Stockport Sports 2-2 Runcorn Linnets (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Stockport Sports 2-2 Runcorn Linnets

8:50am Monday 4th March 2013 in Sport

 SUBSTITUTE Gavin Salmon saved Runcorn a point with two late volleys as Linnets' eight-match winning run came to an end at the Stockport Sports Village on Saturday, Simon Mulligan writes.

AfterRuncorn failed to take advantage of early chances on the Stockport goal the hosts made it a frustrating first half for Linnets. Regularly breaking up play and denying Linnets any fluency , the hosts made some heavy challenges which were lucky not to go more heavily punished. And things got worse for Linnets as Stockport scored twice within a minute.

Following Martin Crowder and Mark Houghton's miscommunication, Ricky Anane blasted the hosts ahead. And straight off the kick-off Tomlinson's loose pass put Stockport's Andrew Frempong a clean run through for 2-0.

Linnets were strangely denied a penalty when Crowder was brought down in the box but ust before the break Stockport were reduced to 10-men with Chris Ndukuba's wild and high two-footed challenge on Kyle Hamid seeing red.

The majority of the second half took place in the Stockport half, with the hosts desperately defending their lead. Adam Wade hit the post and bar early and Linnets had another great penalty shout denied.

With Stockport employing time-wasting methods as often as they could, things were looking bleak on what was becoming an increasingly highly frustrating afternoon for Runcorn. Cue Gavin Salmon's 79th minute introduction.

His first-time volley from a cross fired into the roof of the net. And three minutes into stoppage time the home side's time-wasting tactics came back to bite them as Salmon volleyed Atherton's cross into the top corner to equalise in sublime fashion and save Linnets' unbeaten run.

Runcorn: Judge, Duffy, Crowder, Burke (Salmon 79), Tomlinson (capt.), Cross, Wade, Hamid, Madin (Lomax 71), Houghton, Atherton Attendance: 98 Simon Mulligan