A warm, sunny day at
Church Street and today’s entertainment was in the shape of Welfare V Runcorn
Town of the North West Counties Premier Division. Welfare were looking to
bounce back from Tuesday nights nightmare with a strong performance in front of
the home crowd.
Welfare set up once
again with the favoured 4-2-3-1 formation and the home side started with high
intensity, giving nothing away and passing the ball around with ease. After ten
minutes Runcorn hadn’t had any possession, then 5 minutes later the ball was
picked up in the middle of the park by Jay Rollins, he then saw a flying run
from young Kieran Benson down the left side, a pitch perfect pass into the
forwards feet allowed him to have a shot on goal from 20 yards which riffled
into the top corner, 1-0 Welfare after 15 minutes. A dream start for manager
Brian Johnston.
Five minutes later,
Welfare went on the attack again down the left hand side. A jinking run was
brought down by a Runcorn defender, up stepped Brad Johnston from 20 yards out.
The was ball struck tamely, it took a deflection off the wall which took it
past Town’s ‘keeper into the bottom corner. 2-0 Welfare after 20 minutes.
Church Street felt the optimism with the season rapidly closing in.
With a two goal lead
Welfare went on the defensive and started to play keep ball and played a good
brand of passing football. Defensively Welfare looked strong, Craig Morley
replaced regular centre half Richard Smith for today’s game and nothing got
past him all half, Welfare’s back four looking unbeatable at times.
The referee blew the
half time whistle and Welfare went into the break deserving of their two goal
lead. Stand out performers were Kieran Benson and Craig Morley.
The whistle blew for
the second half to begin and straightaway Welfare were on the back foot,
Runcorn not giving Welfare a sniff of possession. Welfare manager, Brian
Johnston gave new keeper Richard Watson a run out in the second forty five
minutes and what an inspired change it proved to be. Three saves in the space
of five minutes kept Welfare’s lead to two. But his luck was bound to run out
at some point, then 12 minutes into the half, the ball was picked up in the
middle of the park after some sloppy defending from Welfare, it was struck with
real venom from 30 yards out, nothing that the ‘keeper do could about it and
the ball found itself nestling in the top corner. 2-1 after 52 minutes. Welfare
needed to pick up the intensity if they wanted to keep their lead.
Eight minutes later
Welfare conceded another from once again some sloppy defending. From a dead
ball situation it took a deflection, and then a goalmouth scramble accrued with
the ball being turned in from five yards. 2-2, Runcorn draw level after a poor
start to the second half from Welfare.
What then was foreseen
at Church Street wasn’t a shock to the viewing public, the ball was played into
the box, out came ‘keeper Richard Watson, he fumbled the ball down and it
landed at Runcorn forward’s foot, who then turned the ball into the net to make
it 3-2 to Runcorn.
That was the last of
the action in the game the contest petered out as both sides became tired and
run out of steam. The full time whistle blew and Welfare felt the game slipped
out of their hands, loosing a two goal lead and letting slip the high intensity
cost Johnston and his men dearly today. A game of two half’s is an
understatement.
Welfare haven’t got
long to regroup and recover, a trip to Appleby Froderingham mid week see’s
Welfare half way through their pre season campaign. With the season only 2
weeks away now, something has to give for Johnston’s men and hopefully Tuesday
night is the point where it all changes.
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