All to play for ahead of play-offs with top-five finishing order still to be decided

Runcorn Linnets v Stalybridge Celtic

Pitching In Northern Premier League West

Saturday, April 18th 2026

APEC Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane, Murdishaw, Runcorn, WA7 6GJ.

Preview

Having both seen qualification for the play-offs confirmed last Saturday - Linnets by winning at Kidsgrove and Stalybridge despite defeat at Sporting Khalsa - the two promotion rivals go head to head in Runcorn's penultimate match of the regular season and their last at APEC Taxis Stadium.

The outcome will be pivotal to which of the clubs has home advantatage in the semi-finals, where we could well meet again.

A Linnets win would leave us in the box seat, a point clear of Celtic, going into matches on the final Saturday when we will head to Newcastle Town and Stalybridge host Chasetown.

Victory for Stalybridge this weekend would seal third place and a tie at Bower Fold in the final eliminator.

A draw would send Linnets into the last day still two points adrift of the Tamesiders with all to play for.

Prior to their loss in the Midlands last weekend, Celtic had been the form team in the run-in.

The 2-0 defeat ended a sparkling run of eight successive wins and ended realistic hopes of snatching the title - although they still have a mathematical chance.

The likelihood is that it will go to Bury or Avro with the Shakers having an opportunity to wrap it up this Saturday, when they host Witton Albion.

Lower Breck, former long-time leaders of the division, look favourites to take the remaining play-off spot, although Vauxhall Motors and Bootle remain in contention.

Stalybridge beat us 1-0 in November to break a sequence of eight straight Linnets successes against them in all competitions.

That was their first victory over Runcorn Linnets since the inaugural meeting, a Cheshire Senior Cup tie at Bower Fold in March 2013 when as a NWCL Premier Division club we lost 2-1 to the then Conference North hosts.

History trail

Mention Stalybridge to Linnets fans and their first thought will always be last season's Cheshire Senior Cup final victory.

Celtic supporters will point to APEC Taxis Stadium not being their happiest hunting ground.

They have lost on both previous NPL visits, last season seeing a two-goal lead wiped out by storming Linnets comeback.

Ryan Brooke scored twice in the last 18 minutes to break Mark Houghton's club goalscoring record.

Joe Ferguson's overhead Goal of the Season effort came in between.

Earlier, Lewis Rawsthorn and Jack Irlam had scored in the 54th and 64th minutes to give Stalybridge apparent control.

Coming off the Celtic bench that afternoon was Elliot Rokka, who has since joined us and made his comeback after injury as a sub in Tuesday's 3-1 Liverpool Senior Cup semi-final victory over Runcorn Town.

The first meeting of the clubs at APEC Taxis Stadium was a Cheshire Senior Cup tie on January 8th 2019. We defeated Stalybridge - then a NPL Premier Division side - on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Both teams scored their first penalties, Louis Corrigan converting for Runcorn, before Tom Scott pulled off a magnificent save to deny Glenn Rule from Bridge's second kick.

Aaron Morris, Kurt Sherlock, Bobby Evans and Freddie Potter all kept their nerve to send Linnets through to the quarter-finals 5-4 on pens.

Stalybridge had gone ahead in the 55th minute, albeit against the run of play, with a penalty from none other than our current top scorer Scott Bakkor.

Sherlock grabbed a fantastic equaliser deep into stoppage time with the tie going straight to the shootout without extra-time.

We also defeated visiting Stalybridge 3-2 in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round in August 2023.

A three-goal Runcorn blitz between 50 and 55 minutes - courtesy of Will Saxon, Eden Gumbs and Joe Lynch - sent us through, despite Stalybridge responding with two late goals.

Player landmark

The game at Kidsgrove was Naim Arsan's 50th appearance of the season, making him the first player to the half century.

The player, who made his 10th appearance off the bench, to add to his 40 starts. He followed up by scoring in his 51st Linnets outing in Tuesday's derby.

Form guide

Linnets have taken 41 points from a possible 60 at APEC Taxis Stadium - winning 12, drawing five and losing three.

We have suffered fewest home defeats in the division along with Bury, Stalybridge, Lower Breck and Mossley.

Six of 11 home matches have been won in league and cup since Michael Ellison's return as manager with four draws.

Stalybridge have amassed 33 away points from 20 games, winning 10 and drawing three.

Prior to their weekend reversal at Khalsa, they had been unbeaten on opposing grounds since a 2-1 defeat at Chasetown on November 29th.

A subsequent run of six away wins and two draws included a season's best 5-0 at Newcastle Town in mid-March.

How to get here 

By car - postcode for APEC Taxis Stadium is WA7 6GJ.

By train - Runcorn is served by two railway stations, Runcorn (Liverpool Lime Street to London line, also with services from Chester and Birmingham)  and Runcorn East (trains to and from Manchester, Chester and North Wales). Both stations are served by buses running close to the stadium, although Runcorn High Street bus station (10-minute walk) offers a wider choice for passengers using Runcorn Railway Station.

By bus - the ground is a short walk from the Runcorn Busway - alight at Orniston Bollingbroke Academy (Halton High School) and follow pathway on the opposite side of the busway from the school to Murdishaw Avenue and cross into Stockham Lane. Many local services (including Shopping City circular) run on the busway as well as those from Widnes, Warrington, Liverpool and Chester.

A local taxi service is provided by APEC Taxis (tel 01928 575757).

Parking 

There is a large free car park on site.

Bar and catering 

The licensed clubhouse bar offers a range of alcoholic and non-alcholic drinks while hot food, tea, coffee and soft drinks and confectionery are on sale from the tea bar.

Admission

Adult - £11

(£2 discount for Halton Leisure Card holders)

Concession (Over 65s) - £8

Juniors (18 and under) - £2