Disappointing end to club's home campaign

A season which began with Linnets languishing in the relegation zone but then brought an unlikely chance of a play-off spot will see a finishing position between seventh and eleventh.

- BY DAVE BETTLEY

The league table has been tight throughout but final standings won't lie.

The Yellow & Greens have looked pretty much spent in the closing weeks of the league and they were unable to close another Pitching In Northern Premier League West home campaign in the manner they would have wanted on manager Brad Cooke’s 40th birthday.

Three more goals were added to an already bulging 'against' column with Bootle, having finally secured their future in the division on Good Friday, running out comfortable winners.

Linnets had the better of things either side of half-time but lack of attacking spark saw them fail to trouble Bootle’s 'keeper Tony Thompson in open play all afternoon.

Their lone legal shot on target was the one with which Naim Arsan scored direct from a free-kick just before the half hour to quickly cancel out Ben Hodkinson’s 25th-minute opener.

Linnets did have the ball in the net for a second time early in the second half but Jacques Welsh’s effort was disallowed for handball.

The visitors then stunned Runcorn by scoring twice in as many minutes around three-quarter time.

Looking weary mentally and physically, the hosts never looked like redressing the balance.