Warrington Town 0 Cammell Laird 2

WARRINGTON will need to follow one of their worst performances of the season with the best when unbeaten Skelmersdale United arrive in town this Saturday.

Tommy Lawson’s in-form side, paired with Football Conference giants Luton Town in the FA Trophy’s last 16, have won each of the six Evo-Stik NPL Division One North matches they have played on the road this season.

They hammered Yellows 4-1 back in August too.

Skipper Peter Dogan is a likely absentee after suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder for the fourth time this term.

Surprise packages Cammell Laird closed to within a point of Shaun Reid’s team after a New Year’s Day success secured by second half goals from Aaron Bowen and ex-Town man Michael Grogan.

It was no less than they deserved too.

Warrington might have edged ahead shortly after the interval when Kevin Townson shot wide when well-placed, but they were punished when Bowen slid a neat finish past custodian Andy Robertson.

The hosts rallied, John Miles’ free kick clattering the woodwork before substitute Ashley Ruane fired too close to Laird custodian Kevin Atherton.

Cammell Laird were again clinical in reply though, Grogan reacting quickest to send a loose ball into the net after Robertson had reached at full stretch to deny Bowen a second goal.

Ruane again was denied by Atherton, although Town were grateful for Robertson’s acrobatics to thwart substitute Sean Richards with time running out.

A second successive defeat leaves Warrington placed eighth in the table, two points adrift of the play-offs places, although having played more matches than all of the teams above them.

Town: Robertson, Davies, Doran, Dogan (Andy Kilheeney, 29), McCarten, Mitter, McCarthy (West, 88), Mooney, Townson (Ruane, 72), Miles, Ciaran Kilheeney. Subs not used: Reid, Coulter.