PAUL Carden says scoring just before half time was pivotal in Warrington Town’s victory over Hednesford Town on Saturday.

Josh Amis gave Yellows a lead they would not relinquish just before the break at Cantilever Park after Dylan Vassallo’s early opener had been cancelled out by Shane Benjamin.

Amis doubled his tally after the interval to seal a 3-1 victory that took Town two points clear at the top of the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

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Carden admitted Amis’ first goal came slightly against the run of play as Hednesford took the game to the hosts after equalising.

He also expressed his frustration that his side did not control the game better after taking an early lead but was happy to take the victory.

“To go in 2-1 up at half time was a positive given the way we played and we’ll obviously take the three points,” he said.

“There’s no airs and graces about Hednesford. They’re direct and they play it up to the front two who stay high.

“They try and pen you in and load the midfield. They turn you round and make you defend your area and we had to stand up to that.

“I thought we started the game well in the first 10-15 minutes.

“We scored a really well-worked goal and I thought we were going to go on but for some reason we just started getting caught.

“It gave them a lift and we didn’t really deal with them for a 15-20 minute spell after we scored.

“We scored probably a little bit against the run of play just before half-time. It was just a routine clearance which is something we should have been doing earlier.

“They were locking down on us in midfield and not giving us chance to play. Sometimes you have to turn teams and stretch them to give yourself that space.

“Once Josh is running alongside any centre-half in the league, there aren’t many who will out-pace and out-muscle him.”

The victory gave them a cushion over second-place South Shields, whom they travel to on Saturday.

However, the Mariners can jump back above them in the table if they win their game in hand at struggling Grantham Town tomorrow night.

Third-place Farsley Celtic, who have played two games fewer than Yellows, can also jump above them tomorrow but it would take an emphatic victory at Gainsborough to do so.