TWO goals in the final few minutes of the first half were enough to earn Warrington Town a 2-0 win against Matlock Town at Cantilever Park.
The visitors had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges without creating a great deal in the form of chances, but were hit with a double sucker-punch in three minutes before the break.
Warrington won the ball in midfield and it found its way through to Connor Hughes in space in behind, and he kept his cool to finish coolly past Phil Barnes on 43 minutes.
The planned half time team talks were well and truly ripped up in injury time, and once again Hughes was involved.
He was released down the left hand side and he took his time to deliver a curling low ball in to the goalmouth which Tony Gray pounced on to fire in to the back of the net for 2-0.
Prior to that, Matlock had enjoyed some success down the flanks without being able to create anything significant centrally, a dangerous ball from Darnelle Bailey King deserved better.
The Yellows were restricted to counter attacks, largely down the right through Josh Hine, though Gray did have a tame shot on target comfortably saved.
But the two goal salvo eased the nerves of the home side, who had lost on the same pitch to Ashton on Tuesday night, and gave them a platform to see out the second half largely untroubled.
Hine almost made it three on 70 minutes, cutting in from the right and having a shot diverted away by Barnes after a clever dummy by Dylan Vassallo.
Substitutes Joe Mwasile and Abou Sanogo also threated on the break, the latter hitting the post, as Matlock chucked men forward.
The visitors forced a succession of corners, but save for a goalmouth scramble that was eventually broken up by Sanogo, they never looked like troubling Tony McMillan in the Warrington goal.
The introduction of Marc Newsham and Tyler Blake late on tried to unsettle the hosts, but ultimately Matlock couldn’t break the resolve of the Yellows, who keep a third clean sheet in five matches.
Both sides are in action on Bank Holiday Monday, with Warrington making the relatively short trip to Marine and Matlock hosting Grantham Town.
Warrington Town (4-2-3-1): McMillan 7, Goulding 8, McKeown 6, Barnes 7 (Richards 75, 6), McCarten 7, Baker 7, Hine 6, Williams 7, Gray 8, Vassallo 6 (Mwasile 71, 6), Hughes 8 (Sanogo 65, 7). Unused subs: Carden, Kinsella.
Matlock Town: Barnes 7, Degirolamo 6, Green 6, Doyle-Charles 7 (Newsham 75, 6), Yates 7, Wiley 7, Bailey-King 6 (Rose 67, 6), Wilson 8, Harrod 6, Cribley 7, Sharpe 6 (Blake 65, 6). Unused subs: Lloyd, Hakeem.