Alex youngsters dispatch Linnets from Cheshire Senior Cup

ABIG crowd was expected for the visit of well-supported FC United in the FA Trophy, and the army of volunteers who helped prepare The Millbank Linnets Stadium, and provide additional catering and comfort facilities, were not left feeling their efforts were in vain.

An attendance of 962, almost two and-a-half times that for the last round against Prescot Cables, would have made it feel more like a home game for FC United.

That was doubly confusing for returning Linnets favourite Aaron Morris, who was cheered loudly by home fans as the teams were announced, and was seen off at the end as enthusiastically as when he was being instrumental in Runcorn’s NW Counties League triumph of 2018.

Statistics don’t lie, they say, but if ‘they’ believe it, they haven’t been paying much attention to the General Election campaign. Stats lie more often than they tell the truth.

In this case, a 3-0 win (plus a missed penalty) for the visitors would suggest a passage into the next round without breaking much of a sweat.

While there can be no argument that FC United were the stronger and better side on the day, the scoreline exaggerated the difference, and insulted a committed and unflagging performance by the hosts.

The opening two minutes suggested that the outcome might be even more one-sided than the final score. FC went straight on the offensive from the opening whistle, and their first attack was perhaps inevitably sparked by Aaron Morris.

Winning the ball wide on the right, where the former yellow-and-green centre-back now plies his trade for the Reds, the move led to a low cross

RUNCORN LINNETS ............................ 1 CREWE ALEXANDRA ......................... 3

ON a bitterly cold Wednesday night Crewe Alexandra came to the Millbank Stadium aiming to eliminate Linnets from the Cheshire Senior Cup for the second time in three seasons.

The game had been delayed by three weeks, due to the rearranged FA Trophy tie against Prescot Cables.

Essentially Crewe’s Under-23 side, they faced a much changed Runcorn team. Only three of those who lined up for Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Ramsbottom United did so again, in the shape of Jack Hinnigan, Warren Bellew and captain Kyle Hamid.

Ryan Gibson, Peter Wylie and Ally Brown would join from the bench later on.

Two new faces started for the home side, striker Sean Mullan who had signed since the weekend, and Lewis McKinney, just arrived on loan from Oldham Athletic, who started on the left of midfield.

Crewe were quick to the ball and got forward swiftly with fast-passing moves, giving their opponents a lot of chasing and covering to do.

Intent was shown in the first minute, with Crewe’s Daniel Powell turning Louis Corrigan on the right side of the penalty area and unleashing a shot which Jack Hinnigan blocked to concede a corner, which was cleared.

Several further forays by Powell, and Callum Ainley on the left, sought to set up chances for centre-forward

Connor Heath, but Hinnigan, Corrigan, Cannon-Noren and Jimmy Moore, the latter appearing for the first time since 1st October at Ossett United, tackled and blocked to limit attempts to shots off target, or into the capable hands of Richie Mottram.

Runcorn’s first spell of attacking endeavour started 10 minutes in, with new boys Mullan and McKinney threatening from right and left, combining notably with Kurt Sherlock and Ryan Wade, but the Crewe backline permitted no serious chances.

The visitors were back on the offensive with a series of corners around the quarter-hour mark, which were either deflected for another, or dealt with calmly by Mottram.

Four minutes later, The Alex were in front. Oliver Finney was given a little too much time and space to move left across the edge of the area, find a gap, and drill the ball into the bottom left corner.

The pattern of industrious defending and off-target shots continued, with occasional breaks from the home side running out of steam before Crewe keeper and skipper David Richards could be troubled.

On 26 minutes, Regan Griffiths at the other end was set free into the area but shot over the bar.

A handy spell materialised for Runcorn from the half-hour mark. Hinnigan headed from the halfway line to Mullan, who controlled it well under pressure, and a series of multiple passes from the middle to the flanks corn rearguard to do much with it. A corner from a safety-first header by Hinnigan found the Reds’ Mike Potts in possession, but he was forced to retreat with it back towards his own half. That followed a cross by Bellew finding Zac Aley, who headed wide when he appeared to have time to hit the target, or at least to test keeper Belford.

At the break, Linnets can’t have felt they should have been ahead, but with a bit more vigilance in the first two minutes they would have faced the second half level, giving the visitors more worries about exiting to an outfit from the division below.

The second half threatened to begin as the first had. A minute in, FC and back again, involving Wade, McKinney and Cannon-Noren, gave their opponents urgent work to do.

In the 33rd minute, Kurt Sherlock found enough room to take on two defenders in the right side of the area, and reaching the byline, hooked a ball just outside the post.

A minute later, a trip on Wade gave Corrigan his first stab at a trademark 22-yard free-kick. It beat Richards, but squeaked just wide of the post.

Twice on the stroke of the break, Sherlock found dangerous positions in the box, centre-half Travis Johnson preventing him from connecting productively with head or boot.

Manager Michael Ellison rang the changes at half-time, introducing Ryan Gibson and Peter Wylie for Mullan and Hamid.

The first proper chance of the half came when Sherlock passed inside for Bellew, who tried to put Wade clear to the right of the six-yard box, just a little too firmly and out for a goal-kick.

On 55 minutes, a neat one-two between McKinney and Sherlock would have set the former free down the left wing, but he was tripped. The free-kick led to a cross by McKinney, which found the head of Hinnigan six yards out, but his contact was too firm to be directed goalwards.

Harry Cannon-Noren gave way to Peter Wylie straight afterwards, just before a Corrigan corner from the right was headed out by left-back Offord for another.

United had a penalty. I have to confess that from my vantage point I couldn’t see who fouled whom.

At this point, 2-0 would have presented a mountain to climb, but longstanding Linnets fans know that Richie Mottram always has a penalty save in him, and so it proved.

The kick by Dodd was no dud, but Richie read it and parried it to safety.

Linnets set out to make the most of the reprieve but two more promising breaks on the right, involving Shanley and Gibson, were intercepted, and a foul on Sherlock produced a free-kick, hit too long.

An equal number of chances emerged at the other end including a

Louis’s second effort curled across the six-yard box, eluding the attentions of everybody gathered there, and found its way just inside the far post. Update on the Danny McKenna Scoring Direct From A Corner Challenge: Zac Aley 1, Louis Corrigan 1.

Linnets continued to have more of the ball, with neat and quick passing moves keeping the visitors busy.

Just after, a long diagonal ball to Finney in the Linnets’ area found him offside, at the other end Sherlock also attracted an offside flag, despite the fact that he had clearly overlapped a limping Travis Johnson well after the ball had been played forward for him.

That limp had resulted moments earlier from a 50/50 dispute, won by Sherlock, on the halfway line.

Referee Mr Buckley had disagreed with Johnson’s contention that he had been fouled, but the Crewe No5 was not happy, and pursued a campaign of niggles on and off the ball with the Runcorn No6.

One resulted in a Corrigan free-kick near the left corner flag, deflected away by Finney. The siege continued, a Wylie shot headed out for another corner by Griffiths.

The hosts looked like the-teammore-likely-to at this point, but how often have all of us seen that situation turned on its head? The first Crewe chance for a while came with 20 minutes remaining, when Connor Heath spun and shot from 18 yards, high and wide.

A minute later, he was substituted by

Joe Robbins, and a minute after that an Alex corner from the left found leftback Offord in space in the box, from where he dispatched it with ease.

A long spell of possession in the Crewe half had perhaps done little to keep the home defence on its toes. Runcorn heads didn’t drop, though. Warren Bellew was fouled twice on halfway. The long free-kick was cleared loosely, only to Sherlock, but he snatched at his cross, finding the feet of right-back Abdul Djalo.

On 76 minutes, Louis Corrigan spied the opportunity to launch a 35-yard free-kick from the right audaciously on goal. He was correct in thinking that Richards in the Crewe goal wouldn’t expect it, but it narrowly cleared the bar.

A minute later, the game was effectively over. A point-blank effort by Griffiths was blocked on the line by Mottram, but with the third bite of the attack, substitute Robbins found the bottom right corner.

The last substitution saw Aaron Lomas replace Regan Griffiths with 10 minutes remaining, and that period saw further attacking endeavours by both sides.

With a one-goal margin it would have been an exciting finish, but Crewe’s tireless young pros were not going to let a two-goal lead slip.