Linnets out to settle score after last season's mauling in Bears den

MATCH PREVIEW

Pitching In Northern Premier League West Division

Tuesday, November 4th 2025 (ko 7.45pm)

Cleric Stadium, Ivy Gardens, off Crescent Road, Congleton CW12 4GA

Past meetings

We have played just one Northern Premier League game at Congleton Town - and last season's 6-0 mauling is a result we would rather forget.

But their ground has been a regular destination for Runcorn Linnets.

There was, however, a gap of seven years (and a month) between our last two league visits because we were playing at different levels.

Our first trip to Congleton was in our inaugural season of 2006-07 for a Mid Cheshire Senior Cup tie which saw us beaten 3-2 after extra-time.

In the first month of the following campaign, we returned for our first league visit, after winning promotion to the NWCL's top-flight. The game ended 3-3.

The crowds for those fixtures were 135 and 182, and it's a measure of how far both clubs have since progressed that the attendance for our West Division away fixture in 2024-25 was 855.

Linnets finished the game, in April this year, with nine men after the dismissals of Harvey Washington and Jay Lee.

We will certainly be looking to respond to what remains our heaviest defeat under Brad Cooke.

Our 12 League meetings at Congleton, 11 of them in the Counties, have brought three wins, four draws and five defeats - our biggest victory being by a 4-0 margin in 2013-14.

Congleton scored two first-half own goals, the first in the opening minute, with Mark Houghton [pictured above), now second on our all-time goalscoring list after finally being overtaken in March by Ryan Brooke, and Linnets record appearance maker Matt Atherton completing the victory after the restart.

Linnets have incidentally won two of the four away meetings in knockout competitions, triumphing 2-1 in the 1st Round Qualifying of the FA Vase in 2011-12 and 1-0 in the Cheshire Senior Cup in 2017-18.

Congleton's 2-1 CSC defeat of Linnets in their title-winning Midlands League season of 2023-24 was the first of two successive home wins against us - the first time this has happened.

Form guide

A fantastic first season at Step 4 in 2024-25 took Congleton to the brink of a second successive promotion.

A third-placed finish saw the Bears into the play-offs, where they defeated Chasetown on penalties in the semis - only to lose the final at runners-up Hednesford Town 2-0.

This time around, it has been a comparative struggle for the Bears, who find themselves in 18th place on 15 points from 16 league outings.

However, on Saturday they earned their best victory of the season so far by defeating visitors Wythennshawe Town 4-0

Of their six previous home games, Congleton had won two, drawn three and lost one.

After sharing the spoils against Mozsley 2-2 and Bury 0-0, they defeated Witton Albion 2-1 and Darlaston Town 1-0 before losing 2-0 to Avro and drawing 3-3 with Vauxhall Motors.

Linnets gave our best away performance of the NPL campaign last time out in overcoming Avro 2-1.

It was only our second league victory on the road but the 1-0 defeat at Bury remains the sole loss on our travels in all competitions this season. We have scored six wins from 10 aways.

Team news

Both teams have been affected by injuries to their strikers. Congleton's Play-off final defeat at Hednesford was doubly disappointing as star frontman Max McCarthy sustained a serious ankle injury.

He has not long returned to action but already been among the goals.

Linnets are well aware of the danger posed by the centre forward, who has netted five goals against us on our last two visits, including an NPL West hat-trick in the spring.

Eden Gumbs and Ryan Brooke have achieved Linnets landmarks in the last week by making their 100th and 150th starts, tespectively. Peter Wylie is now only two short of 200.

Dec McLoughlin (above) got half an hour under his belt on his comeback from injury in Saturday's 4-1 defeat of Darlaston Town at APEC Taxis Stadium.

Linnets defender Harvey Washington played twice for Congleton in their championship-winning campaign of 2023-24 while Town's Kieran Knapper appeared16 times for Runcorn in the second half of the same season.

Match commentary

There is no Bucket Hat coverage of tonight's fixture but Moorlands Radio are providing a full online commentary.

How to get there

By car - Travelling south on the M6, leave at J17 (A534) and follow signs to Congleton. Head towards the town centre and from the roundabout at the Fire Station, follow football signs to the ground.

By train - there is a service to Congleton from the mainline Runcorn Railway Station but it involves changes en route. You can plan your journey here

Look here to see how to get from the station to the football club.

Admission

Adults: £10

Concessions (Over 65s): £7

Under 16s: £3

Under 10s: Free.

Thanks to our fans for all your support!