A Houghton pair and all is Well for Linnets
ASHTON ATHLETIC.................................. 0 RUNCORN LINNETS ................................. 3
IT was a pleasant afternoon all round at Brocstedes Park on Saturday as Runcorn Linnets turned in a confident and controlling performance to win on a lovely late-winter’s day.
On a day of change and experimentation, with multiple injuries and suspensions hampering his team selection, Runcorn manager Michael Ellison decided on a change of shape for his side along with alterations to the starting XI.
Arguably the most notable change in personnel was a first league start for Matthew Holmes in goal, regular custodian Tom Hunt dropping to the bench.
There was also a first start for striker Freddie Potter since he rejoined the fold.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to open the scoring with a very well-worked goal.
Paul Shanley and Potter linked-up well on the left flank and found Mark Houghton, who from inside the box could easily have gone for goal himself.
Instead, he squared for teammate Stuart Wellstead who finished with a shot across Martin Pearson in Ashton’s goal to give his side a seventh-minute lead.
Linnets were playing very well on the decent Ashton surface and doubled their lead on the quarter-hour mark.
The build-up to the goal actually began in Linnets own box as a dangerous corner was scrambled clear to Kris Holt. He advanced forward and slid an inch-perfect ball into the path of Houghton. His shot was scuffed slightly and bobbled its way off a post into the bottom corner of the net.
With half-an-hour gone, Shanley took a slight knock and was replaced by Antony Hickey, returning from a threegame suspension.
Seconds before the interval, Ashton had the ball in the Runcorn net.
Corners seemed to be their biggest threat of a way back into the game and following a scramble in the Linnets box, the ball was lifted over Holmes and into the open goal, only for the referee to whistle for a foul on the Runcorn goalkeeper to little reaction or complaint from anyone in yellow-and-blue.
Runcorn continued to control the game in the second half, although in a style which was was perhaps not quite as free-flowing as in the first 30 minutes of the contest. ● Forward Mark Houghton struck twice as Runcorn Linnets defeated Ashton Athletic 3-0 on Saturday.
The match was put beyond Ashton on 53 minutes with another excellent Linnets goal.
Hickey found space on the right and dinked a sublime ball towards the far post where Potter was lurking.
The header from the ‘Wizard’ seemed destined for the bottom corner of the Athletic net, but received a helping toe from Houghton to ensure the outcome from a yard out and give Linnets a comfortable 3-0 lead.
Ashton are never a side who roll over and it took a solid stop from Holmes to protect the Linnets’ clean sheet, the keeper not only saving but keeping hold the ball following a dipping and swirling free-kick.
This was followed shortly after by a great piece of defending by Danny McKenna, who managed to clear the ball off his own goalline and over the crossbar with an Ashton goal looking certain.
The young Linnets left-back almost scored a stunning fourth goal, his 35-yard pile-driver sailing inches over the crossbar with Pearson beaten.
Houghton had a great chance to bag the hat-trick that had narrowly evaded him at West Didsbury & Chorton a week earlier when Wellstead’s flick-on header set the frontman clean through on goal with just the keeper to beat.
However, it was Pearson who came out of the showdown on top, making a strong block low to his left.
Wellstead was substituted following an injury to be replaced by Zac Aley while Bev Burey was also brought on for Potter, but the outcome remained unchanged and Ellison’s men secured a solid win and moved up to third place in the table as a reward.
Linnets are now five points behind pacesetters Bootle although the Merseysiders do have a game in hand. ●