Warrington Town 4 Burscough 0

YELLOWS progressed safely to the second qualifying round of the FA Cup and kept their fifth successive clean sheet in the process.

Tony Gray scored in either half as Town swept past Burscough at Cantilever Park, with Jack Mackreth and substitute Richard Brodie also on target.

They will find out their opponents in the next round on Monday.

Burscough ply their trade in the North West Counties League Premier Division – two leagues below Town – but they could have been ahead inside a minute but Tony McMillan saved from Terry Cummings.

Indeed, the Yellows stopper had to be sharp again to deny Peter Henerty’s strike from distance.

However, Town controlled most of the possession with full-backs Adam Carden and Adam Hughes having particular joy in getting forward.

Dylan Vassallo’s low ball just evaded the sliding Josh Amis before Paul Carden’s side hit the front.

A corner was cleared as far as Ben Garrity, who headed back into the area and nobody picked up Gray ghosting in at the far post to nod home.

The goalscorer then came close to doubling his tally from a corner, but his low effort struck the near post.

Burscough were not without chances and they had another one when Prince Ekpolo robbed Hughes just outside the Town box and set up Calvin Ekpiteta, but he skied his effort well over the bar.

The visitors started the second half brightly, but Amis had the second half’s first chance as he drove into the box and forced a low save from visiting keeper Maxwell Povey.

Yellows soon regained control, though, and the second goal was a quality one.

Mackreth and Rob Evans linked up well down the right wing before the latter sent in a superb cross for Gray to tap home.

Shortly afterwards, Mackreth got in on the act as he robbed a Burscough defender on the edge of the area and cut inside a challenge before sliding past Povey.

Substitute Jack Dunn wasted a glorious chance to get his first Yellows goal when he burst into the box but placed his effort over the bar with only Povey to beat.

However, it was another substitute who rounded off Town’s victory in injury time.

Bohan Dixon, who himself had come off the bench for the final stages, got in behind the visitors’ defence and pulled back for Brodie, who bundled the ball home.

Warrington Town: McMillan, Adam Carden, Hughes, Garrity, Roberts, Raven, Mackreth (Dixon), Evans, Gray (Dunn), Amis (Brodie), Vassallo. Subs not used: Caton, Duggan.