Match Report

1st December 1998 - Warrington Town 2 - 0 Louth United

EVERGREEN ELFYN
By MIKE PARSONS

Warrington Town 2     Louth 0

DAVE Hughes' motivational tactics worked wonders as Town booked their place in the third round of the FA Vase on Tuesday. Hughes explained: "I told the players before they left the dressing room that for most of them this was the biggest game of their lives and to get stuck in from the start." His young guns did not let him down as they took a matchwinning 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes.

If there was to be any disappointment from this game it was that Town did not score more goals against the Lincolnshire outfit at Cantilever Park. Hughes said: "It was a pity we didn't make it 3-0 just before half-time when Paul Berry had a chance because that would have sealed it." Had winger Berry spotted unmarked striker Damien Whitehead on his inside rather than attempting to finish off his 46th minute dribbling run himself it would almost certainly have been curtains for Louth.

Kevin Tyrell, Whitehead and Terry Nestor were all guilty of missing chances but credit should go to the battling midfielders for creating the opportunities in the first place. While Tyrell, Whitehead and Nestor have been the regular scorers in recent weeks the opening goal in the fourth minute came from a surprising source. Midfielder James Ward swung a free kick into the box and there was 38-year-old central defender Elfyn Edwards sliding in to stab the ball home. It was his first goal for the club.

The second came when Tyrell was put clean through the middle and his hard and low shot had enough pace to find the net despite goalkeeper Peter Mannerin getting a hand to it. It was Tyrell's fifth strike in seven games. With Louth losing to Town in the second round the last time Warrington reached the Vase final and with Warrington being handed a third successive home draw the omens and the luck seems to be on Hughes' side at the moment.

Heanor Town, of the Central Midland League Supreme Division, will be Warrington's third round opponents at Cantilever Park on December 11.

Town: Alan Thomson, Chris Hunt, Steve Cartledge, Ian Hughes, Elfyn Edwards, James Ward, aul Berry, Jerry Coll, Kevin Tyrell, Damien Whitehead, Terry Nestor. Subs: Mike Mossley, Tony Stockton, Paul Anderton, Stuart Lee, Ian Bold.