Squad ‘needs to improve’, says Ellison Boss calls for reinforcements in push for the play-offs
MICHAEL Ellison believes Runcorn Linnets need to strengthen if they are to continue their mid-season resurgence and challenge for the play-off positions in the BetVictor North West Division.
Linnets’ defeat to Brighouse Town was their first in nine league matches before Saturday’s trip to Colne was postponed.
With Runcorn seven points adrift of the top-five ahead of this weekend’s visit of Ossett United, Ellison is adamant reinforcements are needed.
Midfielder Tom Owens was forced to exit due to work commitments earlier this month while Paul Shanley, Peter Wylie and on-loan Accrington Stanley striker Alex O’Neill have been ruled out with illness.
“I still think we need to improve the squad,” Ellison said.
“We’ve had over that run [at the turn of the New Year] we’ve had six lads out because of a virus. We’ll get them back and hopefully get them fit.
“We need to do a little bit of strengthening in the next few weeks and it’s a challenge but I don’t see why not.”
Ellison, who guided Linnets to promotion from the NWCFL Premier Division in 2018, remains committed to adding to his squad before setting targets for his team.
“I don’t like to look too far ahead,” he said. “I just like to look at the next game and as we know you can go on a run and win six out of eight and you can lose six out of eight!
“It’s that close and even the games we’ve won have been close and it’s the same when we’ve lost or drew them.
“There’s never much in the games really, to be honest, but I think we’ll have to strengthen over the next few weeks and that’s what we’ll try and do, fingers crossed.”
Long-serving midfielder Michael Simpson returned to Ellison’s squad for the first time in more than a year at Brighouse and the manager urged patience with his comeback.
“We’ve lost Tom and we’ve lost one or two others but Michael was in the squad,” he added.
“That’s a really big boost but he’s going to have to get game time. He’s going to have to get some minutes.”
PAUL McManus believes Runcorn Town have taken their ‘foot off the pedal’ at home this season after failing to win a game at the Viridor Community Stadium since August.
Runcorn overcame Irlam 2-1 on Saturday to make it three victories from four in the NWCFL Premier Division and now embark on a run of five home matches in their next six outings.
“We have been really good away for most of the season now and if I knew what would change our home form I would be all over it,” McManus said.
“I feel at home we have maybe took our foot off the pedal at times and it’s came back to bite us.
“I believe it is us switching off at vital times so I don’t feel we need to change our approach, but maybe our application for the full 90 minutes.”
Kieran Holsgrove netted his first goals for Town against Irlam as he scored both from the penalty spot and McManus revealed he made the decision to promote the former Marine midfielder in his list of takers.
“Kieran has actually been with us now since November and has been performing well since he came in,” the player-manager, who is enjoying his first full campaign in the hot-seat, said.
“For such a young lad he’s got the tools to keep improving.
“I was made up for Kieran on Saturday as I believe during the course of the season we have missed around six or seven penalties which I’m told have cost us a decent amount of points which obviously has a bearing on our league position at the minute
“I gave Kieran the responsibility ahead of more experienced lads and he didn’t disappoint me as his second penalty to win the game in the last stages was a thing of beauty.”
●●Match report: Page 46