Warrington Town 2 Kendal Town 1

CIARAN Kilheeney continued his rich goal-scoring form with a crucial second half winner to help Warrington Town defeat Kendal 2-1.

A hat-trick hero at Padiham last weekend, Kilheeney made it six goals in three games, bundling home from David Mannix's low corner.

Earlier, Maison McGeechan had cancelled out Aaron Bowen's opener for Town, who once again move three points clear at the top of the league table.

Yorkshire side Farsley are currently sitting in second, with the much anticipated clash between Curzon Ashton, now four points behind Town with three games in hand, and Darlington a victim of the weather, giving Shaun Reid's side the chance to put space between themselves and what are predicted to be their most likely title rivals.

In atrocious weather conditions, Scott Metcalfe dragged a left-foot shot wide of the post early on, but Town only had to wait 12 minutes to get on the scoresheet. Bowen, preferred to Ben Wharton from the start, surged down the left hand side before cutting in to curl home a right-footed shot inside the far post for a fine solo goal.

The lead was short-lived, Town failing to properly clear from a corner and striker McGeechan firing past Josh Ollerenshaw with a low half-volley through a ruck of bodies in the box.

Neither side created much in the shape of clear cut chances, and the second quarter proved to be increasingly scrappy. Town captain David Mannix picked up a yellow card for a confrontation with Danny Mitchley, which saw the latter throw himself to the floor after what appeared to be a soft push.

The half-time break came at the right time for the home side, and they were back in the lead within 10 minutes of the restart.

After forcing a succession of corners, they prevailed when Mannix curled one in low to the near post and Kilheeney found the back of the net.

That gave Town the lead they wanted, and they set about seeing out the game protecting it.

Bowen perhaps should have sealed the three points on the hour mark, his header down blocked close to the line after substitute Wharton had released hard-working Richard Wright down the right.

Kendal had struggled to create anything in the final third until the last 10 minutes, when a back-pedalling Ollerenshaw was forced to tip a header on to the bar.

Mitchley, who was booked for diving in the second half, hit the woodwork late on with a first time shot, but Town held on for another vital three points in their promotion chase.

Warrington: Ollerenshaw, Anane, Corrigan, Meakin, McKenna, Robinson, Wright, Mannix, Bowen (Ruane), Kilheeney (Wharton), Metcalfe. Unused subs: Dawson, Davies, McCarten.

Kendal: McDonald, Ross, Smith, Beattie, Bell, Brown, Mercer (Wilson), Coid, Mitchley, McGeechan, Rushton. Unused subs: Finney, Hoctor, Mathieson, Watson.

Attendance: 229