Warrington Town captain Josh Amis 'over the moon' with promotion

Before Isaac Buckley-Ricketts’ shot hit the net, the skipper was cutting a distraught figure in the dressing room having been sent off 10 minutes later.

Upon hearing the cheers of the sold-out Cantilever Park crowd, however, despair turned to relief for the man who has led from the front all season.

Josh Amis is distraught as he leaves the field following his red card (Image: Sean Walsh)

“I was in the shower, to be honest – my head had gone,” Amis told the Guardian.

“The next minute, I heard the cheers and I was rushing to get clothes back on and get back out there!

“It’s an unbelievable feeling – I’ve been here five years now so to actually get over the line, I’m over the moon.

“We’ve hit the bar a couple of times – winning the play-offs one year and not actually going up then getting beat at Scarborough last year.

“All credit to the lads – after getting sent off, they’ve pulled me out of it and won it for me.”

Amis celebrates with Tom Hannigan at full time (Image: Sean Walsh)

Amis’ 12 goals this season – including eight in the final 10 games – saw him finish as the side’s leading goalscorer in this historic campaign.

In total, he has 49 in 159 appearances since joining the club back in 2018 and since then, he has been part of several falls at the final promotion hurdle.

Having been asked to take over the captaincy for this season following Mark Roberts’ retirement, he says it makes getting over the line at long last even sweeter.

Now, attention turns to how the club will handle the step up to the sixth tier of English football but Amis, who has experience of playing in the National League North with Stockport County, believes they can continue to look upwards.

“It’s a big step up but to be honest, I think it will suit the lads we have here,” he said.

“There will be better pitches, better facilities and the like and I think the players we’ve got are well equipped for the National League North.

“Most of them have played at that level and the young lads we have coming through deserve the chance to do so.

“To get asked to captain the side this year was such a proud moment but for this to actually be the year we do it, I’m absolutely made up.

“You can see the club growing and we’re getting more and more fans coming. Every week you’re seeing new people here and there’s loads coming up to you saying how well you’re doing.

“It’s a big town and it’s mainly a rugby town but with the backing we’re getting and will hopefully continue to get, I don’t see any limit to where we can go.”

Josh Amis lifts the trophy (Image: Jonathan Moore)