Padiham 2 Warrington Town 4

HAT-TRICK hero Ciaran Kilheeney helped Warrington Town move three points clear at the league summit with a win at Padiham on Saturday, to the delight of boss Shaun Reid.

Kilheeney’s opener was followed by loan signing Richard Wright’s first for the club, before the in-form striker added two more after the break.

And Reid was impressed with his side’s performance after weather woes almost saw the game wiped out at the interval.

“He’s banging them in now,” said Reid about Kilheeney. “Both strikers had time out with injuries and it took them a while to get back to match fitness, but he’s in great form and Ben Wharton just needs a goal now.

“They were outstanding, absolutely fantastic in difficult conditions again. The referee pulled me in at half time and I thought he was going to pull it – as you can imagine I wanted it to go ahead.”

Kilheeney broke the deadlock from close range half an hour in, before Fleetwood-loanee Wright converted after the hat-trick hero nodded down Richard Anane’s cross.

Kilheeney added a third from the spot on 54 minutes after Wharton was brought down and, after Padiham mounted a mini comeback with two quick goals, slotted his hat-trick with six minutes remaining.

Town: Ollerenshaw, Anane, Thompson, Wright (Gahgan), Robinson, McKenna, Kilheeney (Bowen), Mannix, Wharton (Ruane), Meakin, Metcalfe. Subs not used: Dawson, Davies.