Football: Linnets rocked once more on home front

Feb 18 2010 by David Bergin, Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News

Runcorn Linnets 2Bacup Borough 3

RUNCORN Linnets threw away a first-half lead to finish pointless for the second time in a week at Wincham Park on Saturday.

Like Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Atherton LR, the first half was scrappy with neither side achieving any level of fluency in their play.

Paul Fildes made a lively start after his bit-part involvement in midweek. Fildes saw an early left foot effort go just wide before reversing a ball in to the path of Lloyd Balazs, whose deflected shot went over.

On 15 minutes, it was Fildes again who threatened when he picked up a loose ball and cut inside to test Steven Dryden in the Bacup goal.

It was on 38 minutes that Rob Whyte and Ellis combined for the opening goal. The best move of the half began with Whyte nicking the ball past ex AFC Fylde captain Dougie Shaw in to the path of youngster Jake Ellis.

Ellis took the ball past the full-back and curled in a tempting ball that found Whyte, who controlled a first time volley in to the bottom corner.

David Sherlock again looked a threat for Runcorn in the opening stages, and he appeared to be pulled back in the area early in the second half but stayed on his feet.

Bacup went straight downfield and Karl Stanley hooked the ball goalwards, only to see his effort come back off the bar with Phil Priestley beaten.

The visitors were in the ascendancy and it took a painful block from Matthew Ashcroft to maintain the lead. Sherlock was the next to see an effort miss the target when he volleyed wide from a Rob Whyte free kick.

Midway through the half, Bacup levelled from the spot. A long ball put Simon Myerscough and Ross Bain in trouble as their opponents got goal side and Myerscough was penalised.

Substitute Falco Laurenzo hit a poor penalty low to Phil Priestley’s left but despite a big touch from the keeper, the ball squeezed in at the corner.

Runcorn heads dropped and Bacup sensed victory. They took the lead on 83 minutes when a free kick was floated in to the area for star man Davey Luker to win a header and guide the ball back across goal for Lee Oldham to nod home unchallenged.

It was the same player who put the game out of reach five minutes later when Laurenzo turned Bain toprovide a simple tap-in. Two minutes in to injury time, Lloyd Balazs chipped a ball in to the path of Paul Fildes whose thunderbolt from 20 yards was too little, too late.