Runcorn Town FC Official Website - Southport Trinity Reserves Match Report

Runcorn Town Reserves rewrote the history books with a 14-0 victory over Southport Trinity Reserves at Pavilions.

In what was the club's biggest ever win, James McShane also set a club record of most goals in one match by netting seven which included a stunning eighteen minutes hat-trick in the first half. Meanwhile Aarron Stafford's double made it 50 goals for the club which sees him become joint leading scorer of all time alongside current First Team manager Simon Burton.

Town started the game in rampant mood with Stafford heading McShane's cross from the left well wide. The first goal took eight minutes to arrive when a cross from Dave Jolley on the right was deflected into the path of McShane who curled it into the corner of the net.

McShane should have added to the lead a minute later when he went one on one with Ben Hulmes with the keeper making a great save at his feet. McShane was then inches away from connecting with Jolley's low cross and he also shot wide from Mark McGrath's pull back.

His second goal arrived after 14 minutes when Mike Chesters threaded a great pass through the defence with McShane rounding Hulmes to score. McShane then set up Stafford but the forward was unable to control the cross in the box, but after 23 minutes McShane had his hat-trick following a great footballing move. Jolley won the ball on the right and played in Stafford whose layoff left McShane free, with the forward finding the bottom left hand corner of the net.

McShane's fourth arrived on the half hour mark and was again created by the impressive Chesters who cut Trinity's defence apart with another killer pass which put McShane clear. Once again he made no mistake with a lethal finish. Five minutes later it was five, with McShane turning provider this time. He advanced into the box and instead of shooting, layed the ball off for Jolley whose shot across goal was deflected into his own net by the unlucky Paul Smith.

Stafford almost made it six after 38 minutes when McShane's flick put him clear, but he overran the ball as he rounded the keeper and couldn't keep it in play. Two minutes later Stafford again got behind Trinity's woeful defence but this time opted to shoot, with the unlucky forward seeing the shot come back off the right hand post.

Stafford finally got the goal his play deserved with a minute of the half remaining when Will Conway's clever chip gave him his third one-on-one in succession, and this time he made no mistake for Town's sixth goal.

The second half saw Town continue their dominance, with left back Paul Illidge - filling in as keeper for the day - having little to do. Three minutes into the half it was seven, with Chesters corner from the left headed into the net by Mark McGrath for his first goal for the club.

The pick of the goals came after 53 minutes when McShane chested the ball into Stafford who played it back to him, with the McShane blasting the ball into the net from the edge of the box.

The hour mark saw Town score their ninth goal of the game, with Jolley playing in Stafford who found the corner of the net. This was Stafford's 50th goal for Town which saw him move level with current first team manager Simon Burton as all time leading scorer. Town manager Rod Looker decided to change things around with Dave Graven, Ged Bushell and Jack Burbidge all coming off the bench to play their part.

After 69 minutes Bushell and McShane both burst through but appeared to get in each others way, with McShane taking the ball on before shooting just wide of the right hand post. Jolley then got clear again down the right and crossed low for Burbidge, but despite him putting the ball into the net, the "goal" was correctly ruled out for offside.

The tenth goal of the game arrived after 71 minutes when Burbidge played the ball to Bushell in the box with the forward upended. Bushell dusted himself down to fire home his first goal of the season from the spot.

The fact it was double figures seemed to spur Town on once more, with Graven making it eleven after 73 minutes when he followed up McGrath's free kick to score from close range.

A minute later saw another goal with McShane, Jolley and Burbidge all getting clear of Trinity's static defence with McShane chipping in his sixth of the game.

Fog then started moving in with Town thankful for the floodlights that may otherwise have caused a cancellation of the game, and with five minutes remaining Town were awarded their second penalty of the game when Burbidge was brought down in the box. Burbidge himself got up to score his fifth goal of the season and set another record - the first time all three substitutes have scored in a game.

The most suprising thing about the scoreline was that Town's second leading scorer Jolley had not yet found the net despite setting up several goals. Cue the 89th minute of the game with McShane bursting through once more. He advanced into the box and unselfishly squared it for Jolley, yet from just five yards out, Trinity's Hulmes pulled off an "unbelievable" save with Jolley's shot coming back off the bar with McShane tapping the ball in for his seventh and Town's fourteenth of the game.

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