By Tony Bennett · Published January 2023
Blues fall to derby defeat
The yellow colours were flying highest as the local bragging rights went to Warrington Town as the first all Warrington derby staged at Gorsey Lane for nearly 45 years ended in favour of the visitors.
The vanquished manager Jody Banim described it as a game of two halves, with Warrington Rylands enjoying the better of the first half and Warrington Town the better of the second.
With kick off delayed by 15 minutes to allow the record breaking 1,809 strong crowd to enter the ground, the home side took the lead in the 5th minute, A-Jay Leitch-Smith cut inside to fire home after Kelly N’Mai beat a defender to the ball to pull it back to Leitch-Smith.
Rylands were now dominating the game, Leitch-Smith almost became provider ten minutes later as he played in Kyle Hayde but his shot flew high over the bar, while Leitch-Smith fired in to the side netting and Ben Hockenhull had a header from a corner headed off the line.
Town’s best chance in the first half came on the half hour when a long range shot by Jay Harris was cleared off the line by Kyle Hayde with debutant keeper Luke Pilling outside his area.
N’Mai who hooked as shot over the bar and had another saved was felled just before half time in the penalty area but the referee ignored Rylands shouts for a penalty.
After the game caretaker-manager Banim said “the first half was probably the best we have played this season, but we did not get going on the second half and have conceded two poor goals.”
The first of which came seven minutes after the restart. Town cleared a free kick from their area, Jordan Buckley picked up the loose ball raced half the length of the pitch and held off several defenders to slot the ball low past the keeper.
Town were now starting to get on top and Pilling was forced into making a good save to deny Josh Amiss after he had given the ball away. Just after the hour mark Town took the lead when a Sean Williams corner found Buckley unmarked in the centre leaving him the simple task of heading the ball into the net unchallenged.
Rylands pushed more men forward in search of an equalizer but were unable to find a way through a hard working Town outfit who held on for the win, the nearest they came to an equalizer was when Hayde’s inswinging ball caused mass panic as it goes all the way to the far post, but out for a goal kick.
Rylands: Pilling, Hayde, Mantack (Pratt), Duxbury, Egerton, Hockenhull, Neild (McCourt), Furman, Leitch-Smith, N'Mai, Vassallo (Cooke). Subs not used: Hunt, Mustoe Town: Thompson, Walker, White, Hannigan, Gumbs, Harris, Buckley (Clarke), Williams (Duggan), Amis, Dixon, McDonald. Subs not used: Buckley-Ricketts, Duffy, Mols
GOALS – Rylands Leitch-Smith 8 Town Buckley 52, 63
Attendance 1,809 Referee Luis Griffiths
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