SILSDEN AFC 4 v 4 RUNCORN LINNETS FC

Husband 1, Lee 38. Whyte 11, Pearson 20.

Bryan 45, Atherton 65

Gaughan 46. Smith 81 Att. 188.

FANS ENJOY A FEAST OF GOALS

The Cobbydalers game against Runcorn Linnets was a thriller for the fans, if not for the managers, who both saw their teams take the lead then concede it. When Silsden went two up with goals either side of half time, the home fans might have expected the Cobbydalers to secure all three points, especially following three clean sheets in the last three games. As it was, the visitors finally notched an equaliser in the eighty-first minute to level the scores. The Cobbydalers were unchanged for the fourth game on the run.

Although both sides sit below the halfway point in the table, both were entering the game with confidence high. Having had two good cup runs, the Linnets boasted a team which had only suffered two league defeats to date. The Cobbydalers had just won their last three games.

Silsden got off to the best possible start, netting in the first minute through Danny HUSBAND, who rose unchallenged to head home a corner. Within ten minutes the Linnets were level. Matty Atherton got clear in behind the Silsden defence, but saw his low shot blocked for a corner. James Mann made a complete mess of Sean Pearson’s set piece, allowing Rob WHYTE to bundle in from close range.

The pacey Atherton, who was bursting through the middle with some ease, created a second for the visitors. Rob Whyte collected a low cross and laid the ball off to Sean PEARSON to smash in off the post, giving Mann no chance.

Silsden responded immediately with Joe Gaughan seeing a shot cleared off the line before James Nettleton managed to clear the danger, after some good approach work by the Linnets. The game swung from end to end before the Cobbydalers equalised. Andy LEE managed to beat the offside trap to latch on to a long ball, before sliding it under the helpless Richie Mottram in the Linnets goal.

Both managers might happily have settled for two-two at half time, but not the Silsden players. With John Douglas and Tim Hird gaining some ascendancy in midfield, Silsden pushed forward. Another ball over the defence was latched onto by Danny BRYAN, who gave the Cobbydalers a narrow lead. A minute after the restart Joe Gaughan made it four. Taking advantage of a slip by Chris Lawton, GAUGHAN chipped the Linnets keeper with considerable aplomb.

Silsden suffered a blow, early in the second half, when Lee was injured following a heavy challenge and had to be substitute by Chris Wademan.

With a two goal deficit, the visitors began to take risks, but it paid off as they pushed the Cobbydalers deeper into their own half. Nettleton managed to clear Whyte’s cross from the left and Arley Barnes and Jake McEneany both blocked efforts from Whyte and Atherton. Following a Sean Pearson corner, Bodie, Lawton and Hill all had a swipe at the ball during a goalmouth scramble, before it finally fell for ATHERTON to get a deserved goal. Barnes then deflected David Hill’s shot into the arms of the grateful Mann.

Runcorn then had their appeals for a penalty turned down. With eight minutes left the Linnets got the equaliser. Dan SMITH was first to react to Whyte’s corner and buried a header at the near post. Silsden had their claims for a penalty turned down as both sides strode to get the winner.

A feast of goals for the Cobbydalers fans who have become more accustomed to games with the odd goal or two. Credit to all the players who worked hard to the end, on a soft pitch, which became increasingly cut-up as the game progressed.

RUNCORN LINNETS FC: Mottram, Savva, Fitzsimmons, Bodie, Lawton (Bowes, 71), Ellison, Dykes (Smith, 55), Hill, Atherton, Whyte (C), Pearson. Subs not used: Glaysher, O’Reilly.
SILSDEN AFC: Mann, Barnes, McEneaney, Hird, Husband, Nettleton (C), Bryan, Douglas, Gaughan, Lee (Wademan, 52), Hargreaves. Subs not used: Lamb, Hanson, Thornton.