Warrington Town earned a superb victory at home to play-off rivals Bamber Bridge despite playing with 10 men for almost the entire match.
Sean Williams was sent off inside the first 30 seconds for a foul on Paul Dawson, but the Yellows belied their numerical disadvantage with a fine second half performance.
Bohan Dixon was the matchwinner, scoring a brilliant solo goal that in truth had been coming as Mark Beesley’s side pressed for a crucial three points.
After the disappointment of drawing at home to 10-man Whitby Town on Tuesday night, it was the perfect tonic for the promotion chasing Yellows who prolonged their unbeaten run to 16 games.
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Level on points before kick-off, an expected tough battle became even harder when Williams was dismissed for what appeared to be a routine foul early doors.
Most in the ground were left shell-shocked for a spell and Bamber Bridge took control of the early exchanges as a result.
Mitch Duggan cleared Isaac Sinclair’s shot off the line after eight minutes, but other than that, the Yellows were able to snuff out any threat from Brig, despite them dominating possession.
As the half wore on, the Yellows grew in to the game and had a couple of half sights at goal in a game frequently broken up by the referee’s whistle.
The Yellows made the most of the chance to re-group at half time, and in the second half, there only looked like being one winner, and it was the team with 10 men.
Jordan Buckley fired a difficult chance over the bar, an overhead kick after Tom Hannigan had flicked on a long throw, and Buckley gradually started to frustrate the Brig centre halves.
What looked like being the golden chance of the match fell to Buckley in the 79th minute, from a superb ball by the outside right boot of Duggan and he beat the ‘keeper but hit the outside of the post.
Buckley was then released on the right wing by Dixon and his early ball was lofted over the ‘keeper and just over the bar by Matty McDonald.
But the Yellows earned a reward for their efforts in both defence and attack eight minutes from time. Dixon took the ball in just inside his own half, showed great strength and then burst away, taking it all the way to the edge of the box and then slotting past the oncoming Luke Hutchinson to delireum at Cantilever Park.
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Brig had no response and the Yellows had chances to make it 2-0 when Buckley’s header was pushed wide at full stretch by Hutchinson, who also saved superbly from substitute Amis’ header off a corner moments later.
The win maintains the Yellows’ third place in the league, ahead of two tricky away games against Morpeth Town and Radcliffe.
Warrington Town: Thompson, Walker, Duggan, Hannigan, Gumbs, Harris, McDonald, Williams, Buckley (Amis), Dixon, Duffy (White). Unused subs: Mols, Cole, Buckley-Ricketts.
Bamber Bridge: Hutchinson, Green, Skinner, Thomson, Sinclair (Lescott), Forbes, Sinclair, Churchman (Roache), Dawson, Robbins (Stanley), Mariette, Turner.
