29^th October 2022, Runcorn Linnets FC v Belper Town : 3-2 Sponsored by 'Karen's Angels'

Runcorn Linnets played their second home cup-tie of the week when thrown into Isuzu FA Trophy first round proper action against Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier side Belper Town.

This was a first meeting with the Derbyshire outfit, although Belper were not complete strangers, having lost 4-0 at home to Linnets' predecessors Runcorn FC Halton at the same stage of the 2001-02 competition.

The weekend's clash for Linnets followed the Liverpool Senior Cup first rounder on Tuesday against much more familiar opposition in Prescot Cables, and emulated its result. 

Another 3-2 victory took Linnets into the second round proper for the first time since the club was established in 2006.

Linnets boss Dave Wild had been somewhat dissatisfied with the overall performance in midweek against Cables, despite the last-gasp victory.

While he acknowledged improvements in the quality of football four days later, he feels there is work to do before the resumption of league action at Clitheroe this Saturday.

Both Wild and his Belper counterpart Steve Kittrick will have been disappointed that the game was turned into a five-goal spectacle by defensive errors, more than by creativity or clinical finishing. 

After an early exchange of quick balls forward that were swallowed up by defences, particularly the home rearguard, it was a slip at the back by Runcorn that gave Belper the lead, after just nine minutes. 

A 'hospital' backpass, with Town forwards Mangham and Litchfield too close for comfort, left 'keeper Danny Taberner snatching at a clearance that limped only as far as Jacob Gratton. His low shot from 30 yards found the bottom left corner of the net. Tabs was too far out of his goal for his despairing dive to intervene.

I mentioned to my companions on the al fresco media gantry, that it wasn't unusual for Linnets to be spurred into productive action by going behind, and my optimism was vindicated when a Runcorn response came close, barely a minute later.

James Short advanced high up the left and delivered a cross that Todd Jordan had to head riskily over the bar, with Rainford, Brooke and Olarewaju all moving into threatening territory inside the area.

Jordan cleared again from the corner, getting his head to the ball before Ryan Brooke.

After a pull on Lewis Doyle's arm 30 yards out, Sean O'Mahony headed Short's free-kick on target, but it didn't worry Belper 'keeper Daniel Moore.

Another distant free-kick for a foul on Eden Gumbs gave the Runcorn man possession, but he was tackled low by Ben Middleton, who injured himself in the process.

Runcorn domination, for most of the eight minutes since the goal, was interrupted by Luke Mangham finding enough space in the middle for a shot on goal, but it was deflected for a corner. A dangerous- looking inswinger was caught high by Taberner.

Middleton complained at great length when referee William Cavanagh penalised him for a foul on Olarewaju, in the 21st minute. It wasn't to be the last, and the Nailers right-back would later end Dapo's involvement with a nasty challenge from behind, 12 minutes into the second half.

On this initial occasion, the foul was costly for Belper. Jamie Rainford connected with a great free-kick into a crowded area, his shot blocked at close range, and we all thought Eden Gumbs had levelled the tie with a follow-up that found the left corner of the net.

Eden was initially credited with the goal, but it was actually Sean O'Mahony who had made the final contact with a deflection.

The equaliser bolstered Linnets' confidence, and Lewis Doyle and Sidi Sanogo continued to win balls in the middle and get them quickly forward, for Olarewaju and Gumbs to invade the Belper area from either wing. 

Just six further minutes had elapsed when Runcorn took the lead. Ryan Brooke and Jamie Rainford were two-on-two in the Belper area when Lewis Doyle's ball in from the right was headed on goal by Brooky.

Moore saved it, but Rainford was unchallenged as he steered in the rebound from a yard out. 

Three goals had materialised from poor defending, and the trend was far from over.

Just a minute after Linnets had taken the lead, a very similar ball from the right was sliced over the bar by Todd Jordan, from a throw-in conceded by his own timely tackle on Rainford. 

Belper confidence appeared dented by a lead turning so quickly into a deficit, and they were spending a lot of time behind the ball in their own half. That was allowing Runcorn full-backs Brown and Short to get forward, as they like to do - they had earlier been confined to more defensive activities by the Nailers' pressing game.

Belper chipped away to get back on terms, but with more of a long ball approach than before, and two efforts from well outside the area failed to test Tabs.

Mangham's was blocked en route, and Litchfield's curled wide of the right post. 

Wilson slipped as he tried to rise to meet a corner from the right, and it ran long and out on the far side.

The last five minutes of the first half, plus two added, were dominated by Belper, save for one Eden Gumbs burst up the right that was successfully halted. But Town attacks were based on long balls, all suitably dealt with by the Runcorn back four, and cleared away by Doyle or Sanogo. 

At half-time, a poll of the 626 present, ten more people than for the previous round's win over Ossett, and an impressive figure given nearby motorway closure chaos, would have been hard pressed to identify either side as being truly on top.  

But the swift nature of Linnets' two-goal turnaround had clearly given them the initiative. After the break, they settled more in possession, creating more time to carve paths into the visitors' area.

A great switch in the middle of the Belper half, between Lewis Doyle and Sidi Sanogo, set up James Short for a run to the goal line that won a throw-in near the corner flag. Dapo and Shorty exchanged passes, as defenders took it in turns to prevent either from launching a ball into the area for Brooke or Rainford.

Olarewaju and Gumbs had switched wings again, a tactic which had regularly disrupted opposition defences of late. Dapo had employed a similar recent game plan with James Hooper, who was this time cup-tied by his FA Trophy appearance for Workington, against his now teammates.

Ben Middleton had attempted to police Dapo out of the game since early on, and in the 57th minute, he succeeded in removing him from it ,with a raking challenge from behind as the winger sprinted away into the Nailers half. It earned the Belper defender the first yellow card of the afternoon.

Dapo continued after lengthy treatment, but he had to give up on his damaged ankle four minutes later, after participating in a promising four-man move ending with a downward header at the far post by Ally Brown. Moore bundled the ball away, but without a great deal of assurance.

Zack Clarke came on in place of Dapo, and troubled the Belper defence throughout the last half an hour. His first touch of the game brought a solo run on goal, that had to be blocked at close range, this stemming from a Brooke header on halfway.

Neither side appeared in clear control of possession, but Linnets looked comfortable enough with their lead when, after 67 minutes, they lost it. 

Sam Heathcote headed away a Belper free-kick from 40 yards out, conceding a corner. The in-swinging kick into the six-yard box was headed on from close range by Jack Gibson, who had replaced Jakub Hebda at half-time. Danny Taberner got a fist to it, but he couldn't keep it out of the far corner.

Questions had to be asked about defending once more, as the set- piece had been attacked in the box too easily.

For the second time in a few days, Linnets fans' thoughts turned to the possibility of a penalty shoot-out. But such musings returned to the back burner within little more than a minute, when pedestrian defending allowed the hosts to edge back in front again.

There were too few defenders in front of Zack Clarke to prevent him from choosing his spot for a through ball into the area, where Brooke, Rainford and Gumbs were all closing in. Middleton slid in to cut it out, but it might well have reached the net for an own goal, had Brooky not nipped in to convert as easy a goal as he will ever score.

Perhaps encouraged by an afternoon which had not been a defensive masterclass, both sides continued to get forward as quickly as possible.

A great combination between Heathcote and Sanogo set up a powerful Gumbs header that flew narrowly wide on the left.

Long balls were launched downfield into the Linnets area, but Heathcote, O'Mahony, Short and Brown put their heads together to prevent any further slip-ups. They attempted to burn away the last 15 minutes by holding on to possession, rather than giving it up with long clearances.

But Belper's organisation across the width of the pitch had restricted the Linnnets full-backs to far less attacking involvement than usual, so much of that safety-first possession was in the home half, making it a little less safety-first.

Brodie Litchfield ended a promising multi-pass Belper attack by trying far too hard to win a penalty, diving headlong as Sean O'Mahony pursued him into the area.

Given that the referee saw no infringement by O'Mahony, it was perhaps surprising that Litchfield didn't earn a yellow card for simulation.

With Hallowe'en beckoning, and many Linnets fans dressed more horrifically than usual, perhaps he had been tripped by a phantom.

Ryan Brooke did pick up a yellow card a couple of minutes later, for a retaliatory tap in response to a heavy challenge inside the Belper half.

Remaining attacking efforts by both sides came largely on the break, chasing balls cleared out of defence, and tiredness was visible all over the pitch. Gumbs, Rainford and Doyle tried shots from outside the area, all ending up in the gloves of Moore.

With two minutes of normal time remaining, it appeared that Eden Gumbs had put the tie beyond any remaining doubt. Breaking up the left, he outpaced two defenders, in time to attempt a shot from a tight angle, rather than having to settle for a cross from the goal line. 

It beat the 'keeper, and slammed off the underside of the bar, and bounced off the far post. Jamie Rainford was on hand to poke it home, but he was flagged offside.

Eden's consolation for almost chalking up two goals, but being credited with none, was being voted Dron & Dickson man of the match, chosen by supporter Karen Chaney, as she celebrated her 40th birthday.

Belper kept plugging away to try to save the tie, but the heads of O'Mahony and Heathcote repelled balls into the area, and the Nailers' only remaining effort was a weak shot from distance that Tabs fell upon with ease.

As we entered added time, Tom Moore made the briefest of returns to action from injury, replacing Jamie Rainford. Belper, with no desire to use up any time, made an even later substitution, with Charlie Wakefield subbed by Aliu Elkossi. The necessity for that became clear, when Wakefield limped away after the final whistle, his left foot wrapped in ice. 

Two late corners formed the last chance saloon for the NPL Premier side, their threat expiring when Lewis Doyle was clattered as he shaped to clear. Daniel Adiefeh, who had replaced Charlie Reaney, eight minutes from time, was cautioned for the offence.

The final whistle brought celebrations that showed how much it meant to Linnets players, management and fans, to get the better of a team from the division above.

The return to league action this weekend sees Linnets tackle Clitheroe hosts who lie one place, and one point, above them in the NPL West table.  

Runcorn Linnets: Danny Taberner, Ally Brown, James Short, Lewis Doyle, Sean O'Mahony, Sam Heathcote, Dapo Olarewaju (Zack Clarke 61), Sidi Sanogo, Jamie Rainford (Tom Moore 90), Ryan Brooke, Eden Gumbs.  Subs not used:  Josh Roberts. Macaulay Clifton, Isaac Turner.

Attendance:626.

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