Post by hatter_in_macc on Feb 17, 2015 10:48:42 GMT
Morning, all.
Here - and shortly appearing on COWS - is my account of last night's match. Poor half-term planning - not to mention Bratfud's change in midweek-nights of choice from Mondays to Wednesdays! - means, sadly, that I cannot make it to The Avenue tomorrow. But you will be in good hands, as nlr takes over the Twitter controls and match-reporting duties for the evening!
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RUNCORN TOWN v COUNTY (CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP, 3RD ROUND): MATCH REPORT (16/02/2015)
By Hatter in Macc
Clinical County Go To Town Again - And Into The Last Four
BBC Sport may have decided to spend the evening broadcasting an FA Cup-tie forty miles up the road in Lancashire, but the eyes of Cheshire last night were on a small, green footballing haven nestled between the Weston Point Expressway and a line of chemical plants.
For there, at Pavilions, lay in wait the Hatters’ opponents in the last eight of the Senior Cup, after the competition had dealt the Club a third successive away-trek across the ancient County Palatine of Chester. The hosts at Runcorn also completed for County a hat-trick of those in the current season’s tournament whose name carried the ‘Town’ suffix, as the Hatters looked to follow up victories in the earlier rounds against Warrington and Alsager.
With a Conference North League trip to Bradford Park Avenue scheduled to take place two days later, Alan Lord opted for a starting line-up that blended players from the Development Squad and senior members set to benefit from additional match-time. Jack Ryan, having recently had his loan-spell secured until the end of the season, was named to start - while County’s other, similarly-extended loanee, Greg Wilkinson, was included among the substitutes, following his completion of a three-game ban. Scott Spencer and Matthew Todd were both recalled from injury for their first starts since early January - and the left back, Scott Hughes, together with centre half, Elliot Dickson, were handed their First Team debuts, as part of a very youthful defensive four which also featured Todd and Connor Hancock.
Dickson’s inclusion caused a brief, extra flurry of chatter when the official team-sheet showed the word ‘Captain’ against his name - although it was Richie Baker who sported the Skipper’s armband as County, all in white, took to the field.
With a potent-looking attack of Ryan, Spencer and the begloved Chris Sharp, it was perhaps no surprise that County made some early running up front. Twice in quick succession, Ryan broke through into the Runcorn area - only to see his shot saved on each occasion by Hayden Buckley-Smith.
Mark Keddie then caused pulses - and that of Ian Ormson, in particular - to race, as he launched a long punt from just inside the County half. What had started off as speculative almost became spectacular when the effort grazed the Hatters’ post - before, thankfully, ending up behind, rather than in, the goal.
County, within minutes, took full advantage of this near-miss to go ahead themselves - and in some style, too. Sharp, having earlier blasted an attempt out of the ground and into the car-parking area, picked up the ball on the left before cutting in and unleashing a bullet of a shot from twenty-five yards.
The Hatters looked to increase their lead, with Spencer assuming the role of potential provider on two occasions. First, out on the left flank, he lofted the ball to Baker, whose subsequent thunderbolt was tipped over by Buckley-Smith. Spencer’s later, lower cross from the right was well delivered across the face of goal, but lacked a finishing touch from those gathered in the area to apply one.
The home Captain, Paul Shanley, took it upon himself to lead the Runcorn resistance. Latching onto a well-measured Keddie pass, he shot from the edge of the box - albeit straight at Ormson. And, moments later, it took an excellent tackle by Todd to dispossess the Skipper as he ran through on goal.
County, however, ended the half as the stronger team up front, as shots from Spencer and Charlie Russell flew, respectively, high and wide. Ryan, having been played through by Baker, then came closest of all - drilling a low shot that hit the post, before rebounding along (but, alas, not over) the goal-line.
HALF-TIME: Runcorn 0, County 1 (Sharp, 12).
The Hatters, on returning after the break, continued where they had left off in attack. Another Russell effort cleared the bar, while Wilkinson, on as a half-time replacement for Ryan, saw a low drive take a deflection but without deceiving Buckley-Smith.
With an hour gone, County, for all their domination, retained but a slender lead. Within a fifteen-minute spell that was to follow, however, it quadrupled - courtesy of three clinical finishes.
The first of these followed a corner that had been awarded to the Hatters after a Gaz Grant header had very nearly ‘done a Dowie’ - rattling his own crossbar, before going behind the goal. The resulting kick was met at the far post by Spencer, who fired into the roof of the net to double County’s advantage.
Buckley-Smith, in the home goal, had been playing bravely in his attempts to keep the County attack at bay - and had little chance of getting close to the ball on either of the occasions when the Hatters scored. The third goal, though, is one that he will wish to forget - flowing as it did from his own poor clearance to Wilkinson, who, spotting Buckley-Smith off his line, executed a delightful chip into the empty net.
County’s fourth arrived after a shot from Spencer was parried at point-blank range by Buckley-Smith - but only as far as Sharp, who, to the left of goal, made no mistake in following up to blast home.
For a short while, it seemed as if County would add to the tally further: Buckley-Smith had to be at full stretch to tip a Wilkinson shot around the post; Runcorn defenders cleared the ball from their line twice, as it played pinball in the home area; and the hosts again had Buckley-Smith to thank when he saved a Sharp header, and then a low shot by the same player from the edge of the box.
In the event, though, Runcorn were to have the last word - grabbing a consolation, which, by way of a Grant shot from twenty yards into the left-hand corner of goal, matched the quality of finishing shown by County earlier.
As the match neared its end, a brief downpour arrived from above. But there was to be no raining on County’s parade, as the Hatters saw out proceedings to book their Semi-Final place.
And, with that, it was time to ride out, victorious, of (another) ‘Town’. You can bet that both Congleton and Macclesfield, if successful in their own Third Round endeavours, will be hoping to avoid us in the last four!
FULL-TIME: Runcorn 1 (Grant, 86), County 4 (Sharp, 12 and 77; Spencer, 62; Wilkinson, 67).
Team: Ormson, Todd, Hughes, Russell (Noblett, 70), Hancock, Dickson, Baker (Churchman, 61), Lofthouse, Spencer, Ryan (Wilkinson, 46), Sharp.
Unused Sub: Powell.
Attendance: 103.
Here - and shortly appearing on COWS - is my account of last night's match. Poor half-term planning - not to mention Bratfud's change in midweek-nights of choice from Mondays to Wednesdays! - means, sadly, that I cannot make it to The Avenue tomorrow. But you will be in good hands, as nlr takes over the Twitter controls and match-reporting duties for the evening!
*****************************************************************************************************
RUNCORN TOWN v COUNTY (CHESHIRE SENIOR CUP, 3RD ROUND): MATCH REPORT (16/02/2015)
By Hatter in Macc
Clinical County Go To Town Again - And Into The Last Four
BBC Sport may have decided to spend the evening broadcasting an FA Cup-tie forty miles up the road in Lancashire, but the eyes of Cheshire last night were on a small, green footballing haven nestled between the Weston Point Expressway and a line of chemical plants.
For there, at Pavilions, lay in wait the Hatters’ opponents in the last eight of the Senior Cup, after the competition had dealt the Club a third successive away-trek across the ancient County Palatine of Chester. The hosts at Runcorn also completed for County a hat-trick of those in the current season’s tournament whose name carried the ‘Town’ suffix, as the Hatters looked to follow up victories in the earlier rounds against Warrington and Alsager.
With a Conference North League trip to Bradford Park Avenue scheduled to take place two days later, Alan Lord opted for a starting line-up that blended players from the Development Squad and senior members set to benefit from additional match-time. Jack Ryan, having recently had his loan-spell secured until the end of the season, was named to start - while County’s other, similarly-extended loanee, Greg Wilkinson, was included among the substitutes, following his completion of a three-game ban. Scott Spencer and Matthew Todd were both recalled from injury for their first starts since early January - and the left back, Scott Hughes, together with centre half, Elliot Dickson, were handed their First Team debuts, as part of a very youthful defensive four which also featured Todd and Connor Hancock.
Dickson’s inclusion caused a brief, extra flurry of chatter when the official team-sheet showed the word ‘Captain’ against his name - although it was Richie Baker who sported the Skipper’s armband as County, all in white, took to the field.
With a potent-looking attack of Ryan, Spencer and the begloved Chris Sharp, it was perhaps no surprise that County made some early running up front. Twice in quick succession, Ryan broke through into the Runcorn area - only to see his shot saved on each occasion by Hayden Buckley-Smith.
Mark Keddie then caused pulses - and that of Ian Ormson, in particular - to race, as he launched a long punt from just inside the County half. What had started off as speculative almost became spectacular when the effort grazed the Hatters’ post - before, thankfully, ending up behind, rather than in, the goal.
County, within minutes, took full advantage of this near-miss to go ahead themselves - and in some style, too. Sharp, having earlier blasted an attempt out of the ground and into the car-parking area, picked up the ball on the left before cutting in and unleashing a bullet of a shot from twenty-five yards.
The Hatters looked to increase their lead, with Spencer assuming the role of potential provider on two occasions. First, out on the left flank, he lofted the ball to Baker, whose subsequent thunderbolt was tipped over by Buckley-Smith. Spencer’s later, lower cross from the right was well delivered across the face of goal, but lacked a finishing touch from those gathered in the area to apply one.
The home Captain, Paul Shanley, took it upon himself to lead the Runcorn resistance. Latching onto a well-measured Keddie pass, he shot from the edge of the box - albeit straight at Ormson. And, moments later, it took an excellent tackle by Todd to dispossess the Skipper as he ran through on goal.
County, however, ended the half as the stronger team up front, as shots from Spencer and Charlie Russell flew, respectively, high and wide. Ryan, having been played through by Baker, then came closest of all - drilling a low shot that hit the post, before rebounding along (but, alas, not over) the goal-line.
HALF-TIME: Runcorn 0, County 1 (Sharp, 12).
The Hatters, on returning after the break, continued where they had left off in attack. Another Russell effort cleared the bar, while Wilkinson, on as a half-time replacement for Ryan, saw a low drive take a deflection but without deceiving Buckley-Smith.
With an hour gone, County, for all their domination, retained but a slender lead. Within a fifteen-minute spell that was to follow, however, it quadrupled - courtesy of three clinical finishes.
The first of these followed a corner that had been awarded to the Hatters after a Gaz Grant header had very nearly ‘done a Dowie’ - rattling his own crossbar, before going behind the goal. The resulting kick was met at the far post by Spencer, who fired into the roof of the net to double County’s advantage.
Buckley-Smith, in the home goal, had been playing bravely in his attempts to keep the County attack at bay - and had little chance of getting close to the ball on either of the occasions when the Hatters scored. The third goal, though, is one that he will wish to forget - flowing as it did from his own poor clearance to Wilkinson, who, spotting Buckley-Smith off his line, executed a delightful chip into the empty net.
County’s fourth arrived after a shot from Spencer was parried at point-blank range by Buckley-Smith - but only as far as Sharp, who, to the left of goal, made no mistake in following up to blast home.
For a short while, it seemed as if County would add to the tally further: Buckley-Smith had to be at full stretch to tip a Wilkinson shot around the post; Runcorn defenders cleared the ball from their line twice, as it played pinball in the home area; and the hosts again had Buckley-Smith to thank when he saved a Sharp header, and then a low shot by the same player from the edge of the box.
In the event, though, Runcorn were to have the last word - grabbing a consolation, which, by way of a Grant shot from twenty yards into the left-hand corner of goal, matched the quality of finishing shown by County earlier.
As the match neared its end, a brief downpour arrived from above. But there was to be no raining on County’s parade, as the Hatters saw out proceedings to book their Semi-Final place.
And, with that, it was time to ride out, victorious, of (another) ‘Town’. You can bet that both Congleton and Macclesfield, if successful in their own Third Round endeavours, will be hoping to avoid us in the last four!
FULL-TIME: Runcorn 1 (Grant, 86), County 4 (Sharp, 12 and 77; Spencer, 62; Wilkinson, 67).
Team: Ormson, Todd, Hughes, Russell (Noblett, 70), Hancock, Dickson, Baker (Churchman, 61), Lofthouse, Spencer, Ryan (Wilkinson, 46), Sharp.
Unused Sub: Powell.
Attendance: 103.
