Moors produced one of their best performances of the season to sweep in-form Warrington Town aside and secure back-to-back home wins for the first time since August.
Graeme Lee’s men looked in control of the game from the first whistle, harrying and harassing their opponents at every opportunity and carrying a real threat in the final third.
First half goals from Lebrun Mbeka and Reece Staunton were enough to do the damage and clinch three points but the display as a whole will have been the most pleasing factor for Lee.
The Moors boss rewarded Danny Greenfield and Finley Shrimpton for lively cameos from the bench during Saturday’s win over Blyth Spartans by handing them both starts against The Yellows.
The intensity of Moors’ approach was highlighted with less than a minute gone when Mika Ndjoli pestered defender Peter Clarke into an error before seeing a low shot held by visiting goalkeeper Dan Atherton.
Ndjoli came close again when he got on the end of Greenfield’s whipped corner from the right but his headed cannoned off a defender and went behind for another set-piece.
Dolan whipped in the resultant corner from the right, which was met powerfully by Mbeka, who saw his headed saved by Atherton before he rammed home the loose ball for 1-0 on 18 minutes.
The visitors tried to respond but skipper Sean Williams fired over from distance before Moore sprung down the other end and almost doubled their lead, but Rob Ramshaw headed over from the excellent Matty Dolan’s cross.
Moors went two up in the final minute of the first half. Staunton pressed his man on the halfway line, picked his pocket and then set off with determination towards the Warrington penalty area before unleashing an unstoppable drive which flashed past Atherton at his near post.
Given the fact Warrington had lost just once so far in 2024, there was an expectation that they would improve after the break – in truth, Moors never allowed them to, and it was Lee’s men who continued to look the more likely to grab a third goal.
Rob Ramshaw steered Staunton’s cross just wide at the near post, while Ndjoli just couldn’t get up high enough at the back post to control a header on goal from Dolan’s cross.
Finley Shrimpton was teed up on the edge of the area by Corey McKeown, and when the youngster’s curling shot was parried by Atherton, Ndjoli just failed to convert from the rebound.
Warrington shuffled their pack in a bid to get back into the game, and substitute Josh Amis fired a volley on goal which was well blocked by the magnificent Mbeka before Declan Walker headed over when the ball was lifted back across goal.
Brad James then charged from his line to superbly deny Amis as he survived offside appeals to race through on the Moors goal.
Ramshaw ended up chasing his own pass when McKeown stepped out of the way having realised that he was offside – and with the Warrington defence caught out, the Moors skipper managed a shot on goal which was deflected wide of the far post.
The Yellows tried to find some momentum but the workrate from Moors never let up – indeed substitute Will Harris could have nodded a third goal late on, while Ramshaw saw another chance deflected over as Moors continued to cause problems on the break.
Full Time: Moors 2 Warrington Town 0
Moors: James, Lufudu, Mbeka, Pollock, Staunton, Shrimpton, Dolan (Fielding 83), Greenfield, Ramshaw, McKeown, Ndjoli (Harris 76).
Subs not used: Ledger, Chimalilo, Gallacher.
Booked: Greenfield (43), Ndjoli (51).
Warrington Town: Atherton, Walker (McDonald 68), Hannigan, Clarke, White, Williams, Wisdom, Grivosti (Gill 82), Pasiek (Amis 56), Wood, Buckley-Ricketts.
Subs not used: Gumbs, Harris.
Booked: White (35), Clarke (90).
Referee: Callum Jones
Attendance: 1,029 (17 Warrington Town)
