Runcorn Town FC Official Website - Warrington Town Reserves Match Report

Runcorn Town warmed up for the start of the new season in style with a demolition job on a Warrington Town side led by Town old boy Danny Salt.

Five first half goals gave Town a commanding cushion at the break and despite several changes made to the team by manager Simon Burton, the same continued after it with a further six goals added.

The game started off quite even with both sides getting a feel of the ball on a soft surface. Town took just seven minutes to take control with Ste Latham finding Mark Toohey on the right and his low cross finding Connor Anderson who turned his defender and fired a shot low inside the near post.

Town were then the victims of a couple of close offside decisions with Ste Latham finding the net on one such occassion from Jason Carey's ball through. After 15 Town's keeper Karl Wills almost got his first goal for the club when a huge kick was tipped over by the Warrington keeper.

A succession of corners followed with Town doubling the lead from one in the 21st minute when Jason Carey headed in Ste Latham's pinpoint cross. Emini Adegbenro, who was making his debut for Town, looked lively on the right hand side with Carey unlucky not to get a toe on his cross after 24 minutes.

Warrington had the ball in the net in the 27th minute but was ruled out for what looked like a marginal offside decision when the cross from the left was put in. Five minutes later Town made it three when a good passing move down the right involving Danny Dalton, Toohey and Adegbenro led to Carey crossing for Warren Bellew, whose low shot found the corner.

Carey was then again unlucky to be offside from Anderson's through ball with Town's fourth arriving on 39 minutes through Adegbenro. He shook off the challenge of two defenders as he ran through and slotted into the bottom corner.

Adegbenro should have added another after 42 minutes when Anderson's cross missed everyone and fell to the midfielder five yards out but he put it over. There was still time left for Anderson to grab a fifth when he ran clear from Bellew's through ball, chipped the keeper and scored into an empty net.

Half time saw the introduction of Karl Kneale, Danny Cummins, Joey Davies and Lewis Cole with Warrington starting the brighter with a break down the right and a shot wide of the post. After 52 minutes though Bellew made it six with Carey crossing from the left, Adegbenro firing the ball across goal with Bellew curling the ball into the corner.

The next ten minutes saw some quality football from the home side with four further goals added. After 55 minutes Will Conway's strong run down the left saw him cross low for Anderson who fired past the keeper. Four minutes later Danny Cummins got off the mark from another Latham corner with the midfielder showing good feet when the ball came to him.

A minute later it was nine when Bellew put in a delightful ball from the left which Cummins got on the end of with his shot flying into the net via a defender. And in the 62nd minute a Joey Davies cross from the right was met by the boot of Bellew who almost broke the net with a powerful finish.

With ten goals in just over an hour it was difficult to maintain that standard, with the game fizzling out into a midfield affair. The final goal did not arrive until four minutes from time when Adegbenro - back on as a second half sub - was fouled on the left touchline and Latham's free kick was headed in by Cummins for the third hat-trick of the game.

This match report represents the views of the author and not particularly that of Runcorn Town FC.