Linnets blow Bridge away in Cup clash

LINNETS secured a place in the next round of the FA Cup with victory against Bamber Bridge.

The visitors had started the Pitching In NPL Premier Division season well, placing them fifth in the table, and it was felt that the yellow and green would have to be more on song than they were in losing 1-2 at Bootle four days earlier.

In the event they were not just on song, but in full voice, as they marched on into Monday’s draw with a thoroughly deserved 3-1 victory.

The action was prefaced by a poignant one minute’s silence to honour the passing at 90 years old of long-standing Runcorn supporter and volunteer Joan Bettley.

Brig threatened early on with Ryan White traversing the 18-yard line across central defenders Sean O’Mahony and Carl Spellman before shooting narrowly wide.

Ryan Brooke’s run into the area was terminated by Macauley Wilson apparently pulling him back amd the frontman was not happy with referee Mr Bennett’s conclusion that no offence had been committed.

Brooke was cheered up, along with all of the other Runcorn faithful on and off the pitch, three minutes after the non-penalty.

Iwan Murray won and took a corner on the left, which he curled into the crowd in the six-yard box.

O’Mahony got his head to it first, rapidly followed by that of Spellman, who netted from close range.

The Premier Division side set out to respond immediately, Danny Forbes demanding a great tip over the bar by Joe Young.

A minute later, Ryan Brooke won an aerial duel with ‘keeper Hewelt, the ball dropping for an

Olarewaju shot to be blocked on the line. Brooke poked home, but Mr Bennett had already blown for a foul on the goalkeeper.

Chris Churchman saw a header hit the crossbar for Linnets and it was against the run of play that

Bamber Bridge levelled the tie three minutes before half-time.

Sheldon Green’s cross was cleared by O’Mahony, but Higham returned the ball into the area, where

White’s shot was deflected into the bottom right corner.

However, straight from the restart, Dapo Olarewaju broke away into the right side of the opposition penalty area and snapped in a cross for the charging Hellawell. Wilson got to it first, but could only divert the ball into his own net.

The second half started in a far more frantic, end-to-end manner.

A quick Runcorn free-kick from the halfway line set up Jacques Welsh on a sprint against two defenders, his powerful shot from outside the corner of the six-yard box parried by the ‘keeper.

At the other end, Forbes claimed that his 20-yard shot had been stopped by a hand, but Mr Bennett disagreed. Then Hellawell outsprinted Wilson to bear down on Hewelt’s goal, but the Brig No1 narrowed the angle well to block his shot.

Into the last quarter of an hour, a James Short ball from the halfway line reached the penalty area, where indecision between Wilson and Hewelt over who should go for it enabled Brooke to get a toe on the ball.

It squirted between the two Brig men into the path of Eden Gumbs, who needed no further invitation to slam it into the net before the ‘keeper could recover.