WARRINGTON Town's second National League North season got off to a difficult start on Saturday afternoon.
Mark Beesley's side were well-beaten at King's Lynn Town, having never quite recovered from falling behind early through Gold Omatoyo's header from a corner.
Town stopper Dan Atherton had kept his side in the break at half time by saving Omatoyo's penalty, but the Linnets striker nodded home his second goal shortly before the hour mark after Tom Hughes had doubled the hosts' lead just after the interval.
Matty McDonald did at least give Town's travelling fans something to shout about with a late consolation goal, but it was an afternoon to forget for Beesley's men.
> Read Town boss Mark Beesley's post-match reaction here
Read Matt Turner's verdict on the action below
TWELVE months ago, Warrington Town were jubilant having made the perfect start to life in the National League North.
On this occasion, though, the shoe was very much on the other foot as they went from a shellacking of Southport to being crushed in King’s Lynn.
And while games like this away to full-time opposition are not the ones in which they will be ultimately judged, there was plenty on display that will cause Mark Beesley concern.
From the moment Gold Omatoyo headed the Linnets into an early lead from a corner – a goal which came against the run of play after a lively Yellows start – the visitors were second best and at times found themselves being completely over-run.
With the rangy and powerful Omatoyo leading the line well, Josh Hmami – a pre-season transfer target for Beesley before he ultimately opted for a shot in the paid ranks – tormented them from the number 10 position and was by far the game’s best player.
He combined with Cody Johnson and Tom Hughes to dominate the central areas, with Town’s experienced pairing of Jay Harris and Bohan Dixon having torturous afternoons.
The visitors were also vulnerable on the flanks, with Ollie Southern enduring a difficult debut against lively Linnets winger Ross Crane, whom he fouled to concede a penalty that Dan Atherton did superbly to save and keep his side in the game.
And that was perhaps the biggest plus point at half time – thanks to their goalkeeper, the situation was far from irretrievable but when Hughes and Omatoyo struck in quick succession before the hour mark, it then became about damage limitation.
To their credit, they did do a decent enough job at that and at least ensured the scoreline did not get any worse, with Matty McDonald lifting in a good finish after substitute Gez Sithole had harried home keeper Paul Jones into an error.
Sithole’s display off the bench was arguably Town’s biggest reason for optimism – in what was a lost cause, he produced enough to suggest he could be a key weapon either from the bench or from the start.
Aside from that, though, the other positive is that there are 45 more chances to put this right.
With a glut of home fixtures coming up, many of which are against sides they may expect to be in and around them this season, it is crucial they take advantage having learnt from what went wrong in Norfolk.
Warrington Town: Atherton, White, Gumbs, Harris, Woods, McDonald, Rodwell Grant (Sithole), Dixon, Miles (O’Neill), Southern (Bennett), Clarke. Subs not used: Gill, Smalley
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