Warrington Town 1 Basford United 1

THEY were given an early Christmas present, but Warrington Town could not take full advantage.

Jack Mackreth was gifted a goal by a horrendous mistake from Basford keeper Kieran Preston and that looked set to hand them a precious three points.

However, Stefan Galinski’s second-half header ensured the Evo-Stik Premier Division’s top scorers left Cheshire with a point.

READ > Post-match reaction from Yellows boss Paul Carden

With the incentive of free entry with a voucher from the Warrington Guardian, a larger crowd than usual packed into Cantilever Park to see two sides from the right end of the table slug it out.

The onus was now on the Yellows players to put on a show, but it took a while for things to warm up.

Adam Hughes and Josh Amis both gave Preston easy saves, while Nathan Watson scuffed a volley wide at the other end.

Yellows were almost the architects of their own downfall when Liam Bateman charged forward from right-back for the visitors, with home skipper Mark Roberts narrowly avoiding turning the ball into his own net.

Barely a minute later, however, Town’s moment came.

Mitch Duggan sent Mackreth scampering after a ball down the right channel and Preston inexplicably charged out of his area to try and close him down.

Warrington Guardian:

Jack Mackreth beats Basford keeper Kieran Preston to the ball. Picture by John Hopkins

The keeper was always second-favourite but Mackreth still had to remain calm to take the ball round him and tap into the empty net – a task he made look easy.

Warrington Guardian:

Warrington Guardian:

Having beaten the keeper, all that was left to do was to tap the ball into an empty net. Pictures by John Hopkins

Town felt they should have had a penalty when Bateman appeared to control the ball with his hand inside the area, but referee Dale Baines waved away their appeals.

Despite the loss of Watson – the division’s joint-top goalscorer – through injury, Basford finished the half strongly and Zak Goodson perhaps should have equalised, but he scooped an effort high over the bar.

They carried on in that vein after the break, and equalised 10 minutes after the restart.

James Reid swung in a teasing corner, and Galinski rose highest to glance it home.

Both sides were struggling for rhythm, with Yellows struggling to put together meaningful moves in attack.

The clearest chance came when a mix-up in the Town defence let substitute Liam Hearn in behind, but the danger was snuffed out before he could get a shot away.

That was until the mother of all goalmouth scrambles as Yellows started to knock on the door.

Hughes headed Mackreth’s corner against the bar and in his attempt to clear, Preston punched the ball onto the woodwork before danger was eventually cleared.

Hughes then had another effort from point-blank range blocked before Preston just about gathered Mackreth’s long-range effort having initially spilled it back into danger as the visitors just about held on.

Warrington Town: Albinson, Duggan, Hughes, Garrity, Roberts, Raven, Mackreth, Evans, Gray, Amis (Kirby), Vassallo (Dixon). Subs not used: Benjamin, Dunn, Speare