Final ball lets the side down as Linnets are held at home
Runcorn Linnets 1 Chasetown 1
Report by Dave Bettley
Two very gettable points slipped through Runcorn's fingers as this mid-table clash in Pitching In Northern Premier League West fizzled out after a lively start.
Both sides had registered in the first 10 minutes, Linnets responding quickly to faling behind.
There was a feeling that the scoring would only increase in what remained an open, end-to-end encounter before the break.
But it didn't quite work out that way.
Play after half-time belonged to the hosts but only territorially as they struggled to carve out genuine chances through a stark lack of quality in the final third.
Limnets, having shaded both of last season's contests against Chasetown with last-minute winners, couldn't find inspiration to repeat the feats.
With Sean Miller unavailable after his successful comeback a week earlier, last Saturday's matchwinning substitute Nick Rushton was a starter.
The game began in the worst possible fashion for Runcorn with hopes of a first campaign clean sheet at APEC Taxis Stadium lasting only six minutes.
Centre back Ethan Patterson caught out the home defence nappong again with a backwards header into the far corner from a left-wing cross by Matt Hearsey.
Runcorn needed just four minutes to get back on terms, however.
A slick move of rare calibre culminated in Ellliot Morris delivering a cross from the right, which was whipped home at the near post by centre forward Lewis Buckley.
With a maiden home goal under his belt, Buckley continued to worry the visiting defence.
Morris, meanwhile, was looking menacing out wide but had to be withdrawn at the interval with a knee injury.
Matty Whittingham succumbed to a contentious offside call - particularly costly as the midfielder, operating centrally instead of the left flank, found the net with his shot.
Chasetown, likewise, kept opposition defenders on their toes with Calvin Hare pulling off a diving save from Sam Wilding.
Jacques Welsh was denied at close quarters by Anthony Nunez but neither 'keeper had that much to do over the 90 minutes.
As the visiting threat subsided in the second half, the big question was whether Linnets could convert their domination into a victory.
Conor Harwood, replacement for the injured Morris, worked hard on both flanks in turn.
Not for the first time, however, Runcorn weren't clinical enough with their final ball.
The game ended with Scott Holding being badly shaken and substituted, having been steamrollered by the massive frame of Nathan Blissett, nephew of former England frontman Luther.
Michael Ellison might have been querying a shortage of stoppage time when he approached the referee after the final whistle.
But if play had gone on for another half hour, it's unlikely we would have got a decider due to a lack of opportunity at one end and an inability to exploit the possibiities at the other.
Runcorn Linnets: Calvin Hare, Peter Wylie (Ollie Southern, 58 mins), Kian Bell, Brendan O'Brien, Scott Holding (Frank Denison, 90+2 mins), Jacques Welsh, Matty Whittingham, Harry McGee (Lewis Bell, 71 mins), Lewis Buckley (Oscar Wright, 75 mins), Nick Rushton, Elliot Morris (Conor Harwood, 46 mins).
Attendance: 596.
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