Three first half Warrington goals ensured they zapped David Jones, Jaylon Bather and their Ilkeston FC’s teammates momentum with a comfortable win.
Ilkeston began the game in confident fashion with the momentum carried from the 6-0 win at Ashby Ivanhoe in the FA Cup. Anthony Dwyer led the attack with Luis Rose and Dexter Atkinson on the flanks. Danny Gordon and Haydn Goddard sat in behind Mark Shelton.
From the start Ilkeston were on the front foot, Shelton’s flicked header from Rory Coleman’s free kick was saved by Karl Wills, Ilketson were moving the ball well and looked comfortable in the early stages.
Rose then had a volley way over the bar before the winger had Ilkeston’s best first half chance, linking well with Dwyer to move clean through, but his shot was saved by Wills in the box.
However with 12 minutes gone, Warrington took the lead. Gerard Kinsella hit a Gerrard’esque strike from 25 yards which flew over Ross Durrant and into the top corner, as Ilketson failed to clear a loose ball. Warrington had further chances as Scott Harries’s lob was tipped over by Durrant, ilketson keeper then denied Scott Metcalfe from close range.
The Yellows began to crank the pressure up as more openings came, Ciaran Kilheeney’s sharp header was clawed wide by Durrant before the hosts did eventually extend the lead. A corner was half punched away by Durrant and half cleared by Luke Foster only for John Shaw to bend a shot into the top corner.
Ilkeston’s creativity which started so well; became rare in the first half, Atkinson released Dwyer over the top but the striker’s first touch let him down and Wills raced out and claimed. With 42 minutes on the clock it was three, Ben Deegan found space at the back post and slid in to complete a poor 45 minutes.
The second half started in the best fashion for the Robins, Dwyer pulling a goal back on 49 minutes with quick feet before firing into the bottom corner from outside the box. Shelton then swirled an effort way wide of the top corner after he charged down a clearance. Ilkeston’s counter attacking was proving an effective method of pulling further goals back, Bather found Shelton who raced ahead and fed Atkinson but the winger's cross for Goddard was cut out.
Ilketson pressure came as Gordon’s effort was blocked before Rose hit a strike which was well saved by Wills. The introduction of Jones added some physicality for Ilkeston but too often the Robins lacked the killer touch in the box and opted for over intricacy in vital moments.
Warrington then extended the lead after 76 minutes, a similar goal to concede as Kilheeney’s header found the corner to cement a bad day at the office for Ilkeston. The response to conceding the fourth goal was again bright, Jones and Rose both had close efforts but Ilketson succumbed to defeat.
