Witton Albion 1 Warrington Town 2

DIFFERENT year, same outcome.

Just like on Boxing Day last year, Warrington Town plundered a late victory over their neighbours thanks to a goal from a substitute.

This time Jack Mackreth took up the hero’s mantle to break Witton hearts, just when they looked set to push for an impressive win.

Evan Gumbs’ late red card for a dangerous tackle put Town's four-game winning run in grave jeopardy, but Paul Carden will be delighted that, for the second game running, Yellows dug deep.

Jack Dunn’s early goal gave them the ideal start, but a horror moment from goalkeeper Charlie Albinson handed James Foley an equaliser the hosts barely deserved from the penalty spot.

With a trip to play-off rivals Basford United looming large on the horizon on Saturday, Paul Carden opted to shuffle his pack.

Two of the players who came in – Connor McCarthy and Dom Reid – played a massive role in giving the visitors the perfect start.

They linked up superbly on the edge of the Witton area, with McCarthy flicked the ball round the corner for Dunn, whose finish beyond Greg Hall in the home goal was unerring.

Jack Dunn fires Warrington Town ahead. Picture by John Hopkins

Dunn, McCarthy and Reid caused the Witton defence all sorts of problems with their movement up front, with the hosts often left chasing shadows.

They were not without their threats, though as Mark Roberts narrowly avoided an own goal as he headed Antony Gardner’s cross behind.

However, almost all the traffic was heading in the other direction.

They looked particularly threatening on the counter-attack, with Reid firing over when well-placed inside the box before McCarthy was denied his first Yellows goal by a superb Hall save after he latched onto Adam Hughes’ cross.

Ben Garrity then thudded a header against the crossbar, and Town were made the pay for their profligacy just before the break.

Albinson panicked when all he needed to do was collect a routine long ball, but pressure from home skipper Rob Hopley led to him dropping the ball and bundling the forward over.

Referee Jonathan Maskrey had little option but to point to the spot, with the on-loan Blackburn stopper fortunate to escape without further punishment.

Foley then compounded his misery by sending him the wrong way from the spot.

The fog eerily rolled in as the second half got underway, but Yellows showed that, initially at least, they were undeterred by the blow of losing their lead.

They almost completely monopolised possession but found the Witton defence – the league’s second most miserly after their own – tough to break down.

Indeed, it was the hosts who had the clearest sight of goal when a corner fell for former Town midfielder Billy Smart, who failed to make a telling connection.

Foley and Hopley both then went close as the hosts started to scent the chance of victory.

For all of their possession, Town struggled to make a real dent on Witton, with Josh Amis’ wild effort from the edge of the area about as good as it got.

That was, however, until Dunn took aim from a free kick only to see it smash off the woodwork.

That proved the catalyst for a dramatic finish as Town were forced to see out the game with 10 men.

Gumbs appeared to win the ball in a challenge with Hopley, but the referee deemed him to have used excessive force and sent him for an early bath.

However, the sense of injustice only seemed to spur them on.

They left Mackreth up front on his own as a pacey outlet, and it paid dividends as he raced onto a through ball and slid the ball under Hall.

They still had to survive a late scare, with Albinson making up for his first-half howler to make a big save from a goalmouth scramble to make sure Yellows made the short trip back to Warrington with the points.

Warrington Town: Albinson, Duggan, Hughes, Gumbs, Roberts, Raven, Reid (Mackreth), Garrity, McCarthy (Amis), Dixon (Vassallo), Dunn. Subs not used: Evans, Gray