Runcorn Town FC Official Website - Helsby Match Report

Runcorn Town recovered from seeing their two goal lead wiped out to emerge 3-2 winners against local rivals Helsby in West Cheshire League One and make it eight successive league wins.

Town could have been ahead after just five minutes when Warren Bellew's cross from the left found Simon Burton and his lay off found James McShane whose shot was blocked. However three minutes later Town were ahead with Marvin Molyneux grabbing his first goal for Town.

Bellew shot from the left with Stringer tipping the ball over the bar. From the corner the ball was only cleared to the edge of the box where Molyneux struck a low shot into the bottom left hand corner.

Another crossfield pass from Bellew then put Emini Adegbenro in, but his shot across goal went just wide of the post. The home side's attempts until this point were reduced to long ball's with Jon McDonald and Connor Taylor continuously found offside, but they started getting themselves back in the game and thought that they should have had a penalty for a foul on Reece Conlan in the box.

Despite enjoying more possession, the home side never troubled Karl Wills in goal, and were made to pay when Simon Burton doubled the lead at the end of the half with the move of the game. Molyneux found Bellew on the left and he crossed for Burton whose first touch left him with just the keeper to beat, with Town's player manager keeping his cool to find the bottom left hand corner.

Town started the second half as they ended the first with Bellew seeing a shot fly just over the bar after Burton's layoff. Town should have added a third with a counter attack from a Helsby attack when they had five players surging forward against three Helsby defenders, but Conlan cut out Molyneux's shot after Mini played him in.

Helsby then stepped up the pace and were unlucky not to pull one back when they had the ball in the net after 61 minutes with McDonald ruled offside from Matty Johnson's pass through. Two minutes later though they did grab a goal when a crossfield ball from the left saw Connor Taylor quickest to the ball to knock the ball past Karl Wills and into the corner of the net.

With the home side pushing forward looking for the equaliser, Town were grateful for some good defending and several important saves from Wills. The inevitable equaliser arrived after 74 minutes when a cross from the left found McDonald in the box with Wills saving his header on the line, however it fell to Idris Kamara who found the bottom corner from close range.

Helsby went close to taking the lead two minutes later when Wills had to get down low to turn Adam Pepera's header around the post, but this Town team is made of resiliant stuff and they retook the lead with ten minutes remaining through Ste Latham. Burton was fouled 25-yards from goal with Latham's free kick finding the top right corner.

Despite fierce pressure from the home team in the closing minutes, Town held out to record their eighth league win on the run and continue their unbeaten start to the season.

This match report represents the views of the author and not particularly that of Runcorn Town FC.