8^th November 2022, Runcorn Linnets FC v 1874 Northwich : 2-2 Sponsored by Webbs Builders Merchant

Linnets came off the highly- satisfying away victory at Clitheroe, to begin a run of three home games in eight days, before the epic journey to County Durham, to face National League North side Spennymoor Town in the FA Trophy.

First in the home trilogy was a midweek local derby with 1874 Northwich. Despite four goals and a penalty, saved by debuting Linnets 'keeper Paul Cooper, the game provided little of the value for money that made Saturday's trip to the Ribble Valley so worthwhile. 

Local derbies have a tendency to be less than pretty, and this one had more in common with Linnets' turgid 1-1 draw at Glossop North End on 22nd October. As then, a point each was justice because neither side deserved all three.

James Hooper remained absent, due to the illness that ruled him out at Clitheroe. Dapo Olarewaju was named as a sub, as he continued his recovery from the ankle injury he sustained against Belper Town in the FA Trophy.

In the first five minutes, neither side had managed three consecutive passes before Ryan Brooke shrugged off a Matt Woolley shoulder charge and advanced towards the 1874 penalty area, and was fouled, 30 yards from goal.

Northwich 'keeper Tony 'Big T' Aghayere is a famously safe pair of hands, but he positioned himself and his defensive wall a couple of feet too far to his right, expecting James Short to curl the free-kick across the area. Shorty spotted the error, and instead drove the ball just inside the right post, to give Linnets a sixth-minute lead.

Such an early goal tends to open up a contest, but the principle didn't apply this time.

Linnets tried to capitalise on their advantage by settling into quick-passing possession, but the game refused to take shape. Frantic chasing of every loose ball, frequent tangles of arms and legs, and high balls prompting spells of head-tennis, kept things scrappy.

Due to a week's unavailability on the part of Danny Taberner, the Runcorn No1 shirt was occupied by Paul Cooper, known to Dave Wild from their time at Matlock Town, and signed on a month's loan from League One club Barnsley.

During the first 20 minutes, Paul's involvement was limited to a handful of clearances from backpasses, and one header, executed ten yards outside his area to prevent Josh Quarless, who was briefly a Linnet at the start of the season, from running on to a long, high ball out of defence.

With a quarter of the game gone, my notes remained sparse. That was due to a scarcity of incident, apart from the goal, but also to some real problems in identifying who was doing what, thanks to a disconcerting clash of colours.

1874's green and black home kit clashes with none of their NPL West opponents apart from Runcorn Linnets, and yet their away kit, with shirts the colour of free-range egg yolks, and grey shorts and socks, provides even less of a contrast with Runcorn yellow and green, particularly as the front of Linnets' new O'Neills home shirts are far more yellow than green. And Big T's goalkeeping kit was also a fetching shade of 'lime yellow'. Confused?

The whole yellowfest was exacerbated by the glow from the floodlights, and it necessitated an agonising wait for everyone to turn their backs before you could identify them. My mate Ian Knowles' summarising style, which identifies everyone as Whatsisname or Doodah, began to make perfect sense.

Rare half-chances emerged at either end. Liam Buckley and Joe Woolley combined up the left to provide a first shot on the Runcorn goal, which was deflected for a corner on the other side. Ryan Brooke brought the ball away from his own penalty area, to mount an attack with the aid of Brown and Hayes. He was fouled again, 25 yards from goal.

Shorty's free-kick flew a yard wide of the left post.

Lewis Doyle was next to attempt a shot on goal, after Sidi Sanogo won a 50/50 challenge in the middle of the Northwich half, but Aghayere was right behind it.

More of a near thing occurred in the 32nd minute, when Sean O'Mahony ended another prolonged heading contest in the middle third, propelling the ball towards the Forest End. A quick exchange of passes between Brooke and Rainford led to the latter heading on target. Big T did well to palm it over the bar.

Efficient defending by Jack Marrow and Liam Buckley denied Linnets much progress up either wing, and the home side showed most promise via the success of Doyle, Hayes and Sanogo winning tackles in the middle of the pitch.

Northwich efforts were concentrated on finding target man Josh Quarless. He had departed a brief sojourn at the APEC back in August, dissatisfied with the opportunities afforded him, and he was determined to make a point on his return. 

He had been prevented from doing so for 40 minutes by Sean O'Mahony, who had kept Josh's towering presence quiet with tight marking, and domination of their personal contest in the air.

But it was Quarless who instigated the visitors' equaliser. He latched on to a loose ball, ten yards inside the Runcorn half, and passed left to Joe Woolley, who shot from the left corner of the area. Cooper kept it out of the top bin, but his save cannoned off the woodwork and reached Mackenzie O'Neill near the far post, for a fortuitously simple finish.

Northwich attacked again up the right, and won a corner as Short blocked the cross.

An 1874 free-kick from halfway was headed out by Heathcote, sparking an Eden Gumbs run up the left that was thwarted before anyone could get forward to meet a cross.

Despite a goal apiece, the game had failed to spark into life by half-time. A 45-minute local derby would effectively start from scratch.

The visitors started the second half looking determined to beat Runcorn Linnets for the first time, at the twelfth attempt, and their hosts were on the back foot for most of the ten minutes that followed the break. 

It was telling that Ryan Brooke, NPL West golden boot winner in 2021-22, was doing a solid job mostly in defence, while Jamie Rainford was a lonely figure in the Northwich half up to the hour mark.

Louis Hayes retreated to the bench on 56 minutes, making way for Zack Clarke.

The first notable Runcorn attack of the half saw Sam Heathcote head wide from James Short's deep free-kick, and the goal-kick set up a run into the Linnets area by O'Neill.

Paul Cooper charged off his line to close down the danger, and took the man before the ball.

Referee Ryan Aldred pointed to the penalty spot, and administered yellow cards to Cooper and to Sam Heathcote, for his protestations at the decision.

Matt Woolley took the penalty, and Cooper made his Linnets debut one to remember, as he dived to his right and saved it. A follow-up shot from the rebound cleared the bar.

A dull game was kicked into life, as the reprieve prompted Linnets to go on the offensive more than in the preceding hour. But yellow cards were still more plentiful than scoring chances, as Mr Aldred showed little enthusiasm for football as a contact sport.

Sidi Sanogo was cautioned for a heavy challenge on Matt Woolley in the 1874 half, and a minute later the Northwich No.8 collected his own yellow, for the other team in a slightly darker yellow, when he followed through on Cooper as the Linnets 'keeper smothered the ball, 12 yards off his line.

A wit among the 1874 fans behind the goal insisted that it should have been a penalty, more obvious than the one that had been missed.

Events returned to the Clubhouse End, where Sidi and Eden combined to win a throw-in, and then a corner. Tony Aghayere's punch at the near post was followed by a mad scramble in the Northwich area, ending with a Sanogo shot that was deflected for another corner.

Shorty fired the ball to the near corner of the crowded six-yard box, where Ryan Brooke met it with a perfectly timed header into the far end of the net. Five months remain for something to beat it for Linnets goal of the season.  

The goal had come against the run of the second half, with 20 minutes remaining, and it sparked the Murdishaw Massive into a level of noise that had been strangely missing from a crowd of 662. Perhaps it wasn't so strange, given that it hadn't been a thriller until now.

A first Northwich change came on 77 minutes, with Isaac Noble giving way to Jamal Crawford.

1874 pressed forward to get back on level terms, but O'Mahony, Heathcote, Doyle and Sanogo protected Cooper's area.

Rainford sat forward, with Brown, Brooke and Short forming a midfield  probing for an opportunity to clinch a decisive third, via Clarke and Gumbs on either wing.

The closest they came was when Zack Clarke's sprint up the right won a throw, and Brown's ball into the area was deflected for a corner. A dangerous inswinger by Shorty was punched away by Aghayere.

Rainford and Gumbs threatened with a series of close passes on the left, but the shirt clash appeared to play its part, as Jamie saw yellow in his peripheral vision, and passed inside to Matt Woolley.

Seven minutes remained when Fenton Green was substituted by Jack Irlam, and the swap came to have a crucial effect on the final outcome.

Sam Heathcote and Josh Quarless clashed in the Linnets area, after Cooper had fielded a long ball intended for the giant Northwich striker. Sam was treading on thin ice as he debated the issue with Mr Aldred, but it was Lewis Doyle who collected the next yellow card, for pulling an advancing opponent to the ground.

Rainford managed a shot from a tight angle that was stopped low by Big T, but an offside flag was raised anyway. 

With three minutes left, an 1874 corner was hooked away from the area by Linnets man of the match Doyle.

From the break, Brooke, Gumbs and Rainford all attempted shots from inside a crowded area, the last of which was pushed around the post.

In the 90th minute, 1874 reenacted that triple threat at the other end, before James Short cleared the ball towards the corner flag on the Northwich right.

A cross was fired back into the six-yard box, where substitute Irlam headed in unopposed, with Paul Cooper still on his line.

The men in darker yellow and their fans behind the goal celebrated as though it had been the last-gasp winner in a play-off final, and repeated the party at still greater volume when the final whistle heralded two points shared.

That outcome was probably about right. The same can't be said for Runcorn's collection of five yellow cards, the last of which went to Jamie Rainford, for dissent following the equaliser. Despite the odd niggle, it wasn't that kind of game.  

Spirit outweighed quality for both sides on the night, which justified a point for each, but meant that either would have been fortunate to gain all three. A highlights reel would be brief, with limited thrills apart from the goals and the penalty incident.

Linnets remain on home soil for Saturday's visit of Kidsgrove Athletic, who like 1874, sit one point behind them in the NPL West table.

 Runcorn Linnets:Paul Cooper, Ally Brown, James Short, Lewis Doyle, Sean O'Mahony, Sam Heathcote, Eden Gumbs, Louis Hayes (Zack Clarke 56), Jamie Rainford, Sidi Sanogo Fofana, Ryan Brooke.  Subs not used: Macaulay Clifton, Josh Roberts, Tom Moore, Dapo Olarewaju.

Attendance:662

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