Runcorn Linnets Ladies 5 Wallasey Wanderers 2

RUNCORN Linnets Ladies successful season continued as they reached the final of the Cheshire Women's League Challenge Cup Final with victory over Wallasey last weekend.

In a game full of controversy and tension, Runcorn started off the more nervous of the two teams with Wallasey relishing in the underdog role. It was no surprise when they took the lead after only 2 minutes a cross come shot from out wide right evading Nat Pinnington in the Linnets goal.

Runcorn's response was immediate and on 4 minutes a mistake by the Wallasey keeper Seager let in Linnets top scorer Megan Pickering for the equaliser amid cries for a foul on the keeper after a Steph Hamel challenge for a 50/50 ball.

The goal didn't settle the Runcrn side as Wallasey managed to cause panic among the Linnets defence on more than one occasion but without really creating anything clear cut.

On 20 minutes The Linnets went ahead through Tish Collins who rose majestically six yards out to head home from a Tempany Carlson corner to give the Linnets the advantage.

Runcorn were now enjoying the best period of the half, relaxed on the ball and passing with the Wallasey players at times chasing shadows. Runcorn extended the lead on 28 minutes, the ball played up from Chelsea Penny in midfield, Pickering with a tidy flick on allowed Carlson to take advantage of another mistake in the Wallasey defence to side foot with ease past the visiting keeper for a 3-1 lead.

As the half drew to a close Wallasey continued to push forward, a superb piece of defending by Charlotte Kingham cleared the danger from the Linnets box and out for a corner. But it was from this corner that Wallasey were awarded a penalty when the same player with the ball clearly heading for the top corner from the set piece instinctively raised her hands to keep it out.

That decision from the left back gave the referee no option but to produce a red card, until then Kingham had been outstanding in defence and she clearly took "one for the team" in the heat of the moment and must be commended for that, the resulting spot kick despatched to Pinnington's right, the Linnets keeper getting a good hand to the ball but the power preventing the save.

Runcorn re-grouped and right on half time Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz now playing the lone striker role somehow wriggled free when surrounded by 4 Wallasey players, the forward latched on to a long pass from Pickering now in a midfield roll produced a stunning strike that fizzed passed the keeper into the roof of the net restoring Runcorn's two goal advantage taking the Linnets in at half time with a 4-2 lead.

Coming out for the second half Runcorn made some changes, Gabby Evans had entered the play in a right back position replacing Nichola Hyland, Pickering made way allowing Mary Rossiter-Gurrell to take up a left back role vacant after Kingham's dismissal.

The second half Wallasey took advantage of having an extra player with some neat one-two football creating openings that Pinnington had to be alert too, at the other end, Jones-Sacharewicz worked hard up top on her own, supported by the ever busy Steph Hamel and Carlson on the wings, the midfield duo of Kennedy and Penny put in a hard shift winning battles and breaking up Wallasey's attempts at ball retention waiting for the moment to get the pass away.

As the half went on the difference numerically began to tell, tiredness was becoming a factor too and only the resilience of Evans, Collins and Sadie Bond who produced a superb double tackle, Rossiter-Gurrell and keeper Pinnington kept Wallasey at bay. 68 minutes Hamel was replaced by Kim Roberts on the left, and Pickering returned to the action under the roll on roll off rule in place of the hard working Jones-Sacharewicz.

On 82 minutes Linnets finally broke through once again and this time sealed the victory, from a Wallasey goal kick, Kennedy was alert and first to react, controlling the ball then releasing Pickering who broke through the Wallasey back line and passed the ball under the advancing keeper for the Linnets fifth goal of the game.

Wallasey immediately responded but the Linnets held firm amongst the opposition's robust style of play, Wallasey's No.4 Kearney squared up to Linnets midfielder Kennedy, both players receiving a talking to from match official Michael McIver.

At the final whistle, Linnets celebrated a fantastic win earning them a place in the Cup Final, not bad for a team in its third season together.

Linnets player of the match went to Gabby Evans, the young full back coming on as a substitute into a frenetic game and tightened everything up on the right side of defence and linked well with Tish Collins, a close second came Tempany Carlson and Chelsea Penny.

Linnets Ladies: Pinnington, Hyland (Evans), Bond, Collins, Kingham, Hamel, Kennedy, Penny, Carlson, Pickering (Rossiter-Gurrell) Jones-Sacherwicz. Subs not used: Dunbebin, Woods-Hughes