Comment on Warrington Town's clash with Basford United

THIS job has given me the privilege of watching Warrington Town on a regular basis.

I will hold my hands up and admit that I did not hold as much optimism for them going into this season as I did last. I thought the upheaval their squad experienced would be a little too much.

That may still prove the case, but so far Yellows are confounding everyone’s predictions.

Despite their lofty position in the table, the fact the likes of Scarborough, South Shields and Saturday’s opponents Basford are still being talked off in more glowing terms will suit Paul Carden and his men down to the ground.

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They have gone about their business quietly and without great fanfare in the opening months, and they have been a treat to watch.

Ahead of what is sure to be their strictest examination of the campaign so far on Saturday, I thought I would focus on one of the team’s unsung heroes.

Plenty of Carden’s squad have shown up big for them this year, but one player in particular has come up with a few game-changing moments.

Against South Shields in September, Yellows were struggling to get a foot on the ball before this man produced an expert turn and finish to set them on their way to a 3-0 victory.

Picture by John Hopkins

When higher-ranked AFC Telford United came calling in the FA Cup, he climbed high to loop home a header for the crucial opening goal.

On a visit to Grantham Town two weeks ago, Warrington were struggling to capitalise on their dominance before this man came off the bench to prod home to break the 10-man home side’s resistance and end his team’s five-game winless run in all competitions.

Picture by John Hopkins

Anyone who follows Yellows regularly will know I am talking about Bohan Dixon.

In terms of physical attributes, his tall and powerful stature means he can mix it with the roughest defences at this level, plus his technical ability has seen him spend most of his career at a higher level than the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

Of course he can infuriate as much as he can enthrall, but his record stands up well considering he did not make his debut until September 1.

He has six goals this season – only top scorer Tony Gray has more – and I feel his contribution deserves more credit than it gets.

He probably would not feature prominently in any discussions about who the team’s stand-out player has been so far, but his reputation of affecting big games is growing.

If he does so again on Saturday, Yellows will have a great chance of overhauling their promotion rivals.

The league’s tightest defence will be tested by it’s most potent attack as two of the division’s contenders clash.

It may not quite be a “must-win” game for Town, but it is fair to say Saturday would fall into the “must not lose” category.

All the ingredients are in place for this game to be a cracker, so I am sure those who choose to take up our offer of a free ticket will not be disappointed.