RUNCORN Linnets Ladies have completed a rags-to-riches transformation to rival that of even the Premier League champions, Leicester City.

It has seen them rise from from bottom of the Cheshire Women’s League in 2014-2015 to become League and Challenge Cup winners.

Title-winning Linnets Ladies made it a double with a thrilling 3-2 extra-time Cup win over league runners-up, Egerton FC Ladies - defying energy-sapping heat, which inevitably affected both sides, with a 119th-minute Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz goal.

Young defender Gabby Evans was named Runcorn’s Player of the Match after a pulsating final at Barnton’s Townfield Lane on Sunday.

Kicking up a noticeable slope, the early play fluctuated from end to end. Charlotte Kingham, Evans’ full-back partner, made a good headed clearance in the third minute.

Jones-Sacharewicz and Megan Pickering were tightly marked by six players virtually every time they got a sniff of the ball.

But the game sprang to life on 26 minutes as Pickering flashed a shot, clearing the bar by inches, from its first real chance. Egerton responded immediately but their forward blazed high over the top when clean through.

On 35 minutes, the Linnets took the lead. Mandy Kennedy, as strong as ever in centre field, played the ball out to Mary Rossiter-Gurrell.

The young winger laid it back to Chelsea Penny whose ball into the box was clearly handled by the opposition left back.

However, it fell for Tempany Carlson and she despatched a low shot to the keeper’s right.

The advantage lasted just five minutes. Hesitant defending allowed an Egerton striker, with back to goal, to twist and turn away from Tish Collins and get in a shot from eight yards. Nat Pinnington, in the Linnets goal, got her hands to the high effort but couldn’t get enough on it.

As the ball dropped under the bar, Kennedy did her best to cover and clear but the ball was adjudged by a linesman to have already crossed the goal line.

At the start of the second half, Steph Hamel replaced Rossiter-Gurrell on the left wing.

Egerton were now upbeat, forcing a corner 30 seconds in. They soon nearly capitalised on a nervy Linnets mistake but, not for the first time, Sadie Bond and Collins recovered to avert the danger.

This was the best period of the game for the Knutsford-based side, a great save from Pinnington denying them.

Controversy followed in the 58th minute. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, after a clear foul on Carlson, but then changed his mind on the advice of an assistant linesman, giving an offside decision against the winger instead

Carlson came off on the hour, to be replaced on the right wing by Kim Roberts, but on 68 minutes - and it had been coming - Egerton took the lead.

Runcorn again allowed an opposition forward too much time to turn in the box and she beat Pinnington at her right post from close range.

Linnets responded, bringing Carlson back on for Pickering, on 72 minutes, Carlson took up a left-wing position while Hamel moved into attack to partner Jones-Sacharewicz.

Hamel changed the whole dynamic, her extra movement up top presenting Jones-Sacharewicz with a clear opportunity - the resulting effort just over the bar.

In the 84th minute, the equaliser came. Penny’s ball in enticed the ‘keeper to advance and as Hamel threw herself into a challenge with the shot stopper and a defender, the ball spilled out for Jones Sacharewicz to strike home.

Egerton’s captain picked up a yellow card on 86 minutes for a swiping challenge on Kennedy. The dissent that followed towards the official could have warranted something worse.

With time running out, Roberts found space and was obviously flattened inside the box but the referee waved away the Linnets’ strong penalty appeals.

Extra-time followed, Linnets Ladies opting to play up the slope for the first period. Penny had a couple of long-range efforts off target, followed by Hamel.

At the other end, superb recovery tackles by Kingham and Bond, both inside the penalty area with no margin for error, saved the day.

As the second period kicked off, Egerton were tiring in the heat, time-wasting at every opportunity.

The Linnets needed that one chance while their opponents had seemingly settled for penalties.

With time almost up, a strike by Penny thundered against the bar but the Linnets weren’t giving up on hopes of a winner.

Egerton could only half-clear to midfield, where Kennedy again won the challenge and passed wide right, where Roberts beat one player before squaring for Jones-Sacharewicz who, 19 yards from goal, swung out a boot with the ball curling away from the ‘keeper to nestle in the back of the net.

The ground erupted.

At the final whistle the elation and realisation on the players’ faces was something special - Runcorn Linnets Ladies had won the double.

Runcorn Linnets: Nat Pinnington (capt), Charlotte Kingham, Sadie Bond, Tish Collins, Gabby Evans, Mary Rossiter-Gurrell, (Steph Hamel) Mandy Kennedy, (Nichola Hyland) Chelsea Penny, Tempany Carlson, Megan Pickering, (Kim Roberts) , Marcia Jones-Sacharewicz. Subs (not used): Tayler Froehling, Charlotte Dunbebin (GK).