Rusty Ladies given harsh lesson as they fire blanks against Chester

Runcorn Linnets Ladies 0 Chester Women FC 3 LINNETS Ladies’ lack of match fitness was cruelly exposed as visitors Chester Women romped to a comfortable win in Sunday’s Cheshire Women’s League fixture at Moss Farm in Northwich.

Had it not been for the heroics of Nat Pinnington in the home goal, the result could have been far worse.

Having not played any type of game since November 27, Linnets showed a complete lack of desire in a very poor performance indeed.

Chester Women were worthy winners and dominated throughout.

That said, Linnets should have opened the scoring when striker Megan Pickering was put clean through on goal in the seventh minute. Her tame shot was smothered by Chester keeper Sarah Rees.

Manager John Pickering’s makeshift defence was dealt a serious blow in the 27th minute when Linnets lost the usual calming influence of defender Gabby Evans through an injury sustained when making a brilliant tackle.

Nichola Hyland entered the game but this left the Runcorn side with only one of its recognised back four – and the first Chester goal came shortly after.

In the 36th minute, a ball played across the Linnets box caught out both Jo Finnegan and Hyland, allowed Amber Bailey a one-on-one with Pinnington, the striker winning that confrontation.

At the break, Runcorn brought on Lucy Wieland in place of Lile Ashley in a bid to inject some pace down the left. Linnets began the second half brighter and were threatening to get back on level terms.

During their best spell, Pickering placed an effort wide after excellent play from teammates Tempany Carlson and Becky Barker had created the opening.

As often happens, Chester dealt them a sucker punch on 60 minutes to go 2-0 up.

Once again, Linnets’ defence had opportunities to clear the danger but some poor play allowed Rebecca Tebb a gilt-edged chance which she put past Pinnington.

Emma McLarney then replaced Becky Barker, but another injury, this time to influential midfielder Chelsea Gillies, brought experienced defender Sadie Bond into the fray, releasing Beth Coppin to her usual centre-forward role.

The game was over as a contest on 70 minutes when Chester overwhelmed the Linnets in their own penalty box. Jamie-Lee McDowell, with the simplest of tap-ins at the far post gave Chester a deserved 3-0 lead.

Soon after, Linnets’ midfield general Mandy Kennedy picked up a yellow card for a petulant foul, committed out of frustration. This just about summed up the team’s first display of 2017.

Coppin, now up front, was showing something different and brought a good save out of Rees on 75 minutes.

A few minutes later Pickering beat Rees to a through ball, but was forced wider than she wanted and her effort missed the target.

On 81 minutes, Wieland had a great chance from a Pickering free-kick to the far post but failed to connect.

This young Linnets side created one or two chances late on but the players were given a harsh lesson in football from an organised Chester side that had the hunger that separates winners from losers.

Manager John Pickering did not mince his words in the changing room afterwards.

He said later: “Six weeks without any type of game didn’t help us today. We lacked match fitness, we were well off the pace, looked flat and devoid of ideas at times.

“We can point fingers to a number of circumstance, especially how our fixtures have been set leaving us with no game when everyone else in the league is playing.

“But today we were simply second best and got what we deserved.

“Am I disappointed? Totally, – not just with the defeat but more so in the way we played.

“But we will bounce back. This season was always a rebuilding process and a learning curve, lessons from this will be used to strengthen us going forward.”