Cairns hits treble in a five-star Town display
BURSCOUGH .............................................. 2 RUNCORN TOWN ...................................... 5
RUNCORN TOWN extended their undefeated run to four matches emerging victorious in a sevengoal feast at Victoria Park last Saturday.
And it was another game to remember for Craig Cairns as his fourth hat-trick of the campaign saw him reach the 30-goal plateau once again for the club.
The visitors had an early opportunity when Simon Thelwell cut in from the left but his wild shot flew high and wide of the target.
However, Town did take the lead in the fifth minute. Liam Turner found Kevin Exell in space and his cross into the penalty area found Cairns who controlled the ball, turned and picked his spot past goalkeeper Josh Samberg.
Burscough responded well and a long throw-in from Danny Brady found Chad Whyte unmarked in the 18-yard box but his header flew straight at Town goalkeeper Adam Reid.
Back at the other end, Exell did well to win the ball off Gary Grier on the edge of the Burscough area but his shot flew wide of goal.
Grier then put pressure on the Runcorn goal firing a powerful shot that flashed inches wide of the target.
Runcorn countered and Danny Jarrett hit a perfect 50-yard pass to find Cairns, his volley bringing a good save from Samberg.
Soon after, Terry Cummins broke clear up the left and it took a superb tackle from Turner to stop the attack, conceding a corner with his sliding intervention. From the resultant flag-kick, Grier had a shot blocked by Reid with Thelwell on hand to hack the loose ball clear.
Reid then did well to hang on to a Cummins shot as Burscough began to put pressure on the Runcorn rearguard.
Town, though, reacted in the perfect way when Cairns played Harry Brazel in, the midfield playmaker beat two defenders before slotting the ball beyond Samberg in the 20th minute.
Burscough were well into the game and when the dangerous Cummins drove a low hard cross into the goalmouth, none of his teammates could get a foot on the ball.
Prince Ekpolo, making his debut for Burscough, picked up a loose ball and drove a shot wide before Grier curled a strike beyond the far angle with Reid stranded.
Town forward Mark Reed then drove the ball into the Burscough goalmouth where Samberg reacted well to pluck it off the toes of Exell.
Ekpolo then beat Keiran Evans and his cutback centre was met first by Thelwell ● who cleared the dangerous situation, much to Runcorn’s relief.
The action kept coming and Exell rounded Rex Kimona-Puissance before hitting a dipping shot that Samberg brilliantly tipped over the crossbar for an unproductive corner.
The lively Ekpolo was involved again for the Linnets and his cross was met by a first-time volley from Grier that Reid saved at the foot of an upright.
An injury to Evans forced Town boss Chris Herbert into a substitution, Michael Carberry slotting in at left-back.
Reid then produced a brilliant save to deny Ekpolo with Grier following up heading the loose ball over the crossbar.
Runcorn responded with a goal in first half stoppage-time to make it 3-0.
Exell won the ball and played it to Reed. Samberg saved the forward’s shot but from the resulting corner taken by Paul McManus, Brazel produced a bullet header that gave the Linnets’ goalkeeper no chance to save.
Burscough must have wondered how they were three goals down after creating so many chances in the first half.
And things got no better for the West Lancashire outfit in the 47th minute when from a long throw-in by Turner, Reed flicked the ball on to Cairns who scored from just five yards out.
In total control at 4-0, Runcorn then conceded a penalty.
Burscough broke upfield from a Town corner, and Chad Whyte, despite appearing to pull Carberry back twice, was awarded a penalty by the referee.
From the spot, Whyte calmly placed the ball down the middle of the goal past Reid to reduce the arrears.
Not that it really mattered as Runcorn claimed a fifth goal on 63 minutes when Turner and Exell combined to cross to Cairns who completed his hat-trick by side-footing the ball home.
To their credit Burscough kept pressing and won a corner. From Jamie Clark’s centre, Reid was crowded out from reaching the ball allowing Kimona-Puissance a free header that flew high over the crossbar.
As the second half wore on, a foul on the edge of the Runcorn penalty area by Jarrett resulted in a free-kick that Brady took but his direct shot rebounded off the defensive wall.
Soon after, some excellent play by Kimona-Puissance and Whyte created an opening for substitute Peter Henerty. His fierce shot was held by Reid at the second attempt as the ball broke loose.
Runcorn looked for a sixth goal, and a superb ball from McManus created a shooting opportunity for Exell but his shot was blocked by former Town player Luke Gibson. Joe Holt then played substitute Luke Wilson-Jones through, but his shot was blocked by Clark.
Burscough were to have the final say on the scoring front when with barely a minute or two to go until full-time, Brady beat a pair of Town defenders before crossing to the unmarked Cummins who headed the ball firmly into the bottom corner of the net from six yards.
But it was merely a consolation as the three points were already safely in Runcorn’s possession and heading back to Pavilions.
Runcorn were last night hoping to build on this win and extend their unbeaten run to five matches with a home game against Squires Gate.