Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Linnets chief explains club’s ‘keeper moves

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RUNCORN Linnets manager Calum McIntyre has explained the club’s goalkeepin­g situation after the gloves changed hands several times this season.

Linnets picked up their first win in five games at the weekend with a 2-0 win at Market Drayton, where Wigan Athletic teenager Owen Mooney started in goal, the club’s sixth goalkeeper in their last ten league games.

McIntyre said: “I understand from the outside looking in, it would appear that we are signing goalkeeper­s on a weekly basis.

“We began the season with Joe Young on loan from Wolverhamp­ton Wanderers. Joe sustained an injury during November while training with Wolves. As a result, we signed Dermott Mee from Manchester United on a short term loan for the period that Joe would be injured. Obviously a number of games were postponed during this time which meant Dermott only played two games for us during his loan spell. Joe’s loan ran until January as a loan of a profession­al (as opposed to a scholar) from a Premier League club can only happen from transfer window to transfer window. We had hoped to extend the loan, but quite rightly Joe had attracted interest from further up the pyramid and moved to Matlock Town.

“Given how quickly this happened, we were in a position where we needed to replace Joe but weren’t in a position where we could commit to anyone for the remainder of the season. We have a really tight knit group and are among the clubs that have used the fewest players during the season so far. We brought Jak Stewart in from Everton on a Work Experience loan as well as signing Scott Reed. Scott’s previous club was Bangor City which meant we had to obtain Internatio­nal Clearance for him which ruled him out of some of January’s fixtures. We dual registered Scott with Irlam upon his Internatio­nal Clearance being received to allow him to get some game time having not played for so long. Scott came in for the Colne and Workington games but sustained a finger injury on the Thursday evening training session before Trafford.

“With this in mind and without being sure how long Scott would be injured for we had to sign a goalkeeper. Bolton Wanderers were really helpful in making Matt Alexander available and we took Matt on loan the day before the Trafford game. Matt sustained an injury during the Trafford game.”

That led the club to sign Mooney, a player McIntyre had been tracking for a while.

“I understand frustratio­ns at the way things have played out,” he said.

“I realise supporters are keen to form a bond with our players the way that they have with our team this season.”*

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