Runcorn Town 4 Cheshire League 0

AN experimental Cheshire Inter-League side featuring players from clubs across the county were defeated by North West Counties outfit Runcorn Town under the floodlights at Pavillions, Runcorn.

Despite a strong start by the Cheshire side, Runcorn eventually ran away with a rather flattering 4-0 victory.

The early exchanges were very scrappy, with neither side wanting to give much away.

Possession was kept to the middle third of the pitch, with Rob Hope doing his best for Cheshire to try and find some pockets of space to play in to.

The first shot on target came in the 12th minute from Runcorn, which tested the hands of Chris Jones in his bottom right corner, but he was equal to the test.

In the 21st minute, Cheshire had their first chance of the game.

A neat interchange of play on the left hand side between Nathan Williams and PJ Hudson set up Williams in the box but he was closed down quickly by Runcorn ‘keeper Karl Wills before he could get a clean strike away.

Cheshire created themselves a bit more space on the left hand side in the 36th minute, this time through Jimmy Daniels whose neat footwork took him past one man, but once in the area, he couldn’t find the space to dig out a cross.

A Runcorn cross cleared off the Cheshire line by left-back Jake Linaker in the 41st minute led to a counter attack that saw Joe Jennings pick out Williams with a cross that saw a smart save from Wills.

Cheshire made three changes at half time but the first real chance of the half came in the 48th minute to Jimmy Daniels, who found his 25-yard volley well saved by Wills to his left hand side.

From that chance, Runcorn broke away. Burton’s strike from the edge of the Cheshire area was deflected over, and Grant then found half a yard for the home side in the box but headed over from the resulting corner.

Cheshire’s best chance came in the 53rd minute when they got themselves a man over on the right hand side, but when unchallenged, Jackson fired well over the bar.

The scoring was opened in the 56th minute, Cheshire failing to clear a bouncing ball in their own area and Carey’s shot taking a massive deflection off McKay before rolling past the onlooking Chris Jones, who had already dove the other way.

Runcorn doubled their lead in the 62nd minute when substitute Derbyshire pounced on another bouncing ball in the Cheshire area, which somehow found a way through Jones in goal.

The game was sealed in the 70th minute. Cheshire substitute Alex Lowe dove in to challenge Andy Potter, who went down under the tackle. Carey fired the resulting penalty to Jones’ right hand side, giving him no chance of saving.

The best goal of the game was Runcorn’s fourth, which came in the 78th minute. A sharp interchange of play by Runcorn found a way around Everall and Lowe, and the accurate cross found Derbyshire arriving late in the area to make it 4-0.

Cheshire had one final chance to get on the score sheet in the 86th minute, when Lowe was fouled 20 yards out, but Daniels could only fire the free kick well over the bar.

Runcorn Town: Wills, Lester, Toone, Duckworth, Jones, Spearritt, Shanley, McShane, Grant, Potter, Haughton Subs – Keddie, Kinsey, Burton, Derbyshire, Carey, Glover.

Cheshire: Jones, McKay, Linaker, Alcock, Coleman, Daniels, Jackson, Hope, Jennings, Hudson, Williams Subs – Everall, Lowe, Quirk, McAllister, Higgs.