ANDY Charlton gave Winnington reason to celebrate late in the second half with a 2-1 win over Liverpool Sefton.

But the first half was miserably uneventful with both teams at loggerheads, seeking a much needed opportunity to open the scoring.

Winnington keeper John Paul Kenny was equal to all of Sefton’s shots which boosted Park’s confidence, only to be knocked down by a controversial decision from a short corner, ruling out any chance of a goal difference late in the first half.

Andrew Sedgewick and Chris Mottershaw opened up the left well into the second half striving for a break. A strong midfield proved essential as Dennis Topping broke free and offered a smart cross to Richard Oakley who finished with style to go 1-0 up.

Mistakes among the Winnington defence meant a Sefton attacker broke free and fired one in from close bringing the scoreline back to 1-1.

It was only minutes before the final whistle that a rising Andy Charlton shot from a tight spot met the roof of the net and Winnington are in high spirits for the start of the season.