Welsh's Linnets take care of 1874 Northwich in style
Runcorn Linnets 4 1874 Northwich 0
Report by Dave Bettley
LINNETS crowned their most successful week of the campaign with an emphatic victory to make it seven points from nine under captain and caretaker boss Jacques Welsh.
They dismantled neighbours 1874 Northwich with a season's best winning margin after a display full of freedom and desire.
1874 had never beaten Linnets at APEC Taxis Stadium. If that statistic was of concern to home fans before kick-off, knowing it has to end some time, they needn't have worried.
The visitors' winless run across all competitions was extended to 16 matches, Northwich's only league success to date having come on August 15th - in their second game back in Northern Premier League West.
Second-half heroics from goakeeper Max Beddow denied Runcorn an even bigger win as they hit four for the first time since the opening day.
The challenge for the hosts on taking a deserved 33rd-minute lead was to keep a clean sheet, having done so only once.
With Jack Byrne and Kian Bell solid in central defence, this was comfortably achieved - although importantly, if probably not crucially, Calvin Hare made a rare save just before Linnets began to underline their all-round superiority by doubling the lead.
With Welsh seeing his 100% appearance record ended by a one-match suspension - the interim boss having been the only outfield player to have started in all 17 Runcorn fixtures thus far - Peter Wylie's return from injury was timely.
The vice-captain slotted into Welsh's holding midfield role while Fin Ryan was restored at left back after his midweek substitution in a tactical move after Linnets had been reduced to 10 men in the victory over Hanley Town.
Unluckily, the Linnets Under 21s player's second NPL appearance was also curtailed as he was unable to run off a knock in the first half
Runcorn's triumph came at a further cost, right back Ollie Southern also going off injured within 10 minutes of the second.
Linnets eased themselves into this derby contest, bossing from the outset.
The clear plan was to get the ball to Noah Roberts as often as possible. They found him regularly,
The 17-year-old, rediscovering last season's form, tormented the '74 defence with penetrative runs down Runcorn's left earning a series of corners as Linnets ramped up the pressure.
Midfielder Harry McGee got his head to one of them by Southern yet flashed the near-post effort across goal.
Another corner from thevsame source found Byrne just beyond the far stick but the recently-signed centre back's header was wide of the mark.
Runcorn's attacking told 12 minutes from the break.
Buckley, Ryan and Day had all been feeding Roberts and as Nick Rushton this time swept the ball out to him, the young winger delivered another cross which was blocked but fell nicely to Connor Day.
On only his second Linnets start, Day gathered the ball in before firing safely into the right corner.
'74 had done little to suggest they could make a game of it from there.
But Runcorn had a fright in the final seconds of the half.
Sam Mann, newly recruited on loan from Tranmere Rovers, broke free on the right of the box but scooped a shot just over the bar.
Mann, a scorer for his parent club kast season in Runcorn's 7-2 Liverpool Senior Cup quarter-final victory at Prenton Park, continued to look the likeliest for an otherwise toothless Northwich side.
However, Hare stood tall to charge down Mann's 54th-minute shot, from the same side of goal at the other end.
Four minutes later, Runcorn got the second, which recent history suggested they would need.
Roberts again made headway on the left, Buckley determinedly getting in front of his marker at his near post to power home the teenager's cross.
Having set up both Runcorn goals, man-of-the-match Roberts wanted one of his own.
He headed into the side netting, after Buckley and Day had done the approach work, before forcing a full-length save from Beddow from 23 yards.
Harry Gerrard, cousin once removed of Steven, had come on for his debut, replacing Southern 10 minutes after half-time, to quickly demonstrate his passing skills in open play and then from corners.
Oscar Wright, his temporary move from Morecambe having been extended, met Preston North End loanee Gerrard's flagkick from the left with a header, which was tipped over spectacularly by the 1874 'keeper.
But the 17-year-old's dangerous corners kept coming.
Beddow and his defence were unable to cope with the next, another ideal delivery from Gerrard.
Central defender Kian Bell rose high in the 71st minute to head the first goal of his burgeoning Linnets career.
He soon had chance of a second but this time headed over the bar as Gerrard continued to show the quality of his left-foot set-pieces.
A belated triple substitution by the visitors saw the 78th-minute introductions of one former Linnets player, Kevin Spinelli and, unusually, a current one.
Ben Crane has been with 1874 Northwich all season but still plays on Sundays for Linnets Under 21s.
A young, injury-hit Runcorn side were by now playing with a swagger, however.
The experienced Buckley took full advantage with his second goal, a third in two games.
He held off defenders on the left of the area before sending a right-foot shot looping into the far corner.
Seeking a maiden Linnets hat-trick, the bustling centre forward cleared the bar with another effort and then forced a further save from Beddow, who was relieved to see Buckley steer the rebound wide with little to aim at.
Runcorn's cherished and overdue first home shutout was confirmed as Niall Osborne narrowly missed for '74 with a speculative strike from distance in the dying seconds.
Successive victories for the first time in 2026-27 will leave Runcorn in good heart for next Saturday's challenging NPL West trip to Stafford Rangers, whose remodelled line-up includes Limnets' reigning Player of the Year Harvey Washington and their 23-goal top scorer from last season Scott Bakkor.
Runcorn Linnets: Calvin Hare, Ollie Southern (Harry Gerrard, 55 mins), Fin Ryan (Lewis Bell, 40 mins), Peter Wylie, Kian Bell, Jack Byrne, Harry McGee (Oscar Wright, 68 mins), Connor Day (Frank Denison, 75 mins), Lewis Buckley, Nick Rushton (Tom Peterson, 72 mins), Noah Roberts.
Attendance: 745.
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