Hot and cold Town (From Warrington Guardian)

Hot and cold Town

WARRINGTON Town joint manager Glenn Walker is hoping the right team turn up when his side travel to second-placed Kendal Town on Saturday.

Walker, together with fellow joint boss Nick Armitage, is growing increasingly frustrated at his team's Jekyll and Hyde nature this season, graphically illustrated in their 2-1 defeat at Stocksbridge Park Steels at the weekend.

Town, who still lie in the relegation zone in the UniBond First Division, found themselves two goals down at the interval after what Walker described as a 'shocking' first-half performance but rallied and could easily have forced a draw against promotion-seeking Stocksbridge.

Walker believes Town are capable of gaining a surprise result at Kendal, who they face in back-to-back matches, if they repeat their second-half display but is calling for an end to their erratic form.

"Kendal will be very tough in the position we're in, we're under no illusions about that," he said.

"We don't know which team is going to turn up, sometimes we're very poor and sometimes we're very good.

"We sit down after games and discuss it, maybe it's a confidence thing. Early doors we're a bit edgy then we seem to relax when we go behind.

"But if we play like we did in the second half at Stocksbridge we've got a chance of causing an upset."

Town hope to sign former Marine midfielder Ben Kay, who was a trainee at Wigan Athletic and made one appearance in the LDV Vans Trophy, from Congleton in time to figure at Kendal.

Phil Mitchell may return after a knee injury but recent signing Matthew McKay is expected to play for the reserves to build up his fitness.

Graeme Mitchell again came off the bench to score a late goal at Stocksbridge on Saturday but it was not enough to secure a result this time.

Mitchell's low, angled drive in the 89th minute gave the keeper no chance and earned him his fourth substitute goal in four league appearances, but Town were already two goals down at that stage.

Town, who handed first starts to Dave Shaw and youngster Liam Warburton, could have taken the lead when Dave Tickle's shot flew over the bar but fell behind in the 18th minute as Dave Cockerill converted for Stocksbridge.

Chris Bermingham almost equalised when his free kick rattled the bar, while Michael Owen's header from the rebound landed on the roof of the net.

But the home side doubled their lead two minutes before the break thanks to Stefan Zoll's strike, and Tickle's attempts to pull a goal back were denied by a great second-half save from the Stocksbridge keeper.

Shaw also twice went close after the interval before Mitchell's late strike.

Town: Richie Mottram, Steve Latham, Chris Fitzsimmons, Liam Warburton (Steve Akrigg 77mins), Dougie Pitts, Michael Owen, Danny Salt (Graeme Mitchell 69mins), Dave Tickle, Dave Shaw, Neil Sutch (Tommy Taylor 63mins), Chris Bermingham.