UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 8th April 2006, 3.00pm
Warrington rock the Moatmen
Lowly Warrington Town dealt Gresley Rovers' play-off hopes a blow at the Moat Ground. However, the results from the other league games meant that the damage was limited.
Every weather condition showed itself during the game ranging from very bright sunshine to heavy dark skies, rain and hail along with at times an almost gale force wind that didn't help either side get into gear.
It was the home side that had the first half chance but Paul Edwards fired David Holmes' right wing cross wide after just 8 minutes.
On 16 minutes Gresley gave the visiting side what is now almost a customary goal lead when after David Holmes had not cleared the danger from a Phil Mitchell corner Stephen Latham found Graeme Mitchell who headed the ball home with the help of the underside off the bar.
Gresley hit back and were unlucky not to have been level three minutes later. A corner from the right by Nicky Carter found the head of Matt Millns but his header smacked the cross bar and away to safety.
The play went to the other end and Dave Shaw was unlucky when his header from Philip Mitchell's corner sailed over the bar.
On 28 minutes Philip Mitchell fired in a shot that fizzed by the junction of post and bar as Warrington gained the upper hand.
However, Gresley got back on terms two minutes later. Millns flicked Carter's free kick into the area and Chris Brindley sent a looping header over keeper Richard Mottram and into the net.
Warrington's defence was breeched again minutes later when Aaron O'Connor and Edwards combined well to assist Tom Betteridge who in turn superbly controlled the ball with his chest before smashing the ball home.
The second half largely belonged to Warrington as Gresley defended deeper and deeper giving the impressive Graeme Mitchell the space to do as he pleased.
He went close on 50 minutes but could only fire his shot wide with just Gresley keeper Tommy Whittle to beat.
Minutes later Gresley had a very good penalty shout when Mickey Lyons was tripped a yard inside the box but amazingly referee Mr Murphy gave a free kick on the edge of the penalty area.
On the hour Whittle denied substitute Dean Jennings twice when he first blocked a fine shot and then by acrobatically tipped over another dipping shot.
On 74 minutes Warrington got the equaliser that had looked certain to come when Graeme Mitchell again evaded Brindley in the Gresley defence before slotting the ball past the helpless Whittle.
All three points where then handed to the visitors with just a couple of minutes remaining. Whittel dashed off his line and took far too long to clear the ball down the left. The ball rebounded off Shaw, who'd closed the keeper down, and into space near the corner flag. With Whittle trying to scuttle back to his goal Shaw sent over a cross that Graeme Mitchell somehow managed to head home at the far post despite Millns and Brindley in close attention to complete his hat trick.
Deep into time added on O'Connor almost grabbed a point for the Moatmen after being put though on goal by Steve Gomm but Mottram did well to block the shot and push the ball away to safety.
Manager's View
"I'm very disappointed. We threw it away in the second half. Again we had to dig ourselves out of trouble in the first half and there where signs of some good football if we could build on it.
"But, all credit to Warrington, they worked very, very hard and they were the only side in it in the second half in an offensive sense. Gradually we sat deeper and deeper during the half and to a man their players were better than ours in the second half and their football was better than ours.
"Yes, we had two or three decent opportunities and on another day they might have gone in but today they didn't and it's cost us. I was disappointed with the penalty because I felt it was a yard inside the box but he gave it on the line. Some you get and some you don't and on this occasion we didn't so we've just got to take that on the chin. And, I'll be looking for a reaction from the players at Kendal on Tuesday night.
"Tommy Whittle made some good saves but he had a big part in their winner but we win, lose or draw as a team. There where others responsible for the goal as well. Yes, he made some vital saves for us and kept us in the game at two-one and that was his first error, I think, since he's been here. Having said that it was still two against one in the box when the cross came over and we should have dealt with it, we didn't and they got the three points that perhaps their second half deserved.
"I'm not going to pull any punches because that was probably the worst forty five minutes we've put in for a long time.
"This defeat doesn't make the task any easier particularly, and no disrespect for Warrington because of the position they are in, we've notoriously slipped up on occasion against sides that you're expected to beat. The guys were focused and they know the run that Warrington were on. Prior to their defeat at Chorley in midweek they'd picked up eleven points and have been beaten once in six games. They are scraping for their lives, they need the points for a very different reason to us but they were just as important for them.
"We've given ourselves a problem again. We got ourselves into a great position with the run over the last four games but we took a step back today. It's still in our own hands but now it looks like it's going to go down to the wire. It doesn't do the finger nails or nerve endings any good.
"We could have done with the points going in to the game at Kendal but going into the eighty eighth minute we were hanging on for a point and we were desperately disappointed to give a goal away like we did. But, we said all along that if we could get a result going into the game at Kendal it would put more confidence into the side winning five on the bounce or even being unbeaten for five games. I've asked the players for a response on Tuesday. It's going to be difficult because it's a midweek game and one of our furthest two away trips of the season and we've got to go and get a reaction. On our day we are capable of competing with anyone but if we play like that we are going to struggle.
"As we came off one or two supporters said we were poor today in the second half and I have to agree. But, we've got to roll our sleeves up - there are five games to go for and we've got to be positive and drive on."
