Runcorn Linnets have completed a clean sweep of Premier Division awards for December in the North West Counties Football League.

Following on from being handed the Club of the Month accolade, after winning all four games played, the Linnets have also now secured the two individual player honours.

Striker Antony Hickey has been named NWCL Player of the Month not only for his five goals – including a hat-trick against Alsager Town – but also his generally impressive play.

Goalkeeper of the Month goes to Dean Porter, who conceded just the once in 360 minutes of football.

The successful player nominations were as follows:

Goalkeeper of Month - Dean Porter (Played 4/4)
Dean started the month well with a clean sheet at Maine Road in extremely difficult windy condition. A fantastic double save first from a free kick and then from an attempted clearance by his own defender was the highlight of an assured performance.

His great form continued in a stunning 4-0 home win versus Colne. An awareness when coming off his line broke up a number of attacks in the first half and assured handling in the most atrocious weather conditions ensured that Dean kept his goal in tact against the league's top goal scorers.

Yet again, the weather turned nasty when the Linnets entertained Alsager Town at the Millbank Linnets Stadium but again Dean kept his goal intact. An excellent block in the early stages was just the start of another very assured performance in conditions that no goalkeeper enjoys.

The month ended on Boxing Day with the Runcorn derby and again the wind came back to make conditions difficult. Dean was finally beaten but only by a goal that looped up in the conditions after a tackle and into the net. Apart from that his dominance of the box was complete and a month that brought 13 goals scored with just one conceded was true testament to Dean's excellent form during Decembe

Player of the Month - Antony Hickey (Played 4/4)
In a month that saw The Linnets take maximum points from their four games in the most trying of conditions, there were obviously many stand out performances but after taking time to re-settle at the Millbank Linnets Stadium and reach full fitness, December saw Antony Hickey return to the kind of form The Linnets fans had hoped for.

Hickey's developing understanding with Freddie Potter has made the Linnets strike force a real threat. Both players have phenomenal work rates and that combined with their goal scoring and unselfish running were on show in abundance during the month.

The elements threw everything at the team starting with the wind at Maine Road and then again in the Boxing Day derby game and in between heavy rain at the Millbank Linnets Stadium. Hickey had a major part to play in all four victories. At Maine Road he passed into Hamid's path for the opener early in the game and then put in a superb far post cross in the second half for Potter's clinching goal. In appalling driving rain against a Colne side that had only tasted defeat once this season, Hickey lead the way in a convincing 4-0 victory by scoring the opening two goals in typical poacher's fashion.

In the next tough encounter versus Alsager, Hickey went one better by scoring a hat trick and also playing in Hamid, who in turn played in Sherlock for the other. His tireless energy was again a feature of his performance on Boxing Day despite losing his strike partner to injury in the first half. It was Hickey who played in Sherlock for the excellent and decisive second goal within a couple of minutes of The Linnets being pegged back.