Report: Warrington Town 2-2 Alfreton Town
Goalkeeper Dan Atherton scored an injury-time equaliser for the second time this season to earn a remarkable point for Warrington Town at home to Alfreton Town.
The Yellows trailed 2-0 going in to the final two minutes before Andre Wisdom’s fine solo goal gave them hope of an unlikely comeback.
And then deep in to injury time, Atherton rose highest to glance home a header from Dec Walker’s free-kick to cue unbelievable scenes at Cantilever Park.
For long parts of the game, it looked like Warrington would succumb to a second successive home defeat against a well-organised opponent.
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Alfreton took the lead after six minutes when Liam Waldock converted from the penalty spot after Lewis Salmon was felled in the box.
They could have doubled their lead minutes later when Adam Lund headed over from a corner, while Lund’s long-throws also caused problems.
After their slow start, Warrington gradually grew in to the game. Isaac Buckley-Ricketts had the Yellows’ best chance, denied at point blank range by George Willis after Matt Grivosti had won the ball back, drove down the left hand side and pulled a low cross back.
Buckley-Ricketts played centrally in the absence of skipper Josh Amis, who started the game on the bench but came on in the final half hour to great effect.
The two sides cancelled each other out either side of half-time until what seemed like the killer blow came on 70 minutes when Lund dispossessed Bohan Dixon in midfield, enabling Jake Day to find Waldock who squared for Billy Fewster to sweep home for 2-0.
The game seemed to be petering out until Wisdom, who had been shifted in to central midfield at half-time, danced around two men on the edge of the box, entered the penalty area and rounded the ‘keeper to slide home to give Yellows hope with two minutes left.
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The 1,095-crowd got up in anticipation as the Yellows laid siege to the Alfreton goal, Wisdom’s shot comfortably saved by Willis, who also denied Walker.
It looked like the visitors had seen it out until deep in to injury time, Buckley-Ricketts was fouled by Harrison Perritt on the left touchline and Walker’s pinpoint delivery was glanced over Willis by his opposite number Atherton, repeating his heroics earlier in the season when he rescued a point at home to Farsley Celtic.
Warrington Town: Atherton; Wisdom, Clarke, Hannigan (Gumbs), White; Walker, Williams (McDonald), Dixon; Woods, Grivosti (Amis), Buckley-Ricketts. Unused subs: Goudie, Sinnott.
Alfreton Town: Willis; Perrit, Wiley, Digie, Newall; Salmon, Waldock, Cantrill, Lund, Fewster; Taylor (Day). Unused subs: Clarkstone, Brisley, Thewlis, Askew.
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