Visit of the Citizens kicks off a hectic November for Linnets
- dbettley
- Oct 31
- 4 min read
Runcorn Linnets v Darlaston Town
Pitching In Northern Premier League West Division
Saturday, November 1st (ko 3pm)
APEC Taxis Sadium, Stockham Lane, Murdishaw, Runcorn, WA7 6GJ
After completing our first away victory in the league win since the opening day of the League campaign at Avro in midweek, the immediate priority now for Linnets is to put defeat in the last two Saturday home games behind us.
This is the first of nine games in a busy November for Brad Cooke's men, who have no fewer than eight league matches scheduled in a month, which will also see the start of our Cheshire Senior Cup defence.
A third successive new visitor to APEC Taxis Stadium for a Pitching In Northern Premier
League West Division match, following our games against Snifnal Town and Sporting Khalsa, Saturday's opponents have been playing as Darlaston Town since 1996.
A change of name from Darlaston FC reclaimed the identity of the original town club, founded in 1874.
The club then folded in 2013 due to financial issue but reformed as a phoenix club the following year, initially being known as Darlaston Town (1874) before reverting to the title of Darlaston Town in 2023.
However, its youth and junior teams continued under the 1874 banner.
Darlaston is an idustrial town in the metropolitan borough of Walsall in the West Midlands.
Historically, however, it was in Staffordshire and two knots on the club crest pay homage to its traditional home county.
Nicknamed the Citizens, Darlaston Town spent 24 seasons from 1996 in the West Midlands League, moving up and down between divisions.
But its Premier League was stripped of Step 6 status after the second abandoned Covid season of 2020-21.
Transferred to the Midlands League Divison One for 2021-22 as part of a major non-league shake-up, Darlaston Town secured promotion to the Premier Division at the first attempt as runners-up.
Finishing fourth in 2022-23, they went one better the following sseason and on the back of claiming third spot, defeated Lichfield City in the Play-off Final to secure a place in the NPL.
The Citizens clinched seventh place in the Midlands Division last season but were reallocated to the West in the summer.
Form guide
Darlaston Town have so far picked up eight points from a possible 21 on their NPL West travels.
They got off to a flying starr at Trafford, courtesy of a Harry Chesterton brace in their first away game of the league season, winning 2-1.
The Citizens made it two consecutive victories on the road by defeating Witton Albion 2-0 but they are without a win from their last five trips.
In the context of the campaign, however, their 1-1 draw at Lower Breck is no mean feat.
Saturday's visitors also shared two goals on their visit to Shifnal but lost 6-0 at Stalybridge Celtic, by the only goal at Congleton Town and most, recently, 2-0 at Newcastle Town.
Their away record is in fact better than their form at home, where they have accrued only four points from seven outings.
This has left them 21st in the table on 12 points from 14 games and with a goal difference of minus 12.
Team news
Eden Gumbs (above) is one short of 100 first- team career starts for Linnets after his seventh of the season in midweek. He has made 162 appearances for us in all.
Eden's value to the team was again underlined as the Runcorn utility man filled three different positions over 90 minutes of football.
He started at left wing back and, after substitutions in the second half, tucked in on the left of midfield before moving inside to a more central role.
Ryan Brooke enjoyed his 150th start for the club, scoring our second goal just before half-time at Avro.
Eleven-goal top scorer Scott Bakkor, who has featured in only one of the last eight matches, is getting ever closer to a return from his hamstring problem.
Dec McLoughlin, having now missed the last seven games since his early withdrawal from the 7-0 FA Trophy defeat of Bury with a foot injury, had a rigorous pre-match workout at Avro.
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).
Car 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
(£2 discount for Halton Leisure Card holders)
Concession (Over 65s) - £8
Juniors (18 and under) - £2
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