TOWN CRASH OUT OF CHESHIRE CUP

Runcorn Town bowed out of the Cheshire Amateur Cup in controversial circumstances after going down 3-2 at Newton after extra time.

Newton were on top from the start and it was no surprise when they went ahead after 27 minutes through Steve Jones. Jay Hannah burst through to shoot with Dave Parkinson getting down well to save his shot. The ball rebounded back to Hannah who miskicked the rebound with the ball falling to Jones who couldn't miss from five yards out.

Town's best chance came after 33 minutes with Will Dolan starting a good passing move on the halfway line that led him to a shooting position on the edge of the box, with his shot cannoning off the keeper and onto the top of the bar.

It wasn't until the 77th minute that Town drew level with Ian Robinson hitting an ambitious shot from 30-yards which the keeper somehow fumbled into the net. It was just what the home side deserved after they began wasting time ever since their early goal. It was almost worthwhile though with Jones having the ball in the back of the net in the EIGHTH minute of injury time with the "goal" ruled out for offside.

Newton quickly took control in extra time with Jones taking advantage of poor Town defending to chip the out-rushing Parkinson from 20-yards. And with virtually the last kick of the first extra 15 minutes they made it 3-1 with Ged King scoring from inside the box after a good passing move.

The talking point of the game came in the 109th minute when McShane appeared to be held back in the box. The linesman put his flag to his chest to indicate a penalty with the referee waving play on and not even going over to have a word with his assistant.

Town did make it 3-2 two minutes later when the referee did order a penalty, this time for handball inside the box, with Dolan scoring low to the keepers' right. Town thought they had equalised when John Dover bundled the ball home from close range after Dolan's shot had hit the post, but the linesman ruled that Dover was offside when the initial shot was made.

Click here for full match report.

Posted at 21:19 on Monday 29th October 2007 - Viewed 320 times