Cheadle Town 3-2 Runcorn Linnets

A Deano goal eight minutes into stoppage time nudged Cheadle Town into the quarter-finals of the League Challenge Trophy and gave us our third Div 1 scalp in a cup competition this season.

In my preview for this match I said that - against Div 1 opposition - we needed a bit of luck. Cheadle were duly granted said fortune on the 38-minute mark when the Runcorn 'keeper delivered a poor goalkick straight to the feet of Mike Myers; desperate for a goal (he hasn't scored since the start of the season) he went for the audacious chip and got his reward. His act of putting Cheadle ahead compensated for his "miss-of-the-season" candidate after 13 minutes when he rounded the 'keeper and blasted wide with the goal at his mercy.

Three minutes into the second half and lady luck smiled on Cheadle once more to give them a two-goal lead. Deano chased a through ball and had the easiest of tasks to roll it into an empty net after a horrendous mix-up between the Linnets 'keeper and a defender.

Two-nil up we may have been, but there was still plenty of the match remaining. There was always that gnawing doubt that if Runcorn were to pull one back then Cheadle would have their work cut out and one hell of a battle on their hands; Runcorn are a Div 1 outfit, after all.

And so it proved. Runcorn laid siege to the Cheadle penalty box with a dolly mixture of forced corners and crosses into the box. They knocked on the door of pulling level on 67 minutes when they headed a corner in and then had both their feet across the threshold with just four minutes of the match remaining when another cross was headed in by their number 5.

I, at that point, thought that the match would go one of two ways: Runcorn would nick it at the death or they'd pummel us something like 4-2 in extra-time as there looked like only one team capable of scoring...and it wasn't us. Despite seeing our backs to the walls, Polardin maintained that there was another goal in us yet.

I really should listen to him more. With the match entering some sort of never-ending time-warp and eight minutes on the stoppage clock, Arron Riley belted the ball across the face of the goal where Deano was on hand to bundle in from about a yard out. Cue pandemonium from me, that look of "I told you so" from Polardin and then the referee's whistle to signal another great cup day for Cheadle Town.

I'm not at the Chadderton match next week. Probably a good job - another day like today and I'll be heading for the nearest cardiac unit....along with Trevor!

Actually, I said I'd give him a mention, so here goes. Trevor, congratulations for finally getting your broadband sorted out so that you can read this blog every week. It's about bloody time. Have fun reading through all of the old posts, match reports etc. - they should bring back a few memories of the past couple of seasons!!

Photos from today can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: Mellor, Heath, B Roberts (Clarke), Cotterill (Fellows), A Roberts, Brocklehurst, Riley, Hussain, Myers (Flanagan), Martin, Lindon. Subs: Fellows, Clarke, Flanagan, Brokenbrow

Saturday's Opponents: Runcorn Linnets

Yet another "yet another home match", but one with a bit of added spice as Runcorn Linnets come to Park Road for the Third Round of the League Challenge Cup (we'll forget the weather for one minute and assume it's game on!).

Runcorn Linnets were as new to the NWCFL scene as Polardin and I were last season and were the opponents for one of our first away-days with Cheadle: a 2-3 defeat at Wincham Park and an enjoyable evening as Runcorn were honest, friendly hosts.

They took another three points from Cheadle at Park Road on their way to clinching promotion via 2nd place (behind Winsford United).

A second successive promotion looks unlikely as we currently find The Linnets in 12th place in Division 1. They also come to Park Road sporting a new manager; Steve Wilkes - who impressively took Padiham to a 3rd place finish in Div 2 last season - is the man who takes over from Robbie Holcroft, caretaker since new year.

The form book gives Cheadle a glimmer of hope. Runcorn make the visit on the back of three successive league defeats in which they have shipped in ten goals and have only scored two in reply. Mr Wilkes' first task will be to arrest that, surely.

As for Cheadle...who knows. As I have said countless times on this blog, we are capable of beating anybody "on our day". Effort hasn't been wanting of late - against decent Div 1 opposition on Saturday, we could do with a bit of luck and all.

Come on Cheadle!...and another welcome to Park Road for the regular Linnets that read this blog!

Tonight's Match: Winsford United v Runcorn Linnets

If you've been following my weekend round-ups on here this season you'll know that this match needs no introduction...but I'm going to give it one anyway.

It's the big one, the dog's dangly bits, the epic, the decider, the ultimate, the conclusion, the pinnacle, the 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows', the top billing at the Las Vegas of football, the 'Supper's Ready' by Genesis...the decider of the NWCFL Division Two title?

That last bit won't be be settled tonight as Winsford United still have games-in-hand on their Cheshire counterparts but there's no denying that this match is the pick of the Easter crop. Let's face it - Padiham's tailgating aside - these two sides have walked this division all season and have never looked like surrendering the top two promotion places between them.

This is a really hard game to call. Personally I reckon there's gonna be just the one goal in it....

This blog will be taking a holiday for the next couple of days and will return to the online airwaves on Friday.

Cheadle Town 0-2 Runcorn Linnets

"I should be at this match by 4.00pm" I said. Optimistic.

Thanks to the traffic in the notorious bottlenecks of Longsight and Parrs Wood (whoever sequenced the traffic lights there wants shooting), I got to Park Road with only 20 minutes remaining of this match.

By this time Runcorn were already a goal to the good thanks to a Thompson goal and both teams were down to ten men; Heathy the one seeing the red card for Cheadle. That's two sendings-off in the past two games, which will mean an eight-game ban or something like that.

My match reports at the time were supplied by regular-reader 'New Linnet' from the Runcorn website and Paul, one of Arron Riley's entourage. According to Paul, Cheadle had a "handful of decent chances", with New Linnet saying that "I hadn't missed much" and that both players had pretty much deserved to be sent off. During my brief chat with 'Linnet, Runcorn had a ligitimate penalty shout turned down and shortly after that as I made my way around to the exit, Runcorn's Boden had all the time in the world to blast the clinching second goal past Mellor after 88 minutes.

Walking into a football match that's already well on its way is strange, rather like gatecrashing a party. It just felt...wrong, like I needn't have bothered, for some reason. I did have my camera with me, but couldn't be arsed taking any photographs, so apologies if you're expecting the results of my usual efforts. So, if you're thinking of doing the "two games in a day" thing, just make sure you can make the kick-off time for both matches!

Don't say I never give you any advice.

A match report from the Runcorn Linnets website can be read if you click here.

If New Linnet is reading this, it was nice to have an albeit brief chat with you. Best of luck for the season.

Tomorrow's Opponents: Runcorn Linnets

Cheadle's quest to arrest their three-month winless run won't be made any easier tomorrow with the visit of high-flyers Runcorn Linnets. I had already done my usual "done my homework on them" piece back in August; click here if you want to read it again. Back then Runcorn Linnets ran out 3-2 winners at a time where Cheadle Town's next win always looked as though it was somewhere around the corner. Jesus, how that seems so far away now.

Runcorn's only three slip-ups all season have been at home to Winsford United (there must have been a 98th-minute goal involved in there somewhere) and away to Eccleshall and Ashton Athletic. Apart from that, it has to be said, they look quite healthy candidates for promotion; this is further evidenced by the fact that they are the highest scorers in Div 2 with 35 goals (compare that with Cheadle's 15).

I won't catch that game until about 4pm tomorrow. I'm hoping that I don't miss too much in the first 45 minutes. Come on Cheadle!

Runcorn Linnets v Cheadle Cheese

What a night in the home of the linnets. Extrordinary stuff. Trevor Howard is fast becoming a legend, to field a side cut in half by suspensions, a team that pretty much has not played together before and keep the system in tact was quite something.

To play the runaway leaders of the league, a team that in their first two games scored nine times without conceding, a team made up of Unibond league players largely who after three games have only had a penalty scored against them. Then to go down 1-0 after 4 minutes and still manage to control the game for most of the first half, not losing our shape or confidence or self-belief and in fact scoring the goal of the half (Arron give us a wave!) All in all a tremendous first-half display, more chances created than the home side and if not for two lapses of concentration at bad times we'd have been 1-0 up at half time. Our goal was a beautifull worked 4 pass exchange: true Cheadle Cheese style.

Who knows what happened to the second half: it disappeared into the twilight zone. Both teams just seemed stale and trapped by the referee's whistle and unending conferences around decisions. We on this blog are not one for griping, but we have encountered this referee before. Let's just say he didn't help the flow of the game. But for a superb goal from the Linnets and another from us the game died but a tremendous performance to score twice against the form team of the league.

As we did last season with FC United we showed how well-equipped we are against the bigger clubs. We now are the only side not only to score against the Linnets but score twice! We do have to maintain our dont' dive philosophy: it is what tells us apart from the disease that has corrupted football. If Cheadle don't dive then every team we play will know they've been in a game. Trevor is building a team in his own image here, a "never say die give it your best shot" attitude.

Now our thoughts return to the FA Cup. As a native of the North East I have added hope for this coming Saturday as we have the prospect of facing another geordie team in the First Qualifying Round: a chance for a trip back to my roots and bring my dad along!!

Lastly a little word of sympathy for our league collegues Blackpool Mechanics who, having beaten Armthorpe Welfare 2-0, have been removed from the competition because they fielded a suspended player, Craig Worthington who also happened to score! We feel for you as we were missing four players from suspension last night. It's hard to compete at this level as it is without extra losses. We look forward to our visit and day out in the league at Blackpool, and there's always next year!

Runcorn Linnets 3-2 Cheadle Town

Four minutes in, already one-nil down to a much-fancied Runcorn, six first-team regulars missing, this could have been a long, long night.

Au contraire. When Cheadle Town put together a lovely move ending with Arron Riley's superbly-placed equaliser after 26 minutes, an "unlikely" result looked on the cards, especially seeing as how CTFC were starting to punch their weight in the match at that moment in time. A Runcorn header just before the half-time mark meant that Cheadle were chasing the game again.

An utterly colourless second half was kicked into life with nine minutes to go when a Runcorn striker spotted Melly off his line and unleashed a dipping scorcher into the back of the net. Four minutes later Tosin Onibudo prodded home after the Linnets 'keeper fumbled the wet ball and all of a sudden the it was game on again. It wasn't to be, thus condemning CTFC to their first league defeat of the season.

I can't finish this post without highlighting one very notable fact. The referee was our friend "the referee from that night in Nelson". The same referee that booked a load of CTFC players that evening, the same CTFC players that were suspended tonight as a result. He's rapidly falling off my xmas card list.

And so onto Alsager on Saturday for the FA Cup Preliminary Round. Another tough encounter...

Photos from the evening can be seen by clicking here

Tuesday's Opponents: Runcorn Linnets

Runcorn Linnets may be new to the NWCFL, but they are by no means new to non-league football. It's some story and all.

As Runcorn they were one of the founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1969, eventually gaining promotion to the then Alliance Premier League (now the Conference). The zenith and nadir of Runcorn's existence came in quick succession in 1982. They won the Alliance Premier League, but didn't receive enough votes from the then Division 4 members to gain promotion. Who said that football isn't full of "if onlys". Since then it has been relatively downhill.

They lost the FA Trophy final to Altrincham in 1988 and saw their Canal Street ground literally fall apart during the 93-94 season: a perimeter fence collapsed during an FA Cup match, the roof from a stand blew off and the main stand was destroyed by fire.

Canal Street was sold in the year 2000 and the club moved to the Halton Stadium in Widnes, which it shared with the town's rugby league team, and also changed their name to Runcorn FC Halton. Just one season was spent in the new Conference North before the club was relegated back to the Northern Premier League. With this came a spell of financial misery, forcing the club to move again, this time sharing with Prescot Cables for the 2005-2006 season. By now the financial crisis was so severe that the players' wages couldn't be paid. Key playing staff were offloaded and replaced by amateur players; Runcorn FC Halton were suffering thrashings every week and the club tumbled - and finished - at the bottom of the table. The club resigned from the league and that was expected to be that as far as non-league football in Runcorn was concerned.

Until now. Runcorn Linnets have emerged, phoenix-like, from this horrible mess to join us all down here in the NWCFL Div 2 and we wish them the best of luck as they keep non-league football in Runcorn (although they'll be playing in Northwich until they find a ground) alive and well.

Feel free to visit their excellent official website by clicking here.

Runcorn Linnets Away

The Runcorn Linnets away fixture that had to be shifted from last week because of the CSC match against Winsford will now be played on Tuesday 29th August, kick-off at 7.45pm.