Warrington Rylands 1 Marine 4, match summary

There was not too much to choose between the two teams but Marine collected all three points with a clinical professional performance.

The game, especially in the first half, ebbed and flowed with play switching from end to end with both sides enjoying periods in the ascendancy.

All pictures by John Hopkins

Marine dominated the opening exchanges without looking like scoring, while Rylands created the better chances, Owen Robinson heading wide from a Matty Hughes cross and Charlie Doyle having a shot blocked on the line.

Relieving a spell of Rylands pressure, Marine broke away and broke the deadlock in the 25th minute.

A cross into the Rylands area after a length of the pitch break was not properly cleared allowing Alex Doyle time and space on the edge of the area to pick his spot and despatch the ball into the bottom corner.

Six minutes later James Devine went close to doubling his side's advantage but Rylands goalkeeper Graeme McCall managed to catch Devine’s free kick underneath his crossbar.

Marine’s second goal 10 minutes into the second half came in a similar fashion to their first. With Rylands pushing forward Marine broke away, Nial Cummins drew McCall to one side of his area and slipped the ball to Neil Kengni who slotted the ball home.

Marine’s extra experience of playing at higher levels of football started to tell as they controlled the game and added a third 10 minutes later.  Rylands conceded a soft free kick on the edge of their area. James Brannigan played the ball into the six-yard box where Cummins bundled it into the net.

Rylands pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when substitute Tom Freeman, playing his first game of the season, cut inside and fired a shot from outside the area under the diving body of the Marine keeper.

Any hope of an amazing comeback were extinguished in the 84th minute when Kyle Hayde floated a free kick from out on the right flank into the Rylands area, the flight of the ball deceived everyone as it flew into the net.

McCall prevented Kengni from making it five for the visitors in stoppage time with a fine save, while his opposite number Bayleigh Passant saved a header from Kane Drummond.

With the last kick of the game debutant full back Declan Walker nudged the ball inches over the Marine bar after Hughes had flicked a long throw into the box.

Warrington Rylands: McCall, Walker, Wall (Freeman), Smith, Egerton, Earl (Tinning), Doyle, Coveney, Hughes, Robinson (Denman), Drummond. Subs not used: Lees, Dolan

Marine: Passant, Solomon-Davies (McNally), Joyce, Hayde, Shaw, Devine, Watkinson(Lynch), Doyle, Cummins (Reilly), Barrigan, Kengni. Subs: McNally, Hughes, Roberts, Reilly, Lynch.

Attendance: 236

Dave McNabb's men will aim to bounce back to winning ways when they visit Mossley on Saturday.