Abbey day before sub Foster rescues a point
ABBEY HEY ................................................ 0 RUNCORN LINNETS ................................. 1 UNCORN LINNETS kept up their good form with an extremely hard-fought 1-0 win at Abbey Hey on Saturday.
Victory against the talented and hardworking outfit from Gorton always represents a highly-respectable effort.
Although Runcorn’s starting XI was the same for the very first time this season, Linnets were without their new sergeant major Michael Ellison, the manager missing the game. It fell to a local lad in Mancunian assistant-manager Matty Cross to take charge.
Aside from a weak effort by Tony Donaldson, a header from Chris Lawton that was saved and a clever corner routine from which Paul Shanley went close, the away side battled hard but struggled to carve out good-quality chances against a resolute defence in the first period.
Abbey Hey probably should have gone in at half-time ahead.
They twice got in behind Linnets’ back four, only for goalkeeper Tom Hunt to come flying off his line to smother both efforts, before saving a low free-kick, when unsighted until late, with Danny O’Brien clearing the ball to safety.
Runcorn came out with more purpose at the start of the second half but within a minute or two almost found themselves behind when Abbey counterattacked from a cleared Linnets corner to go through on goal again.
Hunt’s trailing foot took the pace out of the ball but it still looped towards the empty net but Danny McKenna’s brilliant overhead kick cleared it off the line.
This rattled the Linnets and, soon after, Antony Hickey got away down the right and his square ball just evaded Mark Houghton and Shanley who were
RSteve Foster (second Linnets right) celebrates his equaliser for Runcorn in their 1-1 draw with 1874 Northwich on Tuesday night. both awaiting a tap-in.
The only goal came 10 minutes into the second half – carved out by sheer dogged determination by born-again striker Houghton.
The Runcorn forward had tormented the Abbey defence with his endless running and harassing and when he charged the centre-back down to nick the ball, he managed to slide an inch-perfect pass into the path of Hickey.
He timed his run perfectly to chip the ball over goalkeeper Elliot Wynne and into the far corner of the net.
Adam Wade replaced Donaldson to add a touch more bite to Linnets’ midfield as Abbey set about trying to get back into the game.
As it was to transpire, Hickey’s goal was actually Linnets’ last meaningful effort on target as the defensive unit took centre stage.
The home side started to apply heavy pressure and dominated the final 30 minutes, but found the visiting back four and goalkeeper in inspired form.
The panic that cost Runcorn victory at Cammell Laird 1907 last month had been replaced with well thought out and determined defending.
Aaron Morris flew into a perfectlytimed tackle to deflect a goalbound effort over the bar, the resulting corner being cleared out to Abbey’s midfield anchor man, who fired a fantastic shot goalwards. It looked every bit like the equaliser, only for Hunt to tip it onto his left-hand post at full stretch for a truly top class save.
The whole team muscled in to get through a spell of six consecutive corners, which included another great save by Hunt, before McKenna finally found a clearance that offered some respite.
Steve Foster was introduced to hold the ball up in attack and relieve pressure from the back four as Abbey continued to throw everything goalwards in an attempt to get the equaliser that they probably deserved.
Bev Burey was brought on in the final few minutes to try to run at the now tiring Abbey back line, and not much later the referee blew his whistle one final time to secure a fantastic win for the travelling side.
The delight on the Runcorn players’ faces at full-time showed what they felt about the result as team spirit and togetherness continues to build. LINNETS salvaged their unbeaten record against 1874 Northwich by coming from behind to draw 1-1 with their 10-man visitors on Tuesday night.
Veteran striker Steve Foster came off the bench to lash home a 71st-equaliser into the roof of the net.
The result was a fair reflection of the match.
1874 had done well to recover from the 28th-minute dismissal of their influential midfielder Neil Chappell, for a late tackle on Chris Lawton.
Mark Houghton, skippering the hosts in the absence of Kyle Hamid, went closest before the break.
His effort from one of several good Bevan Burey crosses on the speedy right winger’s recall to the starting line-up, went inches wide.
Runcorn’s form dipped upon the restart and a misplaced pass into midfield led to 1874, beaten on their previous two visits to the Millbank Linnets Stadium, going ahead in the 49th minute through Tom Bailey.
The visitors understandably tried to slow the game down, but Runcorn rescued a point with 19 minutes left.
Ronnie McCarthy’s long free-kick was knocked down and Foster’s predatory instincts in front of goal once again served him well.