The Miners were out-thought and out-muscled by a strong Warrington Town side in a disappointing end to our pre-season schedule.
New signing Simon Walton came up with the first chance of the game from triallist Luke Kitson's free-kick, but his shot was deflected wide. Walton went closer moments later with a looping header just wide of the upright.
It didn't take long however for the Evo-Stik League Premier side to take control of the game. Scott Harries was finding headway down an exposed right and came close on three minutes when he broke clear and shot against the side netting.
On 11 mins the visitors were ahead when a good move deep inside the box ended in Cieran Kilheeny supplying Gerard Kinsella to place the ball into the bottom corner. On 19 mins it was 2-0 when another Harries foray down the right wing saw him pick out Kinsella at the far post who headed home for his second of the game. Ben Deegan almost got on the scoresheet on 28 mins, heading just over Liam Turner's delivery. Two mins later Kilheeny was denied by a good stop from goalkeeper Paul Hagreen after benefitting from a deflection off triallist Joe Dunnett.
A mini-spell for the Miners around the 40 min mark saw Mark Simpson make a decent run down the right and shoot past the far post before Mitch Hamilton forced Warrington stopper Karl Wells into his first save of the afternoon from Walton's through ball. Despite this,The Wire put themselves further ahead just before half time from a corner which Hagreen charged off his goalline to deal with only to be blocked by an opposing player, leaving Jay McCarton to head into an empty net.
The Warrington pressure continued after the break, a deep cross from Turner found Harries whose drive stung the palms of Hagreen. Substitute Rakim Newton really should've added a fourth when Dunnett gave the ball away on the edge of the area, but he could shoot straight at Hagreen. The Town defence weren't as fortunate on 54 mins though when poor communication saw the ball given straight to Kilheeny in a similar position, the striker rolling the ball into the bottom corner. Sub Dominic McGivoron came close when trying to chip Hagreen on 72 mins but Jassim Alali was there on the goalline to head away. A fifth goal was added on 74 mins when Newton's corner to the back post was headed home by an unmarked McCarton.
The introduction of Lee Turner, Simon Poole and Tim Robertson around the hour-mark saw Rob Hunter's side do a little better towards the end. Turner was unlucky not grab a consolation on 75 mins when he spotted Wells off his line and tried to chip him but he managed to get back in time and palm onto the far post. There was still time for a sixth goal though on 77 mins, again a corner came in from Newton to the back post where McCarton had time and space to head home for his hattrick.
Some good play down the right by Poole saw him feed Spencer Lund who forced a save from Wells at his near post seven mins from the end, but overall there was little for the home support to cheer.
Pre-season has seen a large number of players - many of them promising - turn out in the Garforth shirt, the task for Rob Hunter now being to pick out an eleven good enough to achieve the club's aim of a top ten finish. On performances this has been the only real poor one, albeit against a very good side. Two cup games now await the Miners before the league campaign finally begins, starting with next Saturday's visit to Chester-le-Street Town in the FA Cup (kick-off 3pm).
Town team: Hagreen, Alali (Leach 78), Kitson (Simpkins 17), Johnson, McCrum, Dunnett (Robertson 61), McMurrough (Turner 56), Rose, Hamilton (Poole 65), Simpson (Lund 78), Walton.