Market Drayton Town boss confident in results after first victory of 2026

Town returned to winning ways in North West Counties First Division South with a late show and 3-1 victory over basement boys Wolverhampton Sporting.

It lifted Dawson's men to 14th, five points clear of the drop zone.

It arrested a run of three consecutive defeats and was a first victory in five for the Gingerbread Men.

Dawson's Greenfields hosts had to bide their time after several missed chances and being denied by the woodwork before a Jack Finney penalty 10 minutes from time. Ollie Jones made it two late on and despite Sporting netting a penalty of their own, Harry Minshall made the win safe deep into stoppage time.

"We pretty much dominated and the scoreline could've been much greater but it was the same old Drayton," said Dawson.

"It felt like it was going to be one of those games, but late in the game we got a penalty and tucked that away. We scored another but they got a penalty to make it 2-1 

"It was a bit of a wild last 15 but before that we'd hit the bar and post and their keeper had made a couple of saves.

"We've just got to start bring clinical in front of goal. The results will come because the performance was there, it was just poor finishing that meant we left it late. We've go to get on top of that."

Drayton hope to build on a first victory of 2026 with Saturday's trip to face Barnton in Cheshire. The seventh-placed hosts are the last side Drayton recorded a victory against prior to last weekend, having done so in late November when Konnor Higgins was the hero with the winner.

Dawson added: "Barnton are a really decent side so it will be tough."