Marine suffer back-to-back home defeats, after second half goals from David Webb and Callum Dolan hand Warrington Rylands a 2-0 victory.
Manager Neil Young made three changes to the side that won at Prescot Cables, with Ben Hughes coming in at left wing back, Danny Shaw returning in defence and Owen Watkinson replacing Ryan Wignall.
The opening chance of the match fell to the Mariners, after Bayleigh Passant’s long clearance bounced awkwardly among the Rylands defence and Watkinson was able to nod the ball into the path of George Newell, who blasted his effort over the bar.
Passant then denied the visitors at the other end, keeping out Kane Drummond’s low effort one-on-one. The Rylands forward looked lively throughout the afternoon, causing problems for Marine with his pace and energy on the ball.
In the 34th minute, Neil Kengni’s strike appeared to hit Sam Egerton’s arm inside the penalty area, but despite mass appeals from home players and supporters, referee Andy Sykes waved play on.
Rylands then had a penalty shout of their own turned away, with Drummond going down in the box.
The breakthrough came two minutes after the restart, as former Mariner David Webb found the top right corner with his venomous free kick. Webb’s goal being his second in as many games, as the away side continue their impressive recent form.
Newell came close to scoring an equaliser just after the hour mark, as a dangerous cross from Josh Solomon-Davies was controlled and laid off by Watkinson, before Newell turned and shot, but his effort rebounded back off the post into the grateful arms of Rylands’ stopper Graeme McCall.
Frustratingly for Marine, chances came few and far between, as the back line of Warrington Rylands went largely unchallenged. Set pieces from Mark Howarth and James Barrigan were wasted frequently, as the Mariners struggled to carve out any major goal scoring opportunities.
Five minutes from time, hopes of rescuing a point were shattered, as Callum Dolan won the ball from Connor Teale deep in the Marine half, before cutting in and firing into the same corner that Webb had found at the start of the second half. Dolan’s seventh goal of the season all but confirmed the three points for Rylands.
The referee’s full-time whistle brought an end to a disappointing afternoon for Marine, who suffered just their second home defeat of the season. The result saw the Mariners drop to second in the NPL West, two points behind Workington with a game in hand.
Attendance: 1334
Marine: Passant, Solomon-Davies, Hughes (Irwin), Winnard, Shaw (Lynch), Teale, Watkinson, Barrigan, Newell (Cummins), Howarth, Kengni
