Warrington Rylands 2 Marine 0, Northern Premier League

More than 800 supporters were inside Gorsey Lane to see Blues beat fellow top-five hopefuls Marine, with a goal in either half doing the job.

Mo Touray put the hosts in front midway through the first half, sliding the ball home having been found by James Neild’s through ball.

Rylands then found a crucial second goal in the early stages of the second half, with Djavan Pedro crashing in a shot from the edge of the area.

Blues remain second after a fifth win in their last six games and their cushion inside the play-off spots is now eight points with four games remaining.

Rylands: Pilling, Smith, Swaby-Neavin, Neild, Butler, Furman, Hardcastle, Hough, Pedro (Cockerline), Touray (Shenton), Baillie (Burns). Subs not used: Duffy, Brockbank

Mo Touray slots home Rylands' opener (Image: Mark Percy)

Read Matt Turner's verdict on the game below

SOME results just feel bigger than others.

For Warrington Rylands, this was quite the statement to make in what could end up being a dress rehearsal for the play-offs.

If they do end up meeting Marine again with more on the line than there was today, they now have the blueprint of how to get the job done – but it is one they have been following all season.

Their exceptional work rate and organisation meant that there was always a strong chance Mo Touray’s first-half opener would prove terminal for the visitors, and so it proved.

It was a deserved goal when it came, with Blues the livelier side in what was a scrappy game while Marine were sloppy and lethargic.

Mo Touray celebrates scoring the opener (Image: Mark Percy)

And even as they pushed on and became more of a force after the break, they met with a Rylands defence in no mood to concede.

The two Jameses – Butler and Neild – were superb in the heart of the back line while in front of them, Ben Hough hassled and harried to ensure the midfield exchanges went the way of the hosts.

Marine are a side that included a lot of attacking talent, but they could not combine to force Luke Pilling into more than one meaningful save.

They had been building momentum in the early stages of the second half, but Djavan Pedro’s superbly-finished second goal let all of the air out of their tyres.

Djavan Pedro's shot would end up in the back of the net to double Rylands' lead (Image: Mark Percy)

It would take quite a collapse to let a play-off place slip away now, so now it all seems to be about jostling for position in the four games that remain.

Of course, home advantage would be preferred but given they remain unbeaten away from home this season, they will even be relaxed about that.

In every possible respect, Rylands hold all of the cards.

The celebrations that followed Djavan Pedro's goal (Image: Mark Percy)