Paper & fruit = £1-35
Train ticket = £11-80
Toilet stop = 20p
Entry = £5
Tea = £1
Rolls = £3
Total = £22-35
Runcorn Halton Linnets were the first team where I officially groundhopped - way back in Autumn 2004. It's been a long and eventful decade and today I was back to see the reformed club. The ground was accessible from Runcorn East, which is on the Arriva train service from Manchester to Llandudno. The town is surprisingly large, and as I wandered through various nondescript housing estates, I realised I was some distance from the Millennium Bridge across to Spike island and Widnes.
The home side were chasing the NWCFL Premier title, locked in a two-way fight with Glossop. They started with real intent, with 9 a threat and 8 hooking a volley over from the edge of the D. 9 headed over a great chance from a corner on 15 minutes, then stung the keepers hands with a snap shot outside the area. On 22 minutes the home keeper turned a terrific shot onto the crossbar, when a3 headed off the line it seemed like this was one way traffic. For the last 15 minutes of the half, Ashton threatened to score, with 2 missing after a calamitous mixup at the Runcorn back line, then 3 fired onto the crossbar after a shot from 9 was saved.
It looked like the Cheshire side would walk the second half but they came out looking slightly lethargic. Ashton its fair to say looked well up for it. A8 sent an early warning shot when his effort drifted wide, before he made it 1-0 with a right footed effort inside the box. To compound things for the home side, they then had 9 booked, with Ashton's 10 curling just wide. The same player made it 2-0 when he latched on to a through ball and planted it in (the keeper got a hand to it but couldn't stop it). Ashton's 8 was a terrier in the midfield, and they really began to dominate proceedings in the centre of the park. To their absolute delight, 10 then made it 3-0 when he poked in after a nudge on. There were complaints of it being offside but this was not the case.
By now Runcorn players and fans alike were barracking the referee, and their burly central defender 5 was shown a yellow when he answered back again. His protesting came to nothing and he was firmly put in his place when a fan shouted 'shut up, you've been at it all game'. The game threatened to spill over, and 3 toppled the Ashton 10 with a wild tackle, receiving a yellow card in the process. So 3-0 to Ashton, and this game may well have put the kibosh on Runcorn's title ambitions. I hope to be back in these parts to visit Runcorn Town's Murdishaw Lane in 2015-16.
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