BARNTON could not extend a run of encouraging results when they lost to higher-ranked Congleton Town in the Macron Cup.

The Villagers were playing catch-up from the moment Tom Morris fired in from the edge of the penalty area inside five minutes.

And they might have fallen further behind had goalkeeper Arran Lyons not blocked a shot from Emeni Adegbenro and then produced an impressive double-save.

Barnton rallied, and Ryan Malone teed up Luke Wilson-Jones for an attempt from distance that prompted Bears custodian Rob Cooke, a former Villager, to save smartly.

Congleton doubled their lead on 34 minutes, precisely when their hosts were growing into the game, when Steve Foster converted Dom Williams’ cross.

The visitors had an opportunity to add to their lead early in the second-half when Jack Shaw was judged to have tripped Adegbenro, but the wide-man’s spot-kick was saved brilliantly to his right by Lyons.

Buoyed, Barnton Sam Houghton went close from a free-kick before Lee Guirado fired across the face of goal.

Meanwhile Adegbenro made up for not converting a penalty on 65 minutes when he planted a close-range header into the net from substitute Bevan Burey’s cross.

Congeton completed the scoring with five minutes left when another replacement, Dan Cope, finished clinically after Tom Schofield’s corner picked him out in the area.

Their reward is to visit Ashton Town in the second round.

Barnton | Lyons (GK), Ford, Rigby, Shaw, Yearsley, Houghton, Bazley (Weeder), Cobley (Steve Warburton), Malone, Wilson-Jones (Wan), Guirado Subs not used Preston, Derek McShane Booked Shaw, Wilson-Jones (both fouls)

Congleton | Cooke (GK), Williams, Peters, Jamieson, Morris, Griffith, Hasler-Cregg (Burey), Schofield, Foster (Cope), Main (Dean Warburton), Adegbenro Subs not used Hibbert, Stephens Goals Morris 3, Foster 34, Adegbenro 65, Cope 85

Attendance 97

Match report by Niall Owens