periods of the game, but also struggled to find the target with numerous shots and headers.

Widnes were reduced to ten men in the 85th minute when referee Anthony Ball dismissed their captain James McCulloch for a second bookable offence when he felled Matty Hughes on the edge of the area.

With 7 minutes of stoppage time, mostly accrued due to the home side’s time-wasting, played there was barely time for Widnes to re-start the game after Walker’s dramatic intervention before the referee’s final whistle brought to an end Warrington Rylands first game of 2022.

WIDNES –Wheeler, Hatton, Bell, Hajdari, McQuade, McCulloch, Rigby, Barrow, McMillan (McCarrager), Jennings (Holden), McGrath (Sambor). Subs not used Glass, Price.

RYLANDS – McCall, Walker, Tinning, Neild, Egerton, Buxton (Francis), Doyle, Gerrard (Earl), Dolan, Scarisbrick, Drummond (Hughes). Subs not used Denman, Cunningham.

GOAL – Rylands Walker 97

ATTENDANCE 263