2^nd February 2016, Congleton Town v Runcorn Linnets FC : 2-0

The Linnets' run of winning consecutive league games was brought to an end after seven at Congleton on Tuesday night, Joey Dunn's heavily-depleted squad falling to a 2-0 defeat.

In what is always a notoriously tough fixture, Runcorn again failed to really find their feet and force a stranglehold on the game.

Ultimately, Congleton deserved their three points.

Franny Smith was added to the ever-growing casualty list, his place in the starting line-up was filled by Mark Houghton with River Humphreys making a welcome return to the centre of defence in his first start after nearly two months out injured.

There was a surprise addition to a bench, made up mostly of Youth and fringe players with full back Danny Hand donning a kit for the first time since the pre-season friendlies!

Linnets started the game well and were pressuring the Congleton goal, but in the sixth minute Dean Porter in the Linnets goal allowed a tame bouncing effort to somehow squirm through his clutches and into the back of the net to the astonishment of every supporter and player in the ground.

Town forward Brian Matthews was the beneficiary of the very belated Christmas present. While it was disappointing to be behind in such a manner, this didn't affect Linnets' momentum as they went on to dominate the first half and create enough chances to see the game out. But none were taken.

Kurt Sherlock had an almost instant reply ruled out for offside, something that was to become a theme for the evening with Congleton's back line getting the better of the pacey forward throughout the evening.

Linnets' best chance of the entire game came midway through the first half, Kyle Hamid dropping a dream of a ball on to Mark Houghton's head six yards out. With his feet planted and not needing to jump, all Houghto had to do to score was hit the target but his header went high and wide.

Kurt Sherlock was next with a great chance to score when he was on the receiving end of Mike Simpson's low cross into the box. Under a bit of pressure from a defender. Kurt took a touch inside the six-yard box and then volleyed softly straight at the keeper with Mark Houghton wide open to his left, awaiting a prospective tap in.

Mike White was next to get in on the act, his fierce header from a corner well forced over the crossbar by the fingertips of Congleton's keeper before another glorious chance fell to Linnets right on the stroke of half time. Sherlock pulled the ball across the six-yard area from the by-line for both Anthony Hickey and Mark Houghton to swing and miss with the goal gaping.

The half-time whistle blew and you wondered quite how Linnets were losing this game; we'd had enough chances to have put the game beyond Congleton and were losing to a mediocre effort that even Congleton's faithful could not believe had gone in. You felt that Congleton's luck would run out soon into the second half and some of these chances would turn into goals. But something in the half -time tea pots of both sides turned this game completely on its head.

In the second half, the Linnets looked a completely different side, passing going awry all over the pitch, and they were completely bereft of ideas on how to break down a defence that they had the beating of earlier. It was Congleton who now had all the chances, the first of these was a cracking 20-yard effort after a breakaway down the left that Porter did well to tip over.

Linnets' tactic was to abandon the football style that serves us so well week in, week out and instead pump long balls up for Sherlock and Hickey to chase. This carried zero threat as the ball was either snuffed out by Congleton or one of many very frustrating offside flags against Kurt Sherlock.

Congleton soon went close again, dragging a shot right across goal and just past the far post as Linnets' presence on the game dwindled further.

A bizarre incident by the referee, with 20 minutes to go, provided some bewilderment, speaking to his near linesman, and going right across the pitch to speak to the far linesman who was 100 yards away, before speaking to the other linesman again. Eventually, the ref showed a yellow card to Congleton's number five for a late tackle that the whole world could see was a yellow card the second he threw it in.

We will never know what all the referee was playing at in this instance, taking several minutes to give a straightforward booking, but it was one of many instances on a very poor night for the official, who seemingly allowed Congleton to smash Linnets players all over the park with little or no reprieve. Meanwhile, Linnets players appeared in danger of being booked every time they went near an opposition player and somehow ended up with five cautions to Congleton's two.

Joey Dunn made a formation change to 4-3-3 in an attempt to get back into the game but this made little difference to our attacking threat and left us severely exposed at the back. Dean Porter made a great smothering save as Congleton broke forward at pace before Michael Ellison was replaced by Kyle Armstrong from the Linnets bench.

Our only shot on target in the second half came with five minutes to go, Kyle Hamid's curling effort looking destined for the back of the net when it took a big deflection off a Congleton head but the keeper did well to save and hold the shot. Young Taylor Kennerley, who had been so effective from the bench against Nelson, was introduced in the dying minutes in what seemed like a pointless substitution that came too late.

Congleton put the fixture to bed in the 90th minute when they won a clear penalty, Mike White bundling down Brian Matthews and Matthews himself standing up to send Porter the wrong way.

An utterly miserable night was to take one last hammer blow in the dying seconds when latest recruit Tom Hardwick got his foot caught in the heavy pitch and immediately went down with a worrying cry of pain.

Congleton carried on playing, trying to score again, while the Linnets players hurried to the aid of their stricken team-mate. Hardwick was carried off and another big name has been added to an injury list that is now accounting for half of the starting 11.

Nobody could work out what went wrong for the Linnets in the second half, it was the poorest we have played for some time we didn't look like scoring after the break. Freddie Potter's absence in attack is leaving a gaping hole with nobody looking to hold the ball up and his ability as a finisher is something that is also being missed enormously.

Another attacking threat is missing with Matty Atherton's absence as Hardwick, although filling in well at full back, is a natural centre back. Kyle Hamid is having to act as the sole creative in the team in the absence of the regularly missing Franny Smith and long-standing absentee Adam Wade, who was always capable of a defence-splitting pass.

Runcorn Linnets:Dean Porter, Kieron Brislen, Tom Hardwick, River Humphreys, Michael White, Michael Ellison, Michael Simpson, Kyle Hamid, Kurt Sherlock, Antony Hickey, Mark Houghton. Subs: Kyle Armstrong, Taylor Kennerley, Danny Hand. Not used: Jamie Weeder, Adam Donohue.

NB. The views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Runcorn Linnets FC or its Board.