Wilkes’ men make welcome return to form

Sep 18 2008 by Dave Bettley, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

Runcorn Linnets 3 Atherton Collieries 0

RUNCORN benefited from being back to somewhere near full strength and returned to the winning trail.

Although still missing his two first-choice central midfielders and being without wide man Lee Morris for this match, Steve Wilkes was able to include all of his other recent absentees and it showed.

Linnets played particularly well and considering the quality of their approach work it was ironic that both goals before the break were from set-pieces.

They had, however, forced a long list of corners and from one of them taken by Allan Glover on the right, fellow full-back Steve Pickup headed them in front on 27 minutes with his second goal in as many games.

Runcorn’s second was long overdue, but clinical when it came in the 49th minute.

Glover’s accurate free kick down the line was well controlled by Rob Whyte, who beat his man on the outside before delivering a cross which Michael Morrison met with a classic centre- forward’s header.

Despite keeping only their second clean sheet of the campaign, Runcorn’s defence had a much tougher time of it after the restart with spirited Colls promptly hitting a post and then bar in quick succession.

Around the same time Michael Morrison was only denied by the legs of Atherton’s excellent keeper Gavin Bates, whose first-half saves from Stuart Telfer and Ged Courtney had kept the visitors in the game.

However, Morrison got his revenge running from deep to beat the offside trap and further increase the lead on 79 minutes.

Even then Robbie Holcroft had to make a fine save to deny Troy Hayder, but Runcorn finished the stronger.

Bates produced more heroics to deny subs Matt Rigby and Brian Walsh who had supplied crosses for each other from either flank.

Linnets: Holcroft, Pickup (O’Driscoll 87), Glover, Young (Walsh), Dignan, Moore, Telfer, D Morrison (Rigby) , M Morrison, Courtney, Whyte. Sub not used: McKane.