LINNETS suffered a second consecutive league defeat – amazingly, only the third such occurrence in the last three seasons – and will feel they contributed to their own downfall as defensive mistakes left Joey Dunn’s side with just too much to do late in the game.

Runcorn had travelled to Crosby boosted by the surprise news that Kevin Leadbetter had signed on for his third Linnets spell, having joined initially as a young player for Runcorn FC and then having a very shortlived stay with the new club 18 months ago.

Dunn drafted Freddie Potter, River Humphreys and Kurt Sherlock back into the side, all three having missed Tuesday’s game at Alsager.

AFC Liverpool started the brighter of the two sides but the first chance fell to the Linnets, Mark Houghton heading Jason Carey’s cross goalwards but without being able to generate the necessary power.

An opportunity then came for the hosts, Mike White’s headed clearance falling to an onrushing player who sent a powerful, dipping volley just over the bar.

The chances continued to rain in at both ends, the best of the first half seeing an eight-yard half-volley fired wide of a gaping net after the ball had bounced around the Linnets box at a corner.

AFC Liverpool then broke at pace down the left with the ball being played in to Ryan Cox, whose shot on the turn was very well saved at full stretch by Dean Porter.

There was a case for a Linnets opening goal on the half hour. Hamid nipped in to score with an effort under the advancing ’keeper but with Carey in an offside position, the linesman decided the flag should be raised and the goal was disallowed.

AFC Liverpool had just about shaded what had been a very entertaining half.

The Linnets came out for the second half looking much more purposeful, and Potter’s crushing effort was superbly tipped on to the crossbar by AFC Liverpool’s ’keeper and out for what should have been a corner - although the referee pointed for a goal kick.

Soon after, Kyle Hamid sent a vicious free-kick right into the heart of the six-yard box and, with the goal at his mercy, Freddie Potter was destined to open the scoring until Jason Carey went for the same ball and the two of them combined to fluff the effort over the bar.

It was a costly miss as Liverpool took the lead shortly after. It started with Kyle Hamid’s clearance smashing into AFC Liverpool’s full-back and out for a throw-in that was wrongly awarded to the hosts.

Hamid protested too strongly and was booked for his dissent.

Then with his thoughts probably not fully back on the game, he received the ball from the said throw-in inside the Linnets box, was closed down quickly and lost the ball trying to break out with it.

The loose ball was squared across to the unmarked Cox, who had the simple task of bundling it over the line from a yard out and with an hour gone.

With a Linnets response looking more and more likely in the aftermath, Dunn introduced Leadbetter whose quality in running with the ball was clear immediately.

However, disaster struck for the Linnets on 73 minutes as AFC Liverpool were presented with a second goal.

Porter was caught in possession by Williams who had the joy of rolling the ball into an empty net to give AFC Liverpool a two-goal lead.

The shock of the previous 15 minutes, coupled with Leadbetter’s introduction, seemed to spark some life into the Linnets.

A goal arrived in the 79th minute, Leadbetter advancing with the ball before finding Houghton in a forward position to hit a very well-placed shot across the ’keeper into his bottom right corner.

You felt like it was only a matter of time before the visitors got an equaliser.

Michael Simpson, who had replaced the injured Kyle Armstrong early on, sent a left-foot shot against the bar after a terrific run across the edge of the box from the right.

But the big chance came in the last minute, Michael Ellison managed to get in a superb cross from the right wing to Freddie Potter, unmarked in the centre of the six-yard box. With the goal gaping, he couldn't get a clean connection and dropped to his knees in disbelief.

Unfortunately this wasn’t the end of the agony for Linnets as, after the final whistle and unseen by many fans, River Humphreys was sent off for comments made to the referee.