Moore back to help shore up defences Ellison seeks to stem tide of goals conceded by Linnets
MICHAEL Ellison has addressed Runcorn Linnets’ leaky defence by completing the re-signing of Jimmy Moore.
Linnets have failed to keep a clean sheet during the new campaign and have conceded nine goals in their last four games, including four in the frantic draw with Clitheroe last weekend.
“It might be good for the neutral but it’s certainly not good from the management point of view!” Ellison explained.
“You score four goals in a game you should win it. It’s as simple as that.
“I do think things aren’t going our way at the minute, I’ll be honest about that.
“The first half-an-hour, the defensive display was awful and I thought we were really poor but we still created chances.
“In the second-half we were much better when I made the changes and even though we scored four goals we missed four clear-cut chances from four or five yards out.
“The game should have been won but it’s clear to everyone what the problem is and it’s that we’re conceding too many goals. It’s down to me as the manager to address it and we’ll do that.” ● Jimmy Moore has re-signed for Runcorn Linnets
Moore – Linnets’ player-of-theseason in 2018 when they secured promotion to the Bet Victor North West Division – returns following a season-long spell at Trafford.
Despite the new addition, Ellison refused to highlight individual performers whose place in the side could be under threat.
“I’m not going to single anyone out,” he added. “We win as a team and lose as a team and lads at the minute are just in a little bit of bad form.
“All I can hope for is things change. We’ve had one win in seven which isn’t good enough but every draw we’ve had I think we should have won.
“We know where we’re going wrong, we know that, and we’ve taken steps to address it, which is the most important thing.” ●● Match report: Page 46 ● PAUL McManus has told his Runcorn Town players they must find consistency and clean sheets sooner rather than later.
Town were dumped out of the FA Vase by West Didsbury & Chorlton in the second qualifying round last weekend with the NWCFL First Division South outfit causing an upset at the Viridor.
“It just wasn’t a good performance,” McManus said after the narrow 1-0 defeat.
“We had a few missing through work and holidays, the usual, but we should have had more than enough to beat them.
“For one reason or another we didn’t perform properly on the day and we got caught. They were the better team on the day and to be fair they deserved to go through. “It’s disappointing but it happens.” Town were tipped as one of the pre-season favourites for promotion from the Premier Division this term with three teams set to go up under new rules.
After losing two of their last four matches in all competitions, however, McManus is keen to see two key areas improved upon ahead of the massive FA Cup clash with Farsley Celtic on Saturday.
“It’s consistency,” he said. “I bang on about clean sheets and we haven’t kept one for four games now.
“That’s something we need to look at. We had four on the bounce and now we haven’t had one in four.
“It’s keeping clean sheets and finding the consistency. It will come but I need it to come quicker than it is.”
National League North high-fliers Farsley are three steps above Runcorn in the pyramid but McManus says he will field as strong a side as possible despite turning out on Wednesday against Charnock Richard.
“[Centre-back] Jack Sheppard is away for two weeks,” he added. “The others are back that missed the weekend.
“We have a couple of injuries at the minute but from what we’ve got it’ll be as full-strength as it can be.” ●● Match report: Page 47