Robbie sees red in big loss

Aug 28 2008 by Dave Bettley, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

Runcorn Linnets 1 Colne 5

THE dismissal of Robbie Holcroft saw Runcorn collapse in a domino effect.

Having come from behind to be level at the break thanks to Michael Young’s 30th-minute reply to Stevie Hall’s quick opener, out-of-sorts Linnets had still been optimistic of making it three straight league wins.

But when Holcroft was red carded, it all started falling out of control.

Holcroft was sent off in the 57th minute for bringing down Colne’s Adam Whiteoak and deputy goalkeeper Ross Boyd’s first task was to pick sub Martin Broderick’s penalty from the back of the net.

At 2-1, Steve Wilkes looked on in bewilderment as Broderick, the striker he had last year let go from Padiham, went on to complete a treble.

Broderick (73) let rip with a cross-shot from the right which flashed past Boyd, who should have followed Holcoft to the dressing room for bringing down Liam Garbutt. Instead, the deputy No1 escaped with a caution from a wholly inconsistent referee.

Broderick (86) again converted from the spot and Garbutt completed the rout a minute later, although his final goal of the match, like the game’s first, looked offside.

As well as seeing tactical changes backfire, ‘distraught’ manager Steve Wilkes admitted Broderick had returned to haunt him.

He said: “He couldn’t get in my team at Padiham and Colne came in for him.

“We didn’t want him to go because we knew he was a decent little player but he never ever scored goals and then he goes and scores three.

“He just said ‘Sorry Wilkesy’ but he had played for Colne in midweek and then been left out. So he had a point to his own manager, too.”

Wilkes revealed it was his decision to leave out Robbie Moore because of concerns the 31-year-old might not have coped with two games in three days.

“Robbie disputed that and thought he could have done,” revealed the boss.

“As a manager, you make decisions and sometimes they come off, sometimes they don’t.

“You saw him on Monday (at New Mills) and how immense he was. On that side of the equation, the decision to leave him out was right but we looked very shaky at the back in his absence.”

Linnets: Holcroft, Pickup, Walsh (Courtney 72), McKenzie, Boden, Dignan, Telfer, Cunningham, M Morrison, Thompson, Young (Boyd GK 57). Subs (not used): Whyte, Edwards, Morris. Attendance: 139.