Heavy feeling for nine-man Linnets

An afternoon that started badly only got worse as Congleton inflicted Runcorn’s heaviest defeat of the season to cement a play-off place in Pitching In Northern Premier League West.

- BY DAVE BETTLEY

Linnets, trailing from the fourth minute, not only suffered a big defensive hit but were left to play half an hour with nine men after two contentious dismissals.

Harvey Washington had been sent off for a second bookable foul just before half-time, when the referee could just as easily have awarded the free-kick the other way.

Then, approaching the hour, youngster Jay Lee received a straight red for handball on the line, Linnets claiming the offence was not deliberate and should therefore have carried a yellow card.

Runcorn’s defence has been aa big problem all season, 66 goals against in 40 league games telling its own story.

Congleton scored at either end of the first half through McCarthy (4 mins) and Ethan Hartshorn (45+1 mins). In between, they had struck the underside of the bar through captain Darren Chadwick from a corner.