WARRINGTON Town stepped up their preparations for the new season last night with a test against Football League opposition.
They welcome League Two outfit Accrington Stanley to Cantilever Park and gave a strong display in spite of losing 3-2.
With just under a month until the National League North season begins, many players featured for the full 90 minutes as they gear up for the opening day clash with Southport on August 5.
All five goals came in an entertaining first half, with a hat-trick from an Accrington trialist proving the difference.
It was the visitors who opened the scoring after just two minutes following a neat move on the left, but Town soon hit back with two exquisite goals of their own.
First, Luke Duffy showed his nimble footwork to bewitch the Stanley defence and finish coolly after getting into a shooting position.
Then, Town broke from a Stanley corner and after bearing down on goal and beating the last defender, Connor Woods produced another calm finish to put the hosts ahead.
The visitors were level shortly afterwards as the trialist prodded home from close range after a corner was nodded into his path, but Yellows then created several chances as they took control.
Duffy and Andy White both went close before Stanley keeper Liam Isherwood was forced into good saves to deny first Bohan Dixon then Woods.
On the stroke of half time, however, the professional outfit scored what turned out to be the winner as the trialist completed his hat-trick with another close-range finish as Town struggled to clear their lines.
“It was a great game – it was really end-to-end at times in the first half,” manager Mark Beesley said.
“From our point of view, to go and match a team that’s just come out of League One for large parts of the game is pleasing.
“They showed a bit of quality with their goals and we were probably a little bit sloppy at times, especially with the one from a set-piece.
“But we more than matched them and we scored a couple of great goals and created chances.”
Beesley’s side welcome another Football League side in Morecambe to Cantilever Park on Saturday for their final home pre-season game, kick off 3pm.
Town: Atherton, Duggan, White, Trialist A, Gumbs, McDonald, Woods, Williams, Amis, Dixon, Duffy Subs used: Warren, McNally, Trialist C, Trialist D, Buckley, Buckley-Ricketts
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