Warrington Town 3 South Shields 0

YELLOWS proved their Evo-Stik Premier Division title credentials with an impressive, deserved victory over leaders South Shields at Cantilever Park

Bohan Dixon gave the hosts a half-time lead before Jake Kirby marked his debut in style with the killer second goal and Josh Amis added the sealer in injury time to send Paul Carden's side to the top of the division.

READ: Post-match reaction from Yellows boss Paul Carden

The result, which also sees their run without conceding a league goal stretch past the 11-hour mark, sees them jump above their visitors and second-placed Scarborough.

The visitors were promoted from the Evo-Stik First Division North last year and are well-fancied for another league title.

They monopolised possession early on while not troubling the Yellows rearguard, but they were quick to win the ball back on the rare occasions it fell to a Warrington man.

Paul Carden was keen to use speedy wideman Jack Mackreth as an out-ball, but he and fellow winger Dylan Vassallo were quickly doubled-up on by the Mariners defence.

However, for all their dominance of the ball, the closest they came was a Gary Brown effort from a corner which was deflected behind, while Robert Briggs curled a free-kick harmlessly over.

At the other end, Robbie Evans crunched a long-range effort over the bar while Dixon chipped harmlessly wide after visiting keeper Liam Connell came off his line to head an awkward bouncing ball into his path.

Dixon’s radar was much more in tune with eight minutes to go until half time.

He linked up excellently with Tony Gray before expertly turning his marker and firing into the far corner.

The theme of Town continuing to frustrate South Shields continued after the break, with Gray doing well to work room to curl an effort straight at Connell.

A sliced clearance from Brown then looped dangerously up in the air, but Connell was able to punch away despite intense pressure from substitute Kirby.

When the Mariners did finally create a chance in the Yellows box, it was spooned way over the bar on the volley by Blair Adams.

South Shields got more and more frustrated as their play became fragmented, and Town made them pay.

A defensive mistake saw the ball fall to Kirby on the edge of the area, and he rifled the ball into the roof of the net to send the packed Cantilever Bridge end wild.

Josh Amis then went agonisingly close to a third goal on the counter-attack, but he shot narrowly over after powering into the area.

Despite the towering presence of former Durham and Kent cricketer Ben Harmison in the visiting attack, Yellows comfortably repelled everything that was thrown at them to secure their most impressive win of the campaign to date.

Amis added the coup de grace in injury time as he tapped home after Ben Garrity won the ball back.

Warrington Town: McMillan, Duggan, Whittle, Garrity, Roberts, Raven, Mackreth, Evans, Gray (Kirby), Dixon (Amis), Vassallo (George). Subs not used: A Carden, Dunn.