Cup exit but Linnets’ pride intact
STOCKPORT COUNTY LADIES ......... 5 RUNCORN LINNETS LADIES............. 1
MANAGER John Pickering emerged from the splendid surroundings of Stockport Sports Village a more than happy man, despite his side losing their Cheshire County FA Ladies’ Cup quarter-final against County Ladies’ first-team.
Prior to kick-off, Pickering stressed to his side they had nothing to lose against opponents from two tiers higher. The visiting boss had to reshuffle the pack due to a late withdrawal with striker Megan Pickering taking up an unusual central defensive role, partnering Jo Finnegan,
Pickering excelled in the position so much that she was awarded Linnets’ player-of-the-game.
It was not hard to motivate Runcorn’s players for this game.
Stockport, having watched Linnets twice, had described their visitors as unfit with no shape while predicting a double-figure scoreline was very much on the cards.
This inspired Linnets to create the first opening with Beth Coppin and Chelsea Gillies combining, the latter putting her shot agonisingly past the post.
Full-backs Ana Duran Anca and Nichola Hyland, along with Finnegan and Pickering, had to be alert – putting in timely challenges – before County had their first real sight of goal on 13 minutes.
Stockport’s class was evident as they moved the ball around freely, creating another opening on 16 minutes but their tall striker blazed wide.
County took the lead a minute later with another fine move that released the striker into the box and she coolly slotted the ball past Nat Pinnington.
Runcorn, showing the same guts and determination which they had displayed against Chester Ladies a week earlier, responded with a couple of chances of their own that went wide.
But just when you thought Runcorn would go in at half-time a creditable one goal down, their failure to put a challenge in on Stockport players cost them dearly with further goals in the 40th and 45th minutes.
Teams of Stockport’s ability rarely miss a free chance on goal and they made the most of the opportunities.
Manager Pickering’s interval team talk was born out of frustration more than anger that his young team had performed heroically for the majority of the opening half but let themselves down in the crucial five-minute period before half-time.
County upped the ante at the beginning of the second half, spread- ● ing the ball around faster in the hope of tiring out the Linnets side.
Facing a succession of corners, Runcorn held firm and could quite easily have pulled a goal back as Gillies won a brilliant tackle on the edge of the County penalty area before picking herself up to shoot narrowly over the bar on 60 minutes.
Two minutes later, the technical ability of North West Regional Premier League side was evident again as the Linnets were punished at the far post for County’s fourth goal.
Runcorn straight away replaced Tempany Carlson and Frankie Valdez with Lucy Wieland and Kim Roberts in like-for-like substitutions.
Roberts played in Coppin in on 73 minutes but the young striker’s shot cleared the bar.
On 76 minutes Lile Ashley replaced the impressive Becky Barker and a minute later, Ashley dribbled across the field in a run (something akin to John Barnes’s legendary England goal in the Maracana Stadium versus Brazil in 1984) before being upended in the Stockport penalty area.
Megan Pickering stepped up to duly dispatch the spot-kick.
This gave Linnets new impetus as Coppin nearly made it two as she wriggled past two Stockport defenders in the box before shooting inches wide of the post in the 85th minute.
Amid angry shouts from the County bench, it was the hosts who looked to be struggling and hanging on against what was now a very youthful Linnets XI
Two minutes from time, Stockport added their fifth against the run of play, right-back Hyland failing to connect with a clearance allowing County space and time to hit a shot from distance, beating keeper Pinnington.
At full-time manager Pickering was full of praise of all of his players for a sterling performance.
He said: “We came with a plan and it didn’t include parking the bus.
“We wanted to test ourselves but above all prove we could give Stockport a game and I think we did that.
“We are a very young side; still learning, still developing.
“These players today stood up well to the challenge and can hold their heads high and were a credit to Runcorn Linnets FC.
“This is the furthest we have gone in the County Cup, we were the lowest-ranked league team left in the last eight and that’s credit to the players.”