Runcorn Town FC Official Website - Billingham Sythonia Match Report

Runcorn Town bowed out of the FA Carlsberg Vase at the Fourth Round stage for the second successive season with Northern League side Billingham Synthonia recording a 2-1 victory at Pavilions to move into the Last 16.

Manager Simon Burton made one change to the side that drew at Billingham last Saturday, with the North West Counties League Premier Leagues leading goalscorer James McShane recalled to the starting lineup in place of Emini Adegbenro.

The game was preceeded by an impecably observed minutes silence by players and supporters of both sides. Ian Sartorius-Jones, a serving soldier from Runcorn on duty with the Royal Corps of Signals, died in Afghanistan on Tuesday with Jackie Weatherall, a loyal servant to Billingham Synthonia for 65 years, also passing away on Monday.

It was the visitors who started brightly with Matt Crossen shooting wide and Robbie Bettson firing well over the bar. At the other end Town had an effort from Jason Carey which Josh Moody in the Billingham goal saved comfortably.

Billingham dominated possession for long periods of the first half with Town not getting into the game at all. For all their dominance though they rarely tested Karl Wills, with Crossen again hitting over after a good move and Ross Gardner doing likewise. The closest the visitors came was from Chris Emms' free kick which Danny Earl headed goalwards with Town's number one pulling off a fine save.

Town's best chance came on the half hour as Jason Carey broke clear quickly from a Billingham attack. Despite having men over to his left he tried a chip from 25-yards that went just wide of the left hand post. This seemed to inject some urgency to Town with Mark Keddie shooting across goal after a poor clearance.

The start of the second half also saw Keddie squander a good opportunity, with a snap shot in front of goal from Ste Latham's cross going over the bar. Warren Bellew then shot wide before a cross from Darren Kinsey caused mayhem in the visitors box before being cleared from a corner from which an overhead kick was deflected wide. The second corner was cleared as far as Scott Burton whose stunning shot went just wide of the right hand post. Another corner three minutes later saw Town denied what looked like a penalty after a push in the box, the referee having none of it.

David Abel gave the North East side the lead after 69 minutes when Matt Crossen returned a Chris Emms free-kick back across the goal at the far post with David Abel heading home from a couple of yards out. A minute later Town almost levelled with McShane shooting wide from an acute angle on the left, but shortly after Danny Earl should have doubled the lead with a shot that went just wide of the post.

Carey then had a chance from Scott Burton's free kick that was headed straight at Moody, but after 79 minutes it was 2-0 with Danny Earl firing past Karl Wills following a long ball from the back.

Town rallied and pulled a goal back through Jason Carey with five minutes remaining after James McShane got away down the left and squared the ball for his fellow striker. Three minute later substitute Adegbenro also got clear on the left and into the box before cutting inside two defenders. Despite Bellew being completely unmarked at the back post, Mini decided to shoot with his effort going high and wide.

Four minutes of stoppage time followed, with Billingham comfortably seeing it out to claim a fifth round match at home against Bournemouth in two weeks' time.

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