Runcorn Linnets V Chester FC MATCH THREAD

3 weeks until the big kick off and we’ve got no strikers! Not ideal 🤔

Going on the train today for this one, Anyone got any recommendations of pubs near the ground ?

I'll get on the blower to danny dyer asap

Who is this Potter for them? Anyone know the background. Looks a good player.

Anyone know the trialists too?

Does anyone know who Trialist A was for us today?

Another game kicking off the same time as England ... Its not science rocket is it, surely?

What was the result please

Runcorn 3-5 Chester. Some very soft goals conceded at both ends.

I quite enjoyed today really. I thought that it was an entertaining game packed full of goals, albeit with some comical defending for both teams. Overall though, we were the more dominant side and deserved the victory. The pitch was very dry and bobbly whilst Runcorn were quite a rigid outfit at times, but we managed to cope with that and managed the game professionally. With us being very short in strikers, I wouldn’t mind if Trialist A signs a contract for us. He scored two goals for us and was involved in most of our others. He held the ball up really well and I’m lead to believe that he has a wealth of experience in the EFL so I’m sure that Bern and Jonno will be considering signing him up.

Other than that though, the other Trialist’s didn’t stand out much for me whilst Craig Mahon had a very poor game. Given that he was my stand-out performer against Liverpool last weekend, I was surprised that he struggled against a Runcorn side who were 4 divisions lower than us last campaign. Hopefully it’s just a blip and the lad can get back firing next time out. Our 4th goal of the game (scored by a Runcorn Trialist) was the most bizarre goal I have ever seen live. He had the possession in his own penalty area with two of our players putting pressure on him, so he scooped the ball to the right of him to their ‘keeper who couldn’t do anything at all. Of course, if the goalie had touched the ball with his hands then he would get punished for it, so he just stood there rooted to his line without knowing that the ball had only gone into the back of the net. In what was a comical error, everybody in the ground was astonished that it had gone in. Also, you may remember Dylan Forth, a goalkeeper who had a brief spell on loan here in 2015. Well he was in goal for Runcorn in the first half.

Anyway, it was an entertaining match today and one which I enjoyed. On the positive side it’s good to see us scoring a few goals which will boost our confidence ahead of the upcoming season.

Let's wait for the Llandudno match before getting carried away 

I can understand Jonno saying there are more negatives then positives from that.

The pitch was firm and highly, and rather narrow. We played a sort of 4 3 1 2 rather than a 4 3 3.

Even open game for 20 minutes. After that we pushed them back and they had less possession in our half. However, every time they did they got an effort in on goal. Worrying that, against a team just promoted to the Unibond. Keeper had to make 2 or 3 decent saves first half, although we mainly controlled the game.

We didn't seem to protect the defence well. Balls seemed to just go into dangerous areas. Far too open.

On the ball, we did move it well until we got to the box. Mahon, Brown and Hughes all played fairly central and there wasn't really any space to move into. We relied on Pritchard to get forward, which he did well.

Stopforth didn't stop running for the whole game. Smalley and Burton did their jobs. The centre halves will win their aerial battles. Not sure about them on the ground though.

Triallist looked ok up front. Had the physique you need as a lone central striker. Can't really judge him on that though.

Overall . . . . a lot of improvement needed from that today, to be competitive in the North. We didn't really look dangerous ( yes I know we scored 5), and looked open at the other end, against a team from 2 divisions lower. Be interesting to see us against Llandudno, Bury and Morecambe now, and see how the managers improve things.

I guess it’s he’s to judge players given jonnos interview. He’s just told them to go and play without having any trained shape, tactics on and off the ball. It’s no wonder we don’t look too organised at the back. The next couple of weeks we need to work very hard tacticallly and as well land a couple of forwards. I’d probably look at another winger as well, Mahon can’t be trusted to stay fit and even if he is fit, he’s very much a confidence player.

He’s that type of player, as in creative, but that worries me in his clear lack of ability to solve off field issues. He’s not stayed anywhere long and he’s only 22 still. Only plus side to that is he’s a potential gold mine should Bern and Jonno help him beat his demons.

I’d be half tempted to chat with Mr Murphy about potentially funding a proven goal scorer on a 1 year deal. It genuinely could be the difference for us in the playoff push.

Spending 40k on a top part time striker sounds stupid, but soon as you consider a promotion push could add 300 a week to the game it sounds less silly. It’s a big risk, but 300 paying fans would more than pay for that striker.

The chron gives the game away who that Trialist is as well.