Report: Cheadle Town 1-0 Warrington Town
Warrington Town’s run in this season’s Cheshire Senior Cup came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Cheadle Town on Tuesday night.
Matthew Bryan struck the game’s only goal five minutes in to the second half against a youthful Yellows side captained by Evan Gumbs, who got valuable minutes under his belt following his recent return from injury.
The only other recognisable names in the team were Sam Gill and Deacon Smalley, who have four substitute appearances in National League North between them this season.
The rest of the side was made up of players from the club’s Under 21s and Under 18s teams, with another couple of trialists from elsewhere, and they gave a good account of themselves against the North West Counties League side.
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Striker David Blankendal had the best chance of the opening exchanges, his pressing high up the pitch forcing an error out of the Cheadle defence and left goalkeeper Jordan Latham out of position, Blankendal’s left foot shot flying wide of the far post.
Blankendal had another chance midway through the first half when he latched on to a good through ball by Adam Brooks, Latham rushing off his line to smother the shot.
The home side finished the half stronger though, and the excellent Thomas Murray rattled the cross-bar with a fine 25-yard effort that ‘keeper George Goudie got a fingertip to on its way past, before Goudie saved well with his feet to deny Kyle McGonigle from the resulting corner.
Goudie will have wanted to do better with the goal that eventually won the game, Bryan getting in behind Oliver Basnett and shooting across the ‘keeper from the near post, and while Goudie did get a foot to the ball it snuck in at the far post.
Cheadle then exercised an element of control over the game as the unfamiliar Yellows side looked to try and find a path back in to the game.
It was only in the last 15 minutes that they really started to create chances, triggered by a Gill corner that was clawed away from under his own crossbar by Latham.
Latham denied Brooks’ well hit strike from the edge of the box that was heading for the top corner, and then lively substitute Vini Desouza was picked out in the box by Harry McVeigh and probably had more time than he thought in turning and blazing a shot over the bar.
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The best chance fell to another sub, Siraj Hussein, in injury time as he latched on to a Desouza through ball but his shot was well saved by Latham to send the hosts in to the last four.
Warrington Town return to league action this Saturday when Chorley visit Cantilever Park in National League North.
Cheadle Town: Latham, Jones (Flanagan), Sutton, McGonigle, Fraser, Gregory (Ojo), Parker, Murray, Lazenbury, Knight (Pilkington). Unused subs: Barlow, Yarwood.
Warrington Town: George Goudie (Alfie Smith), Harry McVeigh, Josh Murray, Oliver Basnett (Connor Clarke), Evan Gumbs, Deacon Smalley, Alex Pile (Siraj Hussein), Sam Gill, David Blankendal (Vini Desouza), Adam Brooks (Luca Latona), Connor McCauley.
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