Linnets come across the Highwaymen again on the road to Wembley
- dbettley
- Oct 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 7
Runcorn Linnets v Morpeth Town
Isuzu FA Trophy Third Round Qualifying
Tuesday, October 7th 2025 ko 7,45pm
APEC Taxis Stadium, Stockham Lane, Murdishaw, Runcorn, WA7 6JG.
History trail
Runcorn Linnets' only previous meeting with Morpeth Town was in the FA Trophy and they make a return visit for a Third Round Qualifying tie.
The Highwaymen first travelled to meet us in the First Round Proper of 2020-21 on the back of a 3-1 home triumph in the Preliminary Round.
They won here too, 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, subsequently walking over against Northumberland neighbours Blyth Spartans before exiting in the Third Round 3-0 at home to Notts County, then of National League Premier.
The following season (2021-22), Morpeth scored five wins in the competition on a club-best run before losing 3-2 in the Fifth Round at another Step One side, York City. Three of those victories were secured by shoot-outs.
However, the last three seasons have seen Morpeth fall at the first hurdle against Lancaster City, FC United of Manchester and Workington, all fellow NPL Premier Division outfits, in the Third Round Qualifying.
The Highwaymen have played at Step 3 since 2019-20, although their first two seasons were abandoned due to Covid. Four completed campaigns have seen finishes of 10th, 17th, 13th and eighth.
This season has proved a struggle. Morpeth lie bottom of the table with five points from nine games. Their only victory so far was 1-0 at home to newly-promoted Hednesford Town, the big-spending NPL West Plsy-off winners.
They have drawn 0-0 at FC United of Manchester and at home to Hebburn Town.
The latest of six league defeats came at Prescot Cables but four of these have been by just a single goal and the other couple by only two.
In the FA Cup, the Highwaymen overcame our fellow Step 4 sides Pontefract Collieries of NPL East and Witton Albion in the first two qualifying rounds - both victories by 2-1 margins - before losing in the third to visiting Southport from National League North, 3-1.
This is Morpeth's first match in this season's FA Trophy due to exemptions while we have already progressed through two rounds, against Garforth Town and Bury.
Studying FA Trophy form can be confusing with restyling of the early rounds.
But we have twice negotiated four rounds in past seasons - to reach Third Round Qualifying in 2019-20 and make the Second Round Proper in 2022-23.
But in the last two seasons, we have been knocked out on entry in First Round Qualifying.
Into the record books
Saturday's 7-0 victory at home to Bury in the previous round of the FA Trophy is a new club record score for the competition.
Our previous best win had been by 5-1 at home to Tadcaster Albion in a Second Round Qualifying tie of 2021-22.
We have won seven games in our history across all competitions by scoring seven and have bettered that goal tally on another three occasions.
The win against the Shakers was our biggest yet under Brad Cooke, the previous best being 6-1 success against 1874 Northwich in the Cheshire Senior Cup at APEC Taxis Stadium on February 11th this year.
The weekend's victory is our largest since the Liverpool Senior Cup defeat of Runcorn Town by the same 7-0 margin on October 31st 2023.
We have enjoyed four victories by this scoreline in all, the others being against West Didsbury & Chorlton in the NWCL Premier Division (November 4th 2017) and Kendal Town in NPL West (February 8th 2022).
Three other seven-goal salvos have each been offset by a single opposition strike.
4th Jan 2014 - Runcorn Linnets 7 Abbey Hey 1 (NWCL Premier Division)
14th Nov 2015 - Runcorn Linnets 7 Bootle 1 (NWCL Premier Division)
2nd Nov 2021 - Runcorn Linnets 7 Cheadle Town 1 (Cheshire Senior Cup
We have scored eight goals a game three times:
October 4th 2014 - Stockport Sports 2 Runcorn Linnets 8 (NWCL Premier Division)
October 15th 2011 - Stone Dominoes 5 Runcorn Linnets 8 (NWCL Premier Division
April 29th 2017 - Runcorn Linnets 8 AFC Darwen 0 (NWCL Premier Division).
Our biggest ever victories in both league and cup were, however, achieved in our first season (2006-07)
12th Oct 2006 - Runcorn Linnets 10 (TEN) Witton Albion Reserves 2 (Mid Cheshire Senior Cup), Linnets having been drawn as the hosts at Wincham Park.
2nd Dec 2006 - Castleton Gabriels 1 Runcorn Linnets 9 (NWCL Division One, now Division Two).
Player facts and figures
Lewis Doyle captained Linnets in the weekend's game on his 150th Runcorn start.
Naim Arsan, making his 50th appearance, took his Linnets career goals total to 11 with his fourth penalty (above).
Lewis Crane's hat-trick against Bury increased his first-team goals account four fold.
His only previous senior goal for the club was a last-gasp winner in the 3-2 NPL West victory at Chasetown on February 22nd this year.
Billy McNay became the 454th player to represent Runcorn Linnets at first-team level with his inclusion against the Shakers.
His full-back partner Ben Dobbie had been the 402nd, although this was Ben's first appearance since his April 4th 2023 debut - as a sub in a 4-0 Cheshire Senior Cup defeat by visiting Altrincham.
The selection of of the Under 21s duo means Brad Cooke has employed 24 players in the first 14 matches of this season.
Two other U21s players, Alex Ellams and midfielder Sam Stephens have made the bench without taking to the field.
Scott Bakkor's late withdrawal on Saturday means that no Runcorn player has started every game in 2025-26 and Matty Rain (11+3 sub) is the only one with a 100% appearance record.
Penalties are a possibility
The match will be played to a finish. If scores are level at 90 minutes, it will go straight to penalties without extra-time as happened in our First Round Qualifying game against Garforth Town.
Victory is worth £2,540 (there is £625 for the losers) and a place in the First Round proper on Saturday, October 25th, away to Bradford (Park Avenue).
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
Concession (Over 65s) - £8
Juniors (18 and under) - £2
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