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Home > 2009-10 Season > Match Reports > Runcorn Linnets (29.08.09)

MATCH REPORT

Bamber Bridge 6 Runcorn Linnets 0

Football Association Challenge Cup, Preliminary Round

at QED Stadium, Irongate

Saturday 29th August 2009

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge moved through to the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup thanks to this win over gallant North West Counties League side Runcorn Linnets. A hat-trick apiece from both striker Phil Eastwood and midfielder Ryan-Zico Black, ensured a comfortable victory for the Lancashire side, who dominated proceedings throughout and will now go forward to meet Maine Road at Brantingham Road on the 12th September.

The South Ribble side were hoping that their current league form would spill over into the FA Cup, as they faced the challenge of the North West Counties League Premier Division outfit in the Preliminary Round. Brig remain undefeated in the First Division North this season after having conceded just one goal in their opening four games. Their Cheshire visitors, led by former Brigger Steve Wilkes, have also made a decent start to their league campaign and arrived at Irongate looking for a cup upset against their higher league hosts. They were on a high following a fine 4-1 home win in the Extra-Preliminary Round against Northern Counties East League side AFC Emley on the 15th August.

Brig boss Tony Greenwood made two changes and a slight reshuffle to the starting line-up from the game at Curzon Ashton during the week. Colin McAllister retuned to the defence with Chris Marlow moved to a midfield position in place of Craig Sargeson. Sean O’Neil made his first start of the season being preferred to Phil Denney at centre-forward. Both Denney and Sargeson were named amongst the substitutes. Also on the bench was Mathew Bell, a recent signing from Morecambe.

After a promising early flourish by the visitors they soon found themselves two goals down within the first 20 minutes. Brig came within a whisker of taking the lead when headers by both Eastwood and Colin McAllister went close, before Eastwood chested the ball down inside a packed penalty box on 11 minutes from a Chris Marlow cross and Black drilled the lay-off home from just inside the area, to put Brig in front. Six minutes later Linnets goalkeeper Robert Holcroft palmed aside an Eastwood cross and Black pounced to ram home his second strike from close in.

Things could so easily have got even worse for the beleaguered Cheshire side on 25 minutes when Marlow robbed a defender down the left flank and put in Eastwood, but the Brig striker uncharacteristically pulled his shot wide from a good position.

Early first-half Linnets substitute Tom Roscoe set up Robert Whyte with a neat through-ball two minutes later, as the visitors tried to get back into the game, but Whyte fired wide of goal.

The home side were carving out openings at will and Eastwood set up O’Neil just past the half-hour mark, but the tall Scotsman volleyed wide. However, Brig could not be kept out for long, and it was little surprise when they went further ahead on 33 minutes when Eastwood headed home from a fine cross by full-back James Heywood and then went on to grab a fourth two minutes later, when Eastwood side-footed home his second goal following a quickly taken free-kick by the quick-thinking Black.

Brig were now encamped in the Linnets half of the field for long periods as the visitors struggled to cope with the irrepressible Neil Reynolds, Ashley Dunn, Ryan-Zico Black and Chris Marlow in the home side’s ‘engine room‘. A free-kick by Brig skipper Phil Robinson was neatly knocked on by Dunn, and Eastwood almost claimed his hat-trick, but Runcorn goalkeeper Holcroft made a fine save.

To their credit the visitors battled on and Roscoe made a good run on 41 minutes before unleashing a decent effort which Brig goalkeeper Mike Hale did well to keep out with his feet.

McAllister had the ball in the Runcorn net on the stroke of half-time following a Black cross which Eastwood had knocked on, but the effort was ruled out for off-side.

The second period was to follow in much the same pattern as the first 45 minutes with Bamber Bridge calling all the shots. However, Linnets had a call for a penalty turned down by referee Mr Edwards just past the hour mark when substitute Sargeson was thought to have handled in the box.

To rub matters in, the home team were much more fortunate with their appeal a few minutes later, when they extended their lead on 66 minutes from the penalty-spot after Ashley Dunn was brought down by Linnets full-back Kyle Jacob. Eastwood comfortably dispatched the penalty kick to claim his hat-trick, the first by a Brig player since December 1st 2007 when Ryan Salmon achieved the feat against Chorley.

Following a worthy shot from distance for Linnets by Simon Myerscough on 72 minutes, which flew narrowly wide, Brig responded and a high Reynolds through-ball found the head of O’Neil, but Holcroft was alert to the danger and saved in spectacular fashion just under his crossbar.

Brig tenaciously poured forward in search of more plunder and Eastwood was desperately unlucky when his effort struck the crossbar with Holcroft denying Sargeson from the follow-up with a good reflex save.

Despite the deficit, Runcorn still attempted to play good football and Roscoe was again close with a shot from a tight angle on the left which Hale did well to block at the near post.

Bamber Bridge completed the rout with a sixth goal on 78 minutes when Black completed his hat-trick with arguably the best goal of the game, gliding his shot into the top far corner of the net from an Eastwood lay-off beyond Holcroft’s despairing reach.

Bamber Bridge: Mike Hale, James Heywood (Mathew Bell 49mins), Martin Moran, Colin McAllister, Phil Robinson (Craig Sargeson 55mins), Ashley Dunn, Ryan-Zico Black, Neil Reynolds, Sean O’Neil (Tom Williams 78mins), Phil Eastwood, Chris Marlow. Unused subs: Lee Pryers, Phil Denney, Shane Oldfield

Goals: Black (11, 17, 78mins), Eastwood (33, 35, 66mins),

Runcorn Linnets: Robert Holcroft, Kyle Jacob, Ricky Newell, Stephen Park (John Morley 71mins), Krystian Liptrot, Simon Myerscough, David Sherlock, Steve Cunningham (Tom Roscoe 21mins), Robert Talbot, Paul Crewe, Robert Whyte. Unused Subs: Rio Quinlivan-Grech, Matthew Rigby, Phil Mooney, Martin Campbell GK

Goals: -

Attendance: 247