Potter wizardry delivers the perfect Christmas
RUNCORN LINNETS ............................ 2 HANLEY TOWN .................................... 0
ARARE Friday night under the Millbank Linnets Stadium lights brought an end to what has been a truly outstanding Christmas football schedule for Runcorn Linnets, with a 2-0 victory against fellow high-fliers Hanley Town closing out the festive ‘triple-header’ of fixtures with a perfect haul of nine points collected, 11 goals scored and none conceded.
On a weekend which saw only two other games in the Hallmark Security Premier Division survive the wet weather, Linnets were again very lucky to have an excellent surface to play on and people to keep it that way.
This game was always going to be tough. Three fixtures in seven days, including the always physically and emotionally draining Runcorn derby, is a big enough ask as it is.
But when a side like Hanley are the visitors, you know you’ve got your work cut out.
Hanley have no weakness in their team, and in all three previous encounters Linnets had never left with a victory.
In fact , last season they had put five past them.
Injuries from the derby victory and player unavailability meant that boss Michael Ellison had to shuffle his pack for this one. Freddie Potter, Adam Jones and Kyle Hamid all returned to the starting 11 in place of Mark Houghton, Matty Atherton and Mike Simpson respectively.
Both sides largely cancelled each other out in the first half. Linnets were having plenty of the ball but were unable to threaten the Hanley goal, mainly due to some excellent defending by the Potteries’ side.
And when breaking forward, the away team had the attacking talents of one of the league’s most highly-rated players in Theo Stair, along with the division’s current leading goalscorer, Dan Cope.
Linnets had a great chance to open the scoring as half-time approached. Neat interplay between Potter and Kris Holt set the attacking midfielder up to rifle in a shot that was very well saved at close range by Hanley’s goal- keeper, Alex Langridge.
As a cagey first half drew to a close, Hanley almost got their noses in front. Winning a free-kick on the edge of the Linnets’ penalty area, the ball was fired in low by Stair to Cope, who found the target with a fierce strike from only six yards out.
However, to the relief of most inside the MLS, Matty Holmes’s decision to re-position Danny O’Brien from one post to the other, while setting up his defence, paid dividends as O’Brien was there to block the ball on the goalline and force it clear.
The second half was much the same as the first, a tight and slightly cagey affair. Hanley played an offside trap very effectively, Potter in particu- lar repeatedly falling foul of the assistant referee’s flag.
Having tried to carve out chances from both wings, set pieces and slide rule passes through the centre, Linnets finally broke the deadlock in a way they are not accustomed to.
Taking the ball from his goalkeeper Holmes, centre-back Jimmy Moore launched a long ball forward that sent Potter through on goal. After finally evading the offside trap, the striker also beat Langridge with a great finish into the far bottom corner.
The goal came with just over an hour played and was the catalyst for the game to open up slightly, but clear chances for either side were still extremely difficult to come by.
Hanley’s best chance of the second half came as a slight misjudgement in Linnets’ back four gave Stair a sight at goal. But Holmes made a solid block at his near post.
The result was secured for Linnets with seven minutes remaining. Hanley struggled to clear from a corner and when Hamid’s shot was blocked, the rebound fell to Potter who finished brilliantly on the volley from 12 yards out – finding the top corner with a rocket of a strike.
The full-time whistle was greeted with delight by all in the Linnets camp, and both teams left the pitch to rapturous applause.
Linnets’ form over the Christmas period means they begin 2018 hold- HALLMARK SECURITY PREMIER LEAGUE (UP TO TUESDAY, JANUARY 2) ing first position in the Hallmark Security League Premier Division table, having taken the seat from their neighbours on Boxing Day.
But there is much work still to be done, as the halfway mark of this season’s league fixtures hasn’t yet been reached.
With the likelihood of two promotion places to fight for this season, it’s going to be a fascinating, tense and exciting New Year as those with eyes on promotion move ahead at full steam.