Nantwich 1 Warrington 3, Town verdict

With cards stacked against them – a trip to a place they have never won with 10 players unavailable – they still prevailed.

However, given the way in which these kinds of games brought the best out of this squad last season, should we really be surprised?

Such is the extent of their injury crisis, Paul Carden was forced to register two former Everton youngsters hours before kick off to supplement his squad.

One of them – Tom Warren – started at left-back in place of suspended ex-Dabber Louis Barnes as Town’s patched-up squad pressed on.

The last thing they needed was another injury, but as always seems to happen when your luck is out, one came along.

Moments after producing the opening quarter’s only bit of quality – a mazy run and shot straight at Nantwich keeper Greg Hall – Jack Mackreth pulled up and had to be replaced by Bohan Dixon, himself barely fit after pre-season foot surgery.

With Jack Dunn and Dylan Vassallo already on the sidelines, it was an injury Yellows could scarcely afford.

Still, in a demonstration of the spirit this group became famed for last season, they continued to press on.

When the opener did come, it was the unlikeliest of sources who delivered it.

Dave Raven – playing at right-back – probably could not believe he found himself one-on-one with Hall after a superb dummy and pass from Tony Gray.

His finish was that of a seasoned striker and the stricken Yellows had something to hold onto.

Dave Raven puts Warrington Town ahead before celebrating with Ben Garrity. Pictures by John Hopkins

They were duly forced back but for all their possession, Nantwich were rarely threatening.

Despite being on the defensive, their commitment to leaving Gray and Matty Chadwick further forward was duly rewarded.

The two of them linked up superbly with Bohan Dixon before Gray was felled in the box.

The decision was simple and Chadwick’s penalty was confident.

Matty Chadwick slots home his second penalty in as many games. Picture by John Hopkins

Then, trouble.

When Joe Malkin superbly headed home an even better ball from Sean Cooke – a perennial tormentor of Yellows down the years – nerves were all set to twitch.

It was time for more backs-to-the-wall stuff as Nantwich piled forward in search of an equaliser that just minutes earlier had looked unlikely.

The theme of the first half continued though – almost endless possession but very little end product.

It got easier and easier for Town to soak up and when it came, Josh Amis’ coup de grace was barely surprising.

Josh Amis finishes off a superb move for the clincher. Pictures by John Hopkins