Runcorn Linnets 5 Winsford 1

Linnets dominated the match from the off and the home faithful didn’t have to wait long for the opener, however, as Kurt Sherlock ran through on to Kyle Hamid’s miss-hit shot to poke the ball past the goalkeeper and give the home side the lead on 10 minutes.

Five minutes later, it was 2-0 with a quite stunning team goal that started with Linnets stopper Dean Porter rolling the ball out to Matty Atherton at left back.

Athers advanced with the ball and passed to Hamid, who was on the move in the centre circle and with one touch played passed to Mark Houghton, moving in from the left wing.

He in turn sent an inch-perfect, first time ball into the path of the onrushing Hickey, who completed the fine move with a first-time effort of his own across Winsford’s keeper and into the bottom corner.

Hamid had a shot cleared off the line and Hickey could only scoop a shot over the bar, after the ‘keeper had spilled a cross, before Sherlock had a 10-minute spell in which he missed four good chances.

Firstly, he controlled a ball over the top but his second touch was heavy and allowed the ‘keeper to beat him to it.

Shortly after, the leading scorer chose to shoot from a tight angle down the right when a square ball across the box could have been more fruitful.

His best chance was to follow as he got in behind Winsford’s defence again and advanced unchallenged into the penalty area but, appearing not to know what to do with all the time he had, smashed the ball over the bar from close range.

The chance to close the game out with less than half an hour on the clock had gone over the bar and perimeter fencing. When Kurt got in again soon after, all he could do was hit a shot across the goal from a tight angle that beat the ‘keeper but also the goal post. He must have wondered what he had to do to add to his tally.

The Linnets were almost made to pay for some wastefulness shortly after when, out of nowhere, Winsford won a penalty after Porter was adjudged to have brought down an opposition player just inside the penalty area.

Luckily for Linnets, the penalty was a poor one and, even though Porter went the wrong way, he was still able to not only save but hold on to the ball with his trailing legs.

Franny Smith was next to have a go, curling a good effort just over the bar from well outside the area, before Linnets won a penalty of their own.

Hickey broke away one on one with the keeper but before the striker could get a shot away, he was scythed down from behind by the last man and a red card was correctly shown to Winsford’s number six Ryan Eiselt.

Mike White coolly dispatched the penalty to send the Linnets in at half-time with a 3-0 lead.

Smith was withdrawn at half time with a shoulder inujury, Hardwick coming off the bench to take up a central defensive berth with Kyle Armstrong moving into central midfield.

The second half was a more timid affair as the Linnets’ intensity dropped under the weight of an increasingly heavy pitch and the comfort of a three-goal cushion.

It was Winsford who had the first good chance of the second half when Daniel Hudson broke away down the left wing and cut inside the box to move one on one with Porter, who pulled off a super save from close range.

Kurt Sherlock was denied by a smart save from Winsford’s keeper when he hit a first-time volley goalwards, but he was instrumental in the Linnets 80th-minute fourth goal.

Sherlock’s cross was met by Hickey, the resulting shot being saved at close range, but the rebound fell to Kyle Hamid who was able to turn away from the crowd in the penalty area to lift the ball into the empty net.

Linnets youngsters Taylor Kennerley and Jamie Weeder were introduced for Houghton and Hamid, respectively, as the game entered its last 10 minutes.

Sherlock was denied yet again by a brilliant one-handed save by Winsford’s ‘keeper, who had not anticipated a shot from Kurt but was still able to force the effort around the post.

Shortly after, Winsford scored an unexpected goal from Michael Jones, but the Linnets had the last laugh and the fifth goal arrived in the dying seconds when Hickey walked it in to wrap the game up at 5-1.

Linnets were unplayable at times in this game, during the first half in particular, and it would have been no injustice if the scoreline had reached double figures.

The away side had a host of missed Linnets chances and a fabulous performance from their goalkeeper to thank for keeping the goals conceded figure down to a sensible number.

A run of five games that has yielded five wins with 18 goals scored and only two conceded sets the Linnets up nicely for a crunch game next Saturday against Atherton Collieries, the only side in the division currently in better form than Joey Dunn’s men after 13 league games unbeaten and six wins on the bounce.

Runcorn Linnets:Dean Porter, Kieron Brislen, Matthew Atherton, Kyle Armstrong, Michael White, Michael Simpson, Francis Smith, Kyle Hamid (capt), Kurt Sherlock, Mark Houghton, Antony Hickey. Subs (all used): Tom Hardwick, Taylor Kennerley, Jamie Weeder.

Winsford United:Dale Latham, Benjamin Seol, Lee

Duckworth, Ryan Lambert, Liam Baker, Ryan Eiselt, James Rothwell, Elliot Hull, Ryan Mellow, Scott Taylor, Daniel Hudson. Subs: Samuel Riley, Christopher Lunn, Jack Johnson, Michael Jones, Alfred Hammond.