Warrington Rylands 0 Nantwich Town 1, match report

Having been forced onto the back foot by Jak McCourt's sending-off on the hour mark, Blues were holding out impressively until the game moved into injury time.

Then, Dabbers substitute Curtis Morrison took aim from distance and his shot was deflected beyond Joel Torrance in the Rylands goal to break the hosts' hearts.

The result ends Blues' four-match unbeaten run in the league.

Jak McCourt was sent off in the second half for Rylands (Image: John Hopkins)

"It’s a frustrating afternoon," manager Jody Banim said.

"We controlled large parts of the first half and could have scored a couple of goals. The keeper’s made three really, really good saves, so I still thought we had a couple more gears to go to.

"My only concern at half time was leaving ourselves a little bit exposed to the counter-attack.

"We spoke about lifting the energy levels and I thought we did early in the second half, but the sending-off completely derails us and changes the game.

"It’s a needless challenge from Jak McCourt in that area of the field and if you do that, you leave yourself open for that decision to be made, but he’s not touched him.

"I’ve seen challenges like that go with a yellow card, but the referee has been led by the reaction.

"We’ve conceded in the 91st minute – it’s got a deflection and ended up pea-rolling into the bottom corner.

"It’s a real kick in the teeth and one we have to pick ourselves up from."

Sports reporter Matt Turner gives his verdict below

IN recent weeks, Jody Banim has spoken of how impressed he has been with the resilience of his Warrington Rylands side.

Here with backs very much against the wall, it was in perfect evidence until the cruellest of blows.

When Jak McCourt was dismissed for a poor challenge just shy of the hour mark, their run of three wins from four games was suddenly put under serious threat.

Faced with the prospect of half an hour to hold on, they can take great heart from the way they reorganised.

Scott Duxbury wins a header for Rylands (Image: John Hopkins)

Those efforts were led by Sam Egerton and Ben Hockenhull at the back, who headed and intercepted anything that came their way.

Such was their discipline, it is a struggle to remember Nantwich seriously threatening the home goal despite their significant advantage.

That was, however, until Curtis Morrison took aim from distance and saw his effort deflected into the bottom corner to break Rylands hearts.

Before the sending-off, the game was more entertaining than the scoreline suggests with both sides having spells of pressure.

For Rylands, James Neild delivered an all-action display in both the advanced midfield position he started the game in and the role on the left side of a back three he had to drop into when Scott Duxbury went off injured.

His composure in possession and ability to work out of tight spaces is so critical to this side, and the same can be said of Kelly N’Mai.

Kelly N'Mai is denied (Image: John Hopkins)

Most of what Rylands did in an attacking sense went through the on-loan Salford man’s quick feet and lightning pace – they will be delighted to have him around for another month at least.

That month will be a tough one for Blues, playing sides exclusively in and around the top five in the run up to and beyond Christmas.

With that in mind, three points here would have been extremely handy to set them up for an incredibly testing sequence of games.

Even holding on for a point would have given them heart, but this defeat was among the cruellest.