PAUL Carden says snatching a point from their trip to Chorley at the death is “a massive result” for Warrington Town.
Yellows were heading for defeat in the first game of Carden’s second spell in charge after a mistake at the back gifted Craig Hewitt an opening goal for the Magpies just two minutes after they had been reduced to 10 men through Joe Nolan’s sending-off for a second yellow card.
However, Connor Woods was once again Town’s hero, crashing home a penalty eight minutes into injury time after substitute Josh Amis had been fouled inside the area to send the scores of travelling fans into raptures.
They were delighted to see their side take something from Victory Park – sentiments echoed by the manager post-match.
“I’m delighted with a point – people will say we were against 10 men but conceding the way we did straight after the red card was a massive blow,” he said.
“We responded well at times and not so well at times, but to go anywhere in this league and get a point is a massive result.
“We started quite well in the first 15-20 minutes – we had some good moves and build-up play was good – but in the last 20 minutes or that first half, it became more stretched and like a basketball game, which suited them more than us.
“The game got too open and it doesn’t suit the players we’ve got.
“We wanted to try and address that as best we could at half time, but the second half just seemed full of events.
“You’ve got the red card, the mistake which gifts them a goal two minutes after, then Joe (Rodwell-Grant) goes through one-on-one and really should score.
“The reason why historically they are in and around the play-offs is because of their know-how. It’s a massively unappreciated part of the game and they had that in abundance.
“We should be better with it with our experience, but I felt we were trying to force things. We were still trying to thread things through the eye of a needle when we’d just put Josh (Amis) on.
“The game was petering out and they were managing it well, we end up putting a ball into an area Josh likes, he gets across the lad and there’s definite contact.
“They’re obviously not happy but from where I was, it looked like there was definite contact and I’d have been distraught if he hadn’t have given it.”
Woods is quickly becoming Town’s dead-ball king – having netted three times directly from free-kicks this season, he confidently dispatched an emphatic penalty beyond Chorley stopper Matt Urwin under the greatest of pressure.
That came after Amis, who was making his first appearance of the season after shoulder surgery, induced a clumsy foul inside the area.
“It’s one of the things Mark was obviously frustrated about, the fact Josh wasn’t available,” Carden said.
“He gives you presence, experience and threat not just in the opposition box but in our own as well.
“He’s still got to build his fitness and work on things, but the fitter he is, the better it is for us.
“Connor stepped up and he’s confident. He’s up against a really good keeper at this level who’s coming up to the spot and trying to put him off, but he’s calm and composed.
“He was frustrated in front of the dug-out, but he had to stay on it and stay positive because he’ll always end up with an opportunity.”
The game also featured a debut for new loan signing Hamish Douglas, whose signing from Rotherham United was confirmed on Friday.
He was blameless for Chorley’s goal, which came just two minutes after Nolan was dismissed for sliding in late on Joe Rodwell-Grant after he had already been booked, as Evan Gumbs’ backpass evaded goalkeeper Dan Atherton to allow Hewitt to slide home the loose ball.
And Carden was full of praise for the 19-year-old’s performance and hopes that, with the experienced Peter Clarke edging closer to a return, his defence will start to become more populated soon.
“I thought he was outstanding, to be honest,” he said.
“It took him a bit of time to get into it – he was a bit keen to win the ball when it wasn’t there to win at times, but to make his debut here having trained a couple of times with the lads, I thought he was outstanding.
“Hopefully Clarkey isn’t too far away, and then you’ve got good options.”
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