McGee has the Midas touch as Linnets leave it late

Trafford 1 Runcorn Linnets 2

Report by Dave Bettley

There's nothing quite like that Friday feeling, when it's a Good one - and Harry McGee's late decider made it even better.

An 87th-minute free-kick from a player, who has proved a lucky charm so far in his Linnets career, struck in the nick of time for a crucial victory.

Two players introduced by Michael Ellison as part of a triple substitution in the 76th minute combined to swing a contest with implications at opposite ends of the table in favour of the promotion-chasing visitors.

Replacement centre forward Lewis Crane, making his first senior appearance in six games, drew a foul from Trafford's skipper Harry Norris as he was brought down from behind.

Midfielder McGee curled the free-kick beautifully, right-footed, into the top left corner from 25 yards.

It ensured that no matter what happens in today's set of fixtures in Pitching In Northern Premier League West, Linnets will go into their second holiday game - at home to Bootle on Easter Monday - in a play-off position.

However, for much of the second half, relegation battlers Trafford had appeared more likely to snatch the win.

They performed just as well in this end-of-season fixture as they had at APEC Taxis Stadium early in the campaign.

Yet the outcome was the same with Runcorn edging home in the final throes by the odd goal in three.

Linnets made four changes from the side, which had lost to Bury six days earlier.

After joining Runcorn last month, former Widnes and FC St Helens utiity man Brendan O'Brien, who has also represented Ashton Town, Runcorn Town and Litherland REMYCA, enjoyed a debut delayed by injury - as a substitute central defender.

An NPL West title winner under Ellison with Widnes in 2024-25, O'Brien was an FA Youth Cup semi-finalist with Blackpool in 2018.

Linnets must have believed they had done enough to have gone into the break ahead.

But instead Trafford, who had been unbeaten in six home games since Boxing Day, cancelled out an early Runcorn lead opened by Noah Roberts with his first senior goal.

On the cusp of his 17th birthday later this month, the former Marine winger lashed home a right-wing cross from Joe Ferguson with 12 minutes gone to quickly justify his inclusion from the start.

Further enterprise almost brought the youngster a second goal but his shot whistled wide of the right post.

Soon after, Trafford were level. They had been keen to get the ball wide on the left for strong-running Isaac Modi to test Joe Ferguson but the highly-rated Runcorn full back was unsurprisingly equal to the challenge.

In the 32nd minute, however, Modi fended off the close attentions of Linnets central defender and skipper Jacques Welsh to provide a fine cross, which was glanced home first time by Bile Ahmed.

Runcorn might have restored their advantage soon after the interval when Ryan Brooke nicked the ball away from home 'keeper Charlie Brier.

But the striker's indecision allowed Brier to dive at his feet, reclaiming possession.

Trafford came more into the contest as it wore on, threatening mostly from the right through the probing runs of Kyle Worsley.

He was foiled when by a last-gasp block in front of goal by Peter Wylie and then the thickness of the left upright before Ferguson gratefully booted clear.

Four out of eight previous contests between the clubs at Shawe View Stadium in Flixtoh had ended in draws and this seemed destined to be another until McGee's mercurial matchwinner.

Trafford were reduced to ten men deep into stoppage time on the dismissal of Jack Sloan for two yellow cards within seconds of each other.

Runcorn Linnets: Yusuf Mersin. Joe Ferguson, Matty Rain (Naim Arsan, 76 mins), Jacques Welsh, Peter Wylie, Markell Foulds (Isaac Graham, 55 mins), Noah Roberts (Brendan O'Brien, 68 mins, Steve Irwin, Ryan Brooke (Lewis Crane, 76 mins), Sean Miller (Harry McGee, 76 mins), James Steele.

Attendance: 542.