13^th September 2022, Workington v Runcorn Linnets FC : 1-2

An intriguing Isuzu FA Trophy meeting of last season's beaten NPL West Division play-off semi-finalists and the runners-up, which had seemed destined for penalties, was instead settled by a single spot-kick.

Linnets player-assistant manager Jamie Rainford shouldered the responsibility of taking, and scoring, it to snatch a superb victory from this close game as it entered stoppage time.

The reward for Runcorn is £1,500 from the Trophy prize pot and another exacting trip, this time to Tyne and Wear.

Awaiting us are Northern League Division One champions North Shields, now of the NPL East Division, in the second qualifying round on Saturday, September 24th.

It would be fair to suggest that the postponement of Saturday's original tie at Borough Park, as the Football Association called off the weekend fixture list at all levels of the game after the death of Her Majesty The Queen, had put Linnets at a bigger disadvanage after a difficult enough draw.

And if an unexpected, long midweek journey to this Cumbrian outpost wasn't daunting enough, it at one stage threatened to be a painful journey home too as the remotest of hosts stole in front seconds from the break.

However, Dave Wild's side had already shown they have an away comeback in them by last time out turning around a deficit for a 4-1 league win against Skelmersdale United.

Again undaunted, Runcorn got back on terms in the 64th minute with Zack Clarke, their teenage striker on loan from Chester, drilling home from a Dapo Olarewaju cross.

After early second-half pressure from the Reds (during which Danny Taberner had saved on against one from Lewis Reilly to effectively keep Runcorn in the tie), the complexion of the game had changed again.

Linnets were now looking likelier and Clarke, hungry for more after opening his Yellow & Green account, tested Workington 'keeper Jim Atkinson at his top corner.

With the end to end action heading inevitably, or so it seemed, to a 12-yard shootout - no extra-time if scores are equal at 90 minutes in this competition - Runcorn boss Wild was finalising his list of takers.

But Runcorn tore up the script. A corner in the opening seconds of the minimum  three minutes indicated by the referee, was only half cleared to the edge of the box.

Tom Moore, deputising in central defence for skipper Sean O'Mahony, was impeded and the official pointed to the penalty spot without hesitation.

Rainford didn't dwell either -  converting convincingly to send Runcorn through before taking his leave in a late, late substitution.

What a contrast to the feeling at the end of first half when Linnets had been caught by sucker blow.

A shot from Matty Clarke for Reds may have deflected off a Runcorn player into the path of Lewis Reilly, whose instinctive effort was  acrobatically touched over by Danny Taberner.

It was the most difficult save at either end before the break but the reprieve was shortlived for Linnets as Workington scored from the resulting corner.

Reuben Jerome supplied the stoppage-time finish as the ball rebounded opportunely to him, off an upright.

Runcorn had been disciplined, content to allow Workington possession in the home half but closing down well once halfway was crossed.

It was largely even stevens in the opening 45, both sides thwarted by goalline clearances as Jerome and then Runcorn's Rainford saw their attempts kept out.

Runcorn Linnets: Danny Taberner, Ally Brown, James Short, Louis Hayes, Tom Moore, Sam Heathcote, Dapo Olarewaju (Eden Gumbs, 74 mins), Jacques Welsh, Jamie Rainford (Isaac Turner, 90 mins), Sidi Sanogo Forfana (Lewis Doyle, 67 mins), Zack Clarke. Subs not used: Sean O'Mahony, Nathan Corness.

Attendance:420.

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