WARRINGTON Rylands' eighth win in a row moved them a step closer to the Northern Premier League West Division title.

Kane Drummond scored in either half as they beat neighbours and fellow promotion hopefuls Runcorn Linnets at Gorsey Lane.

Blues remain four points clear at the top of the table ahead of a crucial trip to second-placed Workington next weekend.

Listen to Rylands manager Dave McNabb's post-match thoughts below

Read Garry Clarke's full match report below

 

WARRINGTON Rylands maintained their four-point lead over Workington at the top of the NPL West table with a hard fought 2-0 win over Cheshire neighbours Runcorn linnets.

On a tense afternoon at Gorsey Lane, both sides looked nervous at the start.

The visitors, looking to claim a play-off spot, started faster, enjoying the better of the opening exchanges but could not find a way past a resolute Rylands defence.

Goalkeeper Graeme McCall was called into action around the half-hour mark to punch away a dangerous free kick and the resultant corner.

Rylands – disrupted by the late withdrawal of two players in the morning and forced into a reshuffle after an injury in the warmup – started to find their feet despite being forced to make two injury-related substitutions in the first half.

They broke the deadlock in the 36th minute – a Declan Walker cross from the right wing found Andy Scarisbrick in the Runcorn area. He knocked the ball down into the path of Kane Drummond, who calmly smashed the ball into the roof of the net from six yards.

Rylands ended the first half on top and started the second in the same manner when Scott Bakkor played in Drummond, who slotted the ball past the Runcorn keeper in the first minute of the second half only to be called back for offside.

Rylands were now in control of the game and had chances to increase their lead through Scarisbrick and Steve Irwin before Bakkor slipped the ball in behind the Runcorn defence in the 61st minute for Drummond to slide the ball into the net.

Shortly after the second goal, McCall was called on to make his first save of the game, diving smartly to his left, but most of the action centred on the Runcorn goal. 

Walker, Irwin and Bakkor all fired shots wide or over the target as Runcorn’s only other attempt on goal came in the final seconds of stoppage time when McCall got down well to his left to keep out a header from a free kick.

Rylands: McCall, Walker, Hunt, Neild, Smith, Egerton, Doyle (Irwin), Lacey, Webb (Bakkor), Scarisbrick, Drummond (Hughes). Subs not used: Tinning, Buxton