Spoils are shared in six-goal Warrington derby

A CROWD of 1,520 witnessed a six-goal thriller as Warrington Town and Warrington Rylands shared the spoils at Cantilever Park.

Mitch Duggan’s injury time cross was diverted in to his own net by the unfortunate James Neild as the 10-man Yellows rescued a point after twice coming back from two goals down.

Rylands had been the better team, especially in the first half, despite playing the full game without a recognised goalkeeper – midfielder Steve Irwin donning the number one shirt.

After seeing off a lively first five minutes from the Yellows, the visitors dominated the first half, forcing five corners and coming close when Kane Drummond glanced wide from a John Hunt in-swinger.

It took 37 minutes for the deadlock to be broken though, Drummond brought down by Tom Hannigan in the box enabling Callum Dolan to step up and convert his fifth spotkick of the season.

Dolan then made it a double blow for the Yellows as he latched on to a through ball down the middle and opened up his body to expertly guide it round Tony Thompson and in to the far corner for 2-0.

The Yellows hadn’t troubled Irwin in goal, apart from an incident where Josh Amis bundled the ball home only after fouling the stand-in ‘keeper.

They were much better second half though and following a double change at the break, immediately created two early chances for Isaac Buckley-Ricketts and Josh Amis.

Stefan Mols missed the target from eight yards out off a Buckley-Ricketts full back before Irwin made his first save, a simple catch from a Hannigan header.

A goal finally came for the hosts on 63 minutes when substitute Mitch Duggan’s cross was nodded down by Amis for Mols to bundle home.

But within minutes of that lifeline, the Yellows fell two goals behind again. Drummond scored a brilliant solo goal, waltzing past Hannigan and firing in to the far corner for 3-1.

That left 23 minutes for the hosts to find two and for a while, Rylands managed their threat relatively comfortably with Dean Furman and Jak McCourt protecting the back four and their ‘keeper.

With seven minutes to go, Luke Duffy fizzed a shot that deflected home to give hope, but when Buckley-Ricketts fired a shot just wide of the far post it looked like that might be that.

As the clock ticked over to 90, Bohan Dixon saw red for a rash foul in the corner on Niah Payne but that wasn’t the end of the drama.

The Yellows worked their way forward and Duggan’s low cross bounced in off Nield and the spoils were shared on a landmark occasion for football in the town.

Warrington Town: Thompson, Seary (Duggan), White, Hannigan, Gumbs, Harris, Mols, Williams (Buckley-Ricketts), Amis, Dixon, Howard (Duffy). Unused subs: McDonald, Walker.

Warrington Rylands: Irwin, Neild, Hunt, Egerton, Mustoe, McCourt, Dolan, Furman, Brooke, N’mai (Payne), Drummond. Unused subs: Hayde, Morris, Langley.