11^th October 2022, Newcastle Town v Runcorn Linnets FC : 0-2

After progressing to the first round proper of the Isuzu FA Trophy with a third successive 2-1 win in the competition, Linnets made a highly- successful midweek away trip to Staffordshire, with a 2-0 league win over previously unbeaten Newcastle Town.

The victory took them to second place in the Pitching In NPL West, just a point behind Macclesfield, and with a game in hand over Mossley and Prescot Cables below them. It also saw the return to the Runcorn fold of last season's divisional Golden Boot winner Ryan Brooke, after his thankfully brief sojourn up the road at Warrington Rylands.

Brooky celebrated by bagging his 39th goal in a Linnets shirt, joining Thomas Lamb in tenth spot on the all-time scorers' list. The fans who reacted to rumours of his return by singing his 'Baby Shark' based signature tune at that FA Trophy win over Ossett United, will have high hopes that he will rapidly move further up that pecking order.

The Linnets line-up had a distinctly attacking flavour, with Brooky joining season's top scorer Jamie Rainford, recent squad addition James Hooper (cup-tied against Ossett), and serial supersub Dapo Olarewaju, all on the pitch at kick-off.

Even the left-back berth was filled by a striker, with Eden Gumbs standing in for suspended skipper James Short, after sterling performances in that role following mid-match reshuffles against Bootle and Ossett.

The Lyme Valley Stadium is always a pleasing, if unusual, away venue. A neat ground, friendly hosts and fans, sumptuous burgers, and a team that like to play open, entertaining football. The cycling track that surrounds the pitch is a mixed blessing, however. Its banking provides an elevated view from anywhere in the stadium, but it does make it a long-distance watch.

I am indebted to both clubs' Twitter feeds for putting names to some distant protagonists. Without it, the match report might appear to have been written by legendary Linnets fan and volunteer Ian Knowles, with Whatsisname crossing for Doo-dah, and Oojimaflip's perfect through-ball to Thingy.

The opening minutes of the game promised enterprise and entertainment, with both sides keen to have the ball and get forward with it, quickly and on the ground. And Linnets showed early signs of making more of that approach than their hosts.

Castle's first attempt on goal took ten minutes to materialise, with a 20-yard strike from Jack van der Laan, son of their manager, and former Port Vale, Derby County and Barnsley pro, Robin. It was deflected for a corner, which was punched clear by Runcorn 'keeper Danny Taberner.

Before that, Linnets had launched three telling assaults, all instigated by Dapo Olarewaju. He set up Ryan Brooke's first touch since his return, which won a throw-in high up on the right, and that laid on a James Hooper shot which whistled over the bar.

Dapo won a 50/50 challenge inside the Castle half and fired in a ball for Jamie Rainford, blocked for a corner. Home 'keeper Joseph Slinn caught that high, inside the six-yard box. Then a Dapo run in from the left touchline was heading for Rainford and Brooke, but close defensive attentions frustrated them.

Free-kicks were demanded for a tackle on Dapo as he broke away towards the penalty area, and for another in the centre circle, as Lewis Doyle downed Callum Parker, ending his advance on the break. Referee Jamie Conde wasn't interested in either shout, and it seemed that we might see three Linnets games in a row with a referee who still considers football to be a contact sport.

That opinion contributed greatly to an entertaining match, as it usually does when it becomes apparent that there is nothing to be gained from falling over and screaming at every tackle.

Castle were mounting attacks through swift combinations up the left between Oliver Ritchie and Nathan Morley, and Ally Brown and Sam Heathcote had to work hard to prevent them from opening up assaults on goal.

The Town defence, and midfield, were similarly aware that they would have to put in a hard day's night to neutralise Dapo. Castle's Twitter quickly acknowledged what a threat he was, and remembered that he had been in Linnets' 2-1 win here in April, on their way to the promotion play-offs.

Linnets' social media post of tonight's starting line-up was accompanied by a photo of a smiling Dapo, and it was prophetic. He was to end the evening as Bucket Hat Radio's man of the match. It was a shoo-in, albeit accompanied by an honourable mention for Eden Gumbs' uncanny impression of his captain, James Short.

We were soon reminded of how effective Ryan Brooke is, not only as a goal-getter, but also in retreating to win the ball in the middle third, to spark further attacks.

Into the mid period of the first half, Brooky did so several times, to allow Hayes, Doyle, Olarewaju and Brown to launch balls into the area, for Rainford and Hooper to latch onto. Rainford was twice frustrated in meeting them by offside flags, and twice more, Slinn punched away dangerous balls into the six-yard box.

Two Runcorn shots, by Dapo and Hoops, flew high with both resulting from balls won by Gumbs inside his own half.

For Castle, Christopher Smith hooked wide of the left post, after he was gifted a run on goal when Sam Heathcote's pass out to Ally Brown fell short.

The end-to-end tempo of the game continued, and after five minutes of Town enjoying more possession, a switch of wings between Olarewaju and Hooper, on the half-hour mark, opened the door for Linnets.

It took the home defence by surprise, as Dapo nudged the ball up to Ally Brown on the right wing. He delivered a superb curling cross into the six-yard box, where Jamie Rainford was poised to poke the ball past the flailing Slinn for the opening goal.

The lead gave Linnets the confidence to slow the hitherto rapid pace of the game, and to dwell on the ball a little more.

That can always make a team vulnerable to an opposition break, and one such allowed Ethan Vale to surge forward and shoot from outside the penalty area, but he aimed high.

A one-goal Linnets lead at the break was looking like a well-earned advantage, but Dapo had ideas that it should be two.

He received the ball from a Lewis Doyle pass up the right, and paused in anticipation of a challenge from Luke Dennis. Dapo accelerated up the line, leaving Dennis for dust, before delivering a cross into the six-yard box almost identical to Brown's assist for the first goal, only higher. This time it was Ryan Brooke who met it, to head in his first goal as a born-again Linnet.

One more run on goal by either side preceded the half-time whistle, both of them defended effectively.

A thoroughly entertaining 45 minutes had given Runcorn a satisfying 2-0 lead, and had left Newcastle feeling their positive approach had deserved better.

Newcastle started the second half on the front foot, and pressed forward. Partly because that would be their only way back into the contest, and partly because that is the way Robin van der Laan's side play.

A flurry of chances were defended solidly by the Linnets back line and midfield. Morley's ball into the box was headed down by Parker at the far post, but cleared. A space was allowed for Ritchie to run into the area and shoot, but off target, and a free-kick conceded wide left by Dapo reached Parker again, but he shot wide.

Patience and concentration when out of possession were a pleasing feature of the Linnets display. Their attacking opportunities were fewer and further between than they had been in the first half, and we were almost at the hour mark when a neat triangular move between Brooke, Brown and Hooper (who had swapped sides with Olarewaju once more) won a throw-in near the corner flag.

Except it didn't. The referee's assistant remained deep in thought for several seconds, then guessed the wrong way.

After 63 minutes, Jamie Rainford gave way to Sidi Sanogo, and Hunter replaced Parker for Castle.

The Runcorn switch enabled Ryan Brooke to move up more into his favoured No9 role, with Sidi providing support in the middle, as Brooky had for Jamie.

Eden Gumbs was cautioned for something or other that happened in front of the dugouts. I can be no more precise than that, having forgotten to take my binoculars with me. Three minutes later, Sam Heathcote joined him in the book for a late challenge on someone in blue, just outside the Linnets area.

The Castle free-kick flew high, with Danny Taberner well placed beneath it.

James Hooper played a good ball up to Dapo, who nudged it on past Ritchie and sprinted after it, only to be flagged inexplicably offside.

Going into the final 20 minutes, the game opened up somewhat, and became more end-to-end, as it had been for much of the first half. The promise of more goals mounted, at either end. But that was not to be, due in no small measure to Sean O'Mahony, who cleared Linnets lines with a catalogue of diving headers, and Eden Gumbs patrolling Castle efforts up the right-hand side like a seasoned left-back.

Through the last ten minutes especially, Town 'keeper Slinn kept the Linnets goal tally at two by repelling a barrage of shots and runs on goal by Dapo, Brooky, Sidi and Zack Clarke, who took over from Hoops 14 minutes from time.

If any criticism was due for the Runcorn performance, it lay in a fair number of passes going astray or falling short in the middle third. It begged the question of whether the pitch was a deal slower than it looked, and it resulted in quite a few swift Castle attacks up either flank. But the Linnets defence held firm.

Dapo was the third man in away orange to collect a yellow card. Supplementing the defence, he uncharacteristically lost a 50/50 contest, with Michael Conlon, and tripped him from behind for his trouble.

At the other end of the pitch, Dapo augmented his man-of-the-match status with forward runs and balls in for Brooke, Sanogo and Clarke. Between them, they won a wealth of corners off concerted home defending. Dapo was taking them, and Slinn and his centre-backs put in their heaviest shift of the night to keep out headers and shots from those other three, as well as a 20-yard boomer from Sam Heathcote that the 'keeper did well to tip over the bar.

Linnets were doing anything but sit back on their two-goal lead, and attack proved the best form of defence. It limited Castle possession, of which there had been plenty for most of the second half.

The last two home chances of note came from a Morley shot that flew a foot too high, and a corner from the left which enabled another shot over a crowded six-yard box, and also the bar.

In the last minute of normal time, Lewis Doyle was cautioned for a late challenge, completing Runcorn's monopoly of the yellow card count, and Dave Wild replaced him with Isaac Turner, to avoid any chance of a red - although he was also nursing a slight knock after the game.

But Linnets spent added time on the attack while also playing some keep-ball, but all of it within the Castle third of the pitch.

Dapo almost capped a fantastic 90 minutes with a goal of his own, when he slalomed through five opponents and shot for the near post. Slinn saved before spreading himself wide, Schmeichel-style, to deflect away Dapo's second bite of the cherry.

Travelling Linnets fans must have numbered close to half of the 262 attendance, and they showed voluble appreciation for a fine fifth league win from nine. They and Dave Wild were equally impressed with a clean sheet, against positive, attacking opponents who had just tasted league defeat for the first time this season.

The coming weekend will send the faithful on a second lengthy trek to Workington within five weeks.

Runcorn Linnets: Danny Taberner, Ally Brown, Eden Gumbs, Lewis Doyle (Isaac Turner 90), Sean O'Mahony, Sam Heathcote, Dapo Olarewaju, Louis Hayes, Jamie Rainford (Sidi Sanogo Fofana 63), Ryan Brooke, James Hooper (Zack Clarke 76). Subs not used: Adam Moseley, Josh Roberts.

Attendance:262.

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