TOWN RETURN TO TOP OF LEAGUE

Runcorn Town returned to the top of the North West Counties League Premier Division with a 2-0 victory at Maine Road.

Town made one change from the defeat at home to Squires Gate with Emini Adegbenro returning to midfield in place of Mark McGrath. Positional changes saw Ste O'Brien drop to left back with Darren Kinsey still absent and Warren Bellew pushed further up into midfield.

After an even start, the hosts began to get on top with Andrew Kilheeney shooting over from the edge of box for the hosts after being allowed to run from midfield. After ten minutes Town had the ball in the net from Mark Keddie's free kick, with Jason Carey adjudged offside when the ball was played in.

Maine Road almost took the lead after 20 minutes when a corner from the right hand side was headed against the bar. At other end, Neil Chappell headed just over his own bar from Carey cross from the right hand side.

Just after the half hour Edward Wileman picked up the ball on the right hand side and went past four Town players before hitting a weak shot straight at Karl Wills. Town were struggling to create any real chances, but went ahead on 39 minutes with a delightfully worked goal.

Adegbenro picked up the ball on the halfway line and played a one-two with Carey before going past two players and shooting, with the ball deflecting off keeper Gregory Hall onto the post. Mark Keddie was quickest to react in the box to slot the ball into the net.

It was almost two on the stroke of half time with Keddie playing in McShane whose shot from inside the box was deflected with the keeper scrambling across goal to save.

The second half saw both teams struggle to create chances with defences on top. The closest both sides came to a goal was when McShane got away down the left hand side and crossed for Keddie whose overhead kick went just over the bar.

The game exploded into life in the 89th minute when Tom Rutter played fellow substitute Leon Williams clear of the defence, with the forward chipping it over the keeper Hall who brought him down. The referee issued an immediate red card, with Scott Burton sending the free kick over the bar.

In the fifth minute of stoppage time, Town made the game safe with a quite bizarre goal. With Maine Road winning a corner, they sent all ten players into Town's box, and when the ball fell to Ste Latham at the far post, he played it up to Williams who was on his own on half way line. The forward had the simple task of running the full half of the pitch before putting the ball in the empty net.

Posted at 21:28 on Sunday 23rd October 2011 - Viewed 303 times