PAUL Carden says yesterday’s opponents Witton Albion were “let off the hook” by his Warrington Town side during the 2-2 draw at Cantilever Park.

Steve Jennings had put Yellows ahead from the penalty spot after Devarn Green cancelled out Steven Tames’ opener, only for Albion’s Tom Owens to score a late leveller to ensure the visitors left with a point.

Town have now gone three games without a victory and Carden says his side were “wasteful.”

“I think we let them off the hook. Our decision-making overall has cost us two points,” he told the Guardian.

“We started slow and Witton did what they do. They hit the two front lads and played off them.

“After the first 10 minutes, we started getting control of the ball and moving it.

“We gained a lot of possession, we used it well and we had chances.

“We equalised and the momentum was with us, but it was unfortunate that we didn’t get the half-time lead we deserved.

“Losing Tony Gray and Adam Carden at the break limited us to what we could do to affect the game.

“The second half was frustrating more than anything. I thought we were wasteful.

“I said to the lads after the game that the little details cost us because they amount to something big.

“We didn’t take our chances in the first half and we didn’t move the ball quick enough against a side that were sitting in.

“We didn’t play with enough guile and thought in the attacking third.

“We took the easy option too many times and the players we have with pace didn’t want to threaten enough.”

Both of Witton’s goals came from set-pieces, something that was a particular annoyance to Carden.

“The first one we’d worked on. It’s just a set ball that was crossed from a different angle,” he said,

“It caused us some confusion, but it was just basic.

“We were dealing with one ball coming into the box. We’ve let a runner go and he’s got a free header.

“The equaliser was poor from us again because it was a corner that shouldn’t have come about. We needed to clear the ball.”

The visitors were incandescent at the decision by referee Dale Baines to award Town a penalty after he adjudged Anthony Gardner to have fouled Joe Piggott inside the area.

Piggott had stooped to head the ball and Baines adjudged Gardner’s foot to have made contact with the Yellows striker’s head.

Carden admits he would have been “aggrieved” had the decision been given in the opposite penalty area.

“The penalty was cheap. The referee said to me that it wasn’t about the fact that Joe was stooping down but more that their lad kicked him,” he said.

“When you put it that way, if you kick someone in the box it has to be a foul.

“If it had been against us, I’d have been aggrieved but we’ll take it as we haven’t had many of those go our way this season.

“At the time, I thought he’d kicked him in the face.”

Carden also confirmed that brother Adam was substituted as he was feeling the effects of tonsillitis, while Tony Gray came off with a suspected medial knee ligament injury.

“Adam shouldn’t have played. He’s had tonsillitis and he’s on a second course of antibiotics,” he said.

“I know I shouldn’t have played him, but he gives us a lot of composure in the back line. When he doesn’t play, we certainly miss him.

“Tony looks like he’s tweaked his medial ligament, which is never good.”