Linnets' play-off challenge is finally ended in defeat to Clitheroe

Runcorn Linnets 0 Clitheroe 3

Report by Dave Bettley

The route to goal is blocked for Reece Daly (top picture). Bottom from left, there's no joy either for Jacques Welsh on his 24th birthday; full back Joe Ferguson loses out in aerial combat; Lewis Doyle brings the ball under control. Pictures by Neil Thornton.

Runcorn suffered their first defeat of the Brad Cooke era - a ralĺying run of 12 undefeated games, ten of them under the new manager, grinding to a halt.

Naim Arsan takes the outside route to get in another cross (top). Bottom left: Adam Moseley finds himself in a tight spot; bottom right: Brad Cooke is left to reflect on a first loss as Runcorn manager after going 10 games unbeaten. Pictures by Ben Jackson.

Linnets' extended long-shot bid for promotion from Pitching In Northern Premier League West is over bar the shouting with hopes of play-off participation for a fourth successive season fading into the distance.

Chasetown's 3-0 home victory over relegation-threatened Wythenshawe took them nine points clear of the Yellow & Greens in the fifth and final qualification spot.

Goal difference means Runcorn would need to take full points from their last four games and Chasetown none, without even considering the returns of the other outside contenders.

Linnets' forthcoming Cheshire Senior Cup final opponents Stalybridge Celtic and next Saturday's APEC Taxis Stadium visitors Avro will continue the fight to the Scholars.

But the make-up of the top five looks pretty clear.

Clitheroe posted another convincing win over Runcorn, after their 4-1 November rout at Shawbridge.

It took the tenth-placed team to within two points of Linnets, in eighth.

Both have underperformed over the season but found welcome improvement through a managerial change.

Cooke will probably have learned more from this game than any.

It wasn't one-sided but the influence of Runcorn kingpin striker Ryan Brooke was again felt, this time from off the pitch.

The 14-goal top scorer was nursing a sore knee and although named as a substitute never likely to be introduced.

In his absence, Linnets lacked presence and aerial power in the opposition box - a pre-requisite for a team, which thrives on getting in crosses.

It was business as usual in that regard with deliveries from both sides but the finish was missing.

The most taxing job for Clitheroe's 'keeper Liam Isherwood was to pluck the ball from the air, be it in open play or from set-pieces.

If he had a save of any description to make, it was hard to recall.

Runcorn's Bayleigh Passant didn't make many, if any, either.

But he twice had to retrieve the ball from his net after Lancastrian breakaways before being beaten by a superb free-kick.

Runcorn might have scored inside two minutes when a long ball from Peter Wylie found stand-in centre forward Adam Moseley.

Normally a wide player or No.10, Moseley did well to hold off Clitheroe central defender Jack McEvilly in the right of the visiting area.

But he opted for a near-post shot, when a strike across goal would have been the better option, and fired into the side netting.

In contrast to Runcorn's use of the flanks, the away side attacked mostly through the middle, working good positions to release runners.

Helped at times by Runcorn's midfield and defence going missing in an alarming loss of shape, they might have profited from the tactic before taking the lead in the 29th minute.

Leon Creech ran at an again exposed Runcorn rearguard to pass the ball to his left for Danny Wilkins to bury an effort under the Runcorn 'keeper.

Linnets had pieced together some good moves and Arsan controlled a long ball by on-loan Reece Daly.

The left winger's almost immediate cross was laid off by Moseley for Luke Wall, whose shot went agonisingly wide of the right post.

The second half brought much of the same with Clitheroe continuing to trouble Runcorn on the counter attack.

Arsan lost possession after a lengthy run had taken him midway inside the visiting half as Runcorn attacked the Clubhouse End.

Clitheroe wasted no time in breaching Runcorn's back line with Creech again going clear, needing no assistance this time as the lead was doubled in the 56th minute.

Linnets had fought back from a similar position to beat Stalybridge two weeks earlier, but on this occasion there was no great response - despite changes in personnel and formation.

Runcorn switched to a three-man defence with Clitheroe boss Sean McConville soon going like for like.

Former Accrington Stanley stalwart McConville, in charge of the Blues since December, was serving a touchline ban but saw little to concern him from his lofty perch on the media gantry.

Moseley put a rare Runcorn shot on target but it diverted off the head of McEvilly before reaching 'keeper Isherwood.

A stunning free-kick from substitute Jordan Windass past the flailing arms of Passant and into the top left corner put Linnets out of their misery in the 83rd minute.

Cooke's men are now reliant on knockout football for end-of-season success.

One County final already awaits them and Linnets would make it two with victory in their Liverpool Senior Cup semi at Lower Breck this Thursday.

The Anfield side have broken the 100-points barrier in a remarkable North West Counties League Premier Division campaign.

They trail leaders Bury by three points with two games to play.

Linnets will need to do better defensively and offensively to have a chance of progressing.

The winners will face Everton Under 21s.

Runcorn Linnets: Bayleigh Passant, Peter Wylie, Eden Gumbs (Harvey Washington, 88 mins), Lewis Doyle (Jorge Dwyer, 78 mins), Joe Ferguson, Callum Grogan (Lewis Crane, 61 mins), Luke Wall, Jacques Welsh, Adam Moseley, Reece Daly, Naim Arsan (Jay Lee, 89 mins). Sub (not used): Ryan Brooke.

Attendance: 544.

APEC Taxis Stadium fell silent before kick-off in memory of Graham Foxall, who died at the end of March aged 69. Football secretary, a director and headgroundsman at Trafford FC, 'Foxy' was extremely popular and well respected on the Northern Premier League scene. He had mjssed just two games played by his club in 30 years. Picture by Jeff Jago.