Linnets throw it away against Hey

Nov 27 2008 by Dave Bettley, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

RUNCORN Linnets last night threw in another of the calamitous performances, which have at intervals set back a generally go-forward season – losing 4-2 at home to improving Abbey Hey in the Vodkat League Premier Division.

When Linnets mess things up, they do it big style and this time Steve Wilkes’s men fell apart once they had opened the scoring in the 27th minute.

Their lead would have come much sooner but for saves by Robert Jones, who defied his status as the visitors’ third-choice keeper.

Paul Crewe (twice), Steve Cunningham and Michael Morrison had all suffered at Jones’ hands in the first quarter of the game.

Linnets finally went in front when wideman Stuart Telfer shrugged off and evaded left-back Ashley Brown to fizz the ball across the six-yard box for the inrushing Morrison to score.

Abbey Hey had started very cautiously with just one player in attack and another sitting in front of their back four.

What happened next could therefore hardly have been predicted, although Runcorn’s defence have leaked goals this season at a worrying late.

The Manchester side equalised within three minutes when Carl Maylott found himself in the box, leaving three defenders around him standing.

With Linnets failing to get to the ball in midfield and over-ambitious with their passing, Abbey Hey turned the match on its head.

Their skipper Keith Wedge put them ahead in the 40th minute and it would have got even worse for Steve Wilkes’s men but for Maylott failing to hit the target after twice getting away in the inside left channel.

Half-time gave Linnets chance to regroup but no improvement was forthcoming.

Right-back Steve Pickup came close to heading into his own goal from a 52nd-minute Mike Brown cross and enthusiastic skipper Cunningham’s efforts to fire up his team were unsuccessful.

Abbey Hey stretched their lead to 3-1 when Clive Brown casually played the ball across his own back line – straight into the path of the grateful John Maloney (65).

The hosts were given fresh hope a minute later as Melford Knight headed home a free-kick but the Gorton outfit restored their two-goal cushion from a set-piece of their own.

Robbie Holcroft had indicated he was happy with the positioning of his five-man defensive wall but Paul Monaghan’s low free-kick, in a central position 25 yards out, was accurate enough to beat the diving keeper at his right post.

Runcorn promptly sent on three substitutes to try to change the game but it had turned into an evening when anything and everything they tried backfired.

Linnets: Holcroft, Pickup, Boden (Studley 73), Cunningham, Dignan, Brown, Telfer (Baker 73), Knight, M Morrison, Crewe (Courney 73), Whyte. Subs: Walsh, Rigby.