Town have heroes at both ends of the pitch
BARNTON ................................................... 0 RUNCORN TOWN ...................................... 3
RUNCORN TOWN made it 12 wins from 13 Hallmark Security League Premier Division matches with a 3-0 win at Cheshire neighbours Barnton on Saturday afternoon.
It was a first-ever league meeting at first-team level, with the victory extending their lead at the top of the table to five points.
Runcorn started well but never really put Barnton keeper Matt Conkie under any pressure.
He took an early high cross from Joe Heath then when a ball from Marcus James found Craig Cairns, the former 1874 Northwich keeper made a comfortable save.
The best early chance fell to Barnton. Ex-Town midfielder Sam Houghton forced Louie Mackin into action, the Runcorn keeper punching the ball away straight to Josh Crofts who blasted it high over the crossbar.
Cairns then split the home defence and Conkie did well to block Joe Holt’s goalbound shot with his feet.
When Barnton were awarded a freekick, Houghton floated a dangerous ball into the penalty area that James, in heading away, got under. The ball dropped just over the bar to the relief of the central defender.
Cairns fired a shot into the side netting that he claimed Conkie had saved but a goal-kick was awarded by the officials. When Simon Thelfall outpaced the Barnton defence his shot flew across goal just beyond the far post.
Another ex-Town player in Chris Smith then hit a powerful shot that flew straight at Mackin, the keeper doing well to hang onto the ball.
Runcorn had the better of the opening half-hour but Barnton had a great chance to take the lead in the 31st minute when they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Danny Jarrett.
Mackin brought off a superb save from the resultant spot-kick taken by Smith.
Barnton were having a good spell and an obstruction by Jarrett gave them an opportunity on the edge of the penalty area. Houghton, however, fired the ball high over the crossbar from the direct free-kick.
Eight minutes before the break Run- ● corn took the lead when Holt broke through on the left, cut into the penalty and calmly slotted the ball under the advancing Conkie.
Soon after, Thelwell turned in the area before hitting a shot that Conkie did well to save low to his right hand side.
When Kevin Exell broke through on the right it took a superbly-timed tackle from Adam Clayton to deny the Runcorn striker a clear scoring opportunity.
At the other end, Smith laid the ball back to Jason McShane. His thunderbolt was heading for the top corner until Mackin made a marvellous diving save to tip the ball around for an unproductive corner.
Runcorn got a second goal in the 43rd minute when Cairns latched onto James’s long ball forward.
He controlled well and hit the ball in a single movement to find the bottom corner of the net before goalkeeper Conkie could move. It was super skill by the Runcorn striker as he registered his 37th goal of what is fast becoming a quite memorable season.
Holding a healthy 2-0 advantage at the break, Runcorn began the second period well. An early shot from Heath flew wide before Holt had a good run but took too many touches and any chance of a shot at goal disappeared.
When Exell broke through on the right he pulled the ball back to Thelwell who hit a shot that Conkie tipped over.
Paul McManus then fired in a shot that rebounded off a defender to Cairns who shot wide of the far post.
Teammate Holt did likewise firing across the goal but wide of the far post as Barnton were being forced to work extra hard to stay in the game.
A 2-0 scoreline is always a dangerous lead to have in any game and Barnton realised this picking up the pace as the second half minutes ticked away.
Then the floodlights began to fail. First one, then another until eventually there were a total of four out – fortunately all in different areas of the pitch.
They were quickly restored by the Barnton officials and play was allowed to continue.
A free-kick floated into the Runcorn penalty area was headed wide by former Barnton and Widnes boss Danny Meadowcroft who showed his disappointment at the clear goalscoring opportunity he had not snapped up.
Two minutes from time Runcorn got the final goal of the game.
Ollie Nugent and Dave Forbes combined to open up the home defence for the latter to finish off by slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
A chance to add number four went begging in stoppage time.
A superb run by Woodward resulted in a driven low hard cross that flew across the open Barnton goal, the ball somehow eluding both Nugent and Forbes who merely had to tap it home.