30^th November 2022, City of Liverpool FC v Runcorn Linnets FC : 1-2

The Liverpool Senior Cup draw provided the first of three meetings between Linnets and City of Liverpool, this one at Bootle's Berry Street Garage Stadium.

The Purps had returned to their original home, after a season of ground sharing with Vauxhall Motors at Ellesmere Port.

The county cups are frequently treated an opportunity to give starting roles to younger, newer players, and give emerging talent their chance to emerge. This can add to an impression that they are not important competitions (a view often expressed by those who have just been eliminated from them).

But if the Linnets or the Purps thought this competition was unimportant, both sides hid it very well. No quarter was given by either side from start to finish, and it made for an entertaining game that distracted the 207 present from a bitterly cold last night of November.

There were no goals to celebrate for nearly an hour, but it wasn't for want of trying by either side.

The first was to come for Linnets, just three minutes after the dismissal of Sean O'Mahony had reduced them to ten men.

A City of Liverpool equaliser with 22 minutes remaining should have tipped the balance in favour of the hosts, but it took just five minutes for the Runcorn lead to be restored, and they fought like demons to protect it, and progress to the third round.

Zack Clarke and Macauley Clifton lined up for Linnets, as did Louis Hilton, making a debut start in place of Ally Brown at right-back. All three contradicted any suggestions of this being a 'weakened' side, and Zack crowned a superb display upfront by clinching the winning goal.

He set the tone for his performance with a cross in the opening seconds for Ryan Brooke, a vital header by Kenny Strickland conceding a corner. The threat from a second one was ended when Sam Heathcote was penalised for a push as he headed on goal.

James Hooper offered a repeated early threat from the right, and he won a corner that required CoLFC 'keeper Ryan Hamer to punch away from the head of Sean O'Mahony.

As Purps broke away, James Short saw yellow for a spoiling foul en route.

The majority of the first half was spent between the two penalty areas, with the two sides taking it in turns to seize possession.

But there was no settling into any kind of cagey passing game. The pace was rapid, and remained so all night, as both tried to press in search of a lead.

But neither side was giving an inch at the back, and clear chances were few. It didn't help that referee Dan Tyas was being decidedly picky in identifying tackles as fouls.

In the 15th minute, a frankly soft free-kick for a challenge on James Hooper was headed by Ryan Brooke, but forced out for a corner. Then as he leaped to contest it, Brooky was penalised for reasons unknown.

Louis Holden was cutting inside from the right and combining well with James Hooper to provide crosses, and he had a shot of his own from outside the area which dipped narrowly over the bar.

Ryan Brooke was cautioned for a foul on halfway as the Purps set out to turn defence into attack.

The Purps were having an equal share of the rapidly switching possession in the middle third, but could make little impression on the Linnets defence.

Danny Taberner made his first save of the game in the 27th minute, palming away a distant shot to concede a corner.

That did herald a more sustained spell of pressure from the hosts, with corners conceded from left and right by defensive intervention and another couple of Tabs saves.

There was a handball shout from Linnets as a James Short cross was blocked, but a corner was the correct verdict. Shorty launched the ball into the six-yard box, where Haymer did well to tip it over, under intense pressure from four Runcorn men. But at least one of them was flagged offside.

More corners were won, and five minutes before the break, Zack Clarke turned to get in shot from Sam Heathcote's head down, but Haymer was squarely behind it.

As half-time loomed, CoLFC had their most productive spell of forward pressing, and a solid chance as McGrath blazed high over the bar.

Then Tabs punched away a dangerous in-swinging corner, which was the final action of the half.

Possession had been shared fairly equally, but there was no question that Haymer had been the busier 'keeper in the first half.

The second 45 started as fast and furious as the first, and again it was Linnets who opened on the offensive.

Two attacks in quick succession were halted by offside flags, and I could only conclude that the assistant was much better placed than I was.

And then just eight minutes into the half, Sean O'Mahony staged a hands-on intervention to a Purps attack, just inside his own half. It looked very similar to those that had earned yellow cards for Short and Brooke, but Mr Tyas saw something more heinous in it, and showed Sean a straight red.

There was an unfortunate knock-on effect from the dismissal for Macauley Clifton, who had been causing creative problems for CoLFC all night, particularly in conjunction with Zack Clarke.

But a defensive reinforcement was a must, and Tom Moore replaced him.

Ironically, it was less than two minutes after coming on that Tom was instrumental in giving Linnets the lead.

Zack Clarke broke free of Malikai Fry wide on the right, and crossed for Lewis Doyle to launch a fierce volley that was blocked at close quarters, conceding a corner.

Tom Moore controlled and shot, Haymer saved but couldn't hold it, and Ryan Brooke converted the rebound from two or three yards out.

It was a smash and grab by the ten men that might have prompted a bus parking exercise in order to hold on to the advantage. But Linnets had a newfound taste for goal, and surged on in search of another.

Brooky was fouled wide on the left, and the free-kick into the area was met by a Fry header that his own 'keeper did well to save.

At the other end, there was a big shout for handball when a shot from 20 yards was blocked in a congested area, but any contact with a hand or arm couldn't possibly have been deliberate.

Purps began to extert more pressure on the Linnets goal, and won a series of free-kicks, as Moore, Doyle, Hayes, Hooper and Brooke all added their weight to the resistance.

On 68 minutes, John McGrath lashed one from 25 yards that deflected off the Runcorn defensive wall. Danny Taberner dived full length to make contact, but couldn't prevent it from finding the left corner.

The Purps had worked hard to get back on terms since conceding ten minutes earlier, and it seemed likely that the equaliser would spur them on to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Having been critical of some fussy refereeing for much of the game so far, it is only right for devotees of old school physical football to give credit to Dan Tyas for allowing a good old fashioned shoulder charge by Louis Hayes, as he maintained a Linnets attack up the left.

Both sides made changes as we entered the last 20 minutes. Joe Mwasilie came of the bench in place of Malikai Fry, and James Hooper gave way to Sidi Sanogo for Linnets.

Before either sub had had time to make an impression, Linnets were back in front. A great shot from 22 yards by Ryan Brooke drew a fine save by Haymer, who tipped it over the bar.

As Shorty's corner curled into the six-yard box, traditionalists had to applaud Mr Tyas again, as three Linnets battled Haymer in the air, without the 'keeper being given the customary free-kick. The ball was headed in from less than a yard off the goal line.

Such was the goal-hungry throng in yellow and green, there was some delay in officially identifying the scorer, but from my vantage point, there was no question it was Zack Clarke, and the celebratory pursuit of Zack to the corner of the pitch left no doubt.

Dave Wild shared his team's enthusiasm for taking the game to the eleven men, and brought on Adam Moseley in place of Louis Hayes.

Adam looked keen to join in the goalscoring fun, and shot on the run from just inside the area, but it flew just wide.

Then he swapped passes with Zack Clarke to pull the ball back for Lewis Doyle as he broke into the area. Defensive contact was made with Lewis, but he went down a little too enthusiastically to impress the referee.

Linnets had looked more like 12 men than ten for a while, but the last ten minutes of the game did develop into a backs-to-the-wall firefight for the visitors, as Purps showed no willingness to accept that it was 'just the Senior Cup'.

Subs Ellison and Mwasilie, and former Linnets NWCFL title winner Michael Simpson, all blazed shots over the bar as Runcorn's ten amassed to protect their lead. Tabs made a great diving save from a swerving shot from 25 yards.

Linnets got to draw breath during the last couple of normal minutes, as Brooky received attention after taking the ball full in the face from close range.

Purps resumed the attack, and continued to plug away through added time, bidding to take the game to a penalty shoot-out.

But the Runcorn ten kept them out, and sealed a magnificent 2-1 win to advance to the quarter-finals.

Runcorn Linnets:Danny Taberner, Louis Holden, James Short, Lewis Doyle, Sean O'Mahony, Sam Heathcote, Macauley Clifton (Tom Moore 55), Louis Hayes (Adam Moseley 74), Ryan Brooke, Zack Clarke, James Hooper (Sidi Sanogo Fofana 71). Subs not used: Josh Roberts, Dapo Olarewaju.

Attendance:207

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