Linnets beaten but unbowed
Stafford Rangers 3 Runcorn Linnets 2
Report by Dave Bettley; pictures by Ben Jackson
Linnets suffered a first defeat in four games under caretaker manager Jacques Welsh - after a draw and two victories - but they again won plenty of plaudits for their performance.
The visitors had pushed Stafford, the most talked about team in non-league football following their 5-0 midweek humbling of National League side Gateshead in the Emirates FA Cup, every inch of the way.
Having twice halved two-goal deficits, Runcorn had one of Northern Premier League West's top title tips hanging on as they threw everything at them.
Harry McGee cleared the bar from 12 yards when Linnets fans were anticipating a dramatic last-gasp equaliser.
The state of the game was best summed up by an 87th-minute Stafford substutution, involving two former Runcorn favourites.
Such was the pressure on the home side, Rangers sent on defender Harvey Washington in place of striker Scott Bakkor, their fellow summer import from APEC Taxis Stadium, for extra security.
Linnets' final throw of the dice was to introduce towering centre half Toby Jones as an extra striker but the comeback fell just short.
The contest had been defined by the strong wind enveloping Stan Robinson Stadium with Storm Boelo preparing to take up where Austen was leaving off.
It made rearguard action very tough for both defences in turn.
Stafford struck twice when conditions were in their favour in the first half and Runcorn followed suit upon the restart but conceded again, crucially, in between their goals.
With attempted clearances from 'keeper Calvin Hare and his defenders consistently hanging in the gale and falling behind their targets, Linnets had found themselves under the cosh before the break.
The speed of Bakkor and Ellis Horan, Rangers' latest cherry-picked signing from NPL West rivals, was a real threat. But the skill for Srafford was not to overhit their passes.
Another of Rangers' recruits for this season, former Prescot Cables and Vauxhall Motors wideman Kyle Sambor fired Stafford into an 18th-minute lead with a rasping 25-yard drive from a well-worked corner.
Stafford were bombarding the away side with a succession of long throw-ins, courtesy of midfielder Tom Tonks, yet played the flagkick short.
If a rehearsed move, it was one perfected very quickly on the training ground as livewire former Stalybridge winger Horan laid the ball on sumptuously for the grateful scorer.
A Stafford player of just eight days, Horan saw his debut get even better five minutes from the interval.
The diminutive player steered in an unlikely blindside header as Runcorn were caught out by Bakkor's dipping cross from the left. It dropped just over left back Lewis Bell, the defender furthest away.
Although well on top, Rangers didn't have the first 45 minutes entirely their own way.
Runcorn struggled to make attacking headway but on the rare occasions they threatened, the away side weren't far off.
Lewis Buckley had sent an early warning shot just wide from a good move also involving Noah Roberts, who at 1-0 down was felled by Stafford 'keeper Leon Phillips just outside the area with Welsh having played the ball in behind.
Defenders around Phillips ensured it was a yellow-card offence rather red.
But there was further room for discussion when Buckley's ensuing free-kick hit the wall. The Runcorn centre forward's loud penalty shout for handball went unheard by the referee.
If the question then was whether Runcorn could recover the double deficit, they were back in contention only two minutes into the second half.
Roberts got the first touch on Hare's long clearance and Buckley was on it in a flash, His surprise shot too quick and powerful for Phillips.
Roles were now reversed with Stafford doing the bulk of the defending - and with great difficulty.
They were suddenly the team struggling to evacuate their own territory.
The vital difference, however, was they made one of their forward forays count.
Having survived at their peril Harry Gerrard's effort at a free-kick, Stafford launched a length-of-the-field counter offensive, surviving a marginal offside call just past halfway.
Carrying on the move, Wealth Dasilva broke through an attempted last-gasp Runcorn tackle and circled the diving Hare to score from a narrow angle.
Linnets again cut the gap with seven minutes remaining.
Peter Wylie's delivery from the right prompted a stunning sideways volley from Sean Miller.
Perhaps best described as a right-footed standing cartwheel, Miller's first goal of the season in open play added to Buckley's sixth.
A fourth in three matches leaves Runcorn's No.9 one shy of top scorer Nick Rushton.
Interim player-boss Welsh had midway through the half taken his leave from on-field duty by substituting himself to join Colin Woodthorpe in the technical area.
Ex-Chester and Norwich City left back Woodthorpe, previously deputy manager at Runcorn to Calum McIntyre, is back at the club to help out in the depleted backroom.
The two Ws might have overseen a memorable Runcorn recovery had McGee been able to keep down his late shot but there were still positives to be taken from another full-on display.
After the final whistle, unsavoury scenes were witnessed as players from both sides became embroiled in a smirkish not in-keeping with the game itself.
Referee Michael Pattison sensibly decided that cautions for McGee and Stafford's Bebeto Gomes were sufficient.
Runcorn are back on home soil next Saturday with Vauxhall Motors the visitors for a 3pm kick-off at APEC Taxis Stadium.
Runcorn Linnets: Calvin Hare, Ollie Southern, Lewis Bell (Connor Day, 82 mins), Peter Wylie, Kian Bell, Jack Byrne, Nick Rushton (Harry McGee, 79 mins), Jacques Welsh (Harry Gerrard, 64 mins), Lewis Buckley (Oscar Wright, 71 mins), Sean Miller, Noah Roberts (Toby Jones 90+1 mins).
Attendance: 1,330.
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