Fixture: NEWCASTLE TOWN FC vs RUNCORN LINNETS
Competition: PITCHING IN NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE – WEST DIVISON
Venue: Lyme Valley Stadium, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 3BX
What3Words: ///slip.crisp.home
Date: Saturday 9th APRIL, 3:00 pm Kickoff
ADMISSION - ADULTS £9 | CONCESSIONS £6 | U16's FREE
MATCHDAY PROGRAMME - (LINK TO FOLLOW)
Well, it is safe to say there is never any easy games in football and once again we find ourselves up against what I feel to be the best footballing side we have played this season.
After last week's 0-2 defeat to Clitheroe the team slipped into the dreaded bottom 3 spot in the league and we will now look to get out of the playoff for the dreaded drop. For sure this is not a situation we want to be in and as with football the destiny of what happens to us is still in our hands. Everyone asks about the PPG now and the fact is that as long as we win games it doesn't matter what the team above us does as we will have a stronger PPG than other teams in the same situation in these trident leagues, but that does not mean we are happy to be here and we are always looking to finish higher than we are.
So into this weekend's game and as mentioned when we travelled to Runcorn earlier in the season we were handed a footballing lesson from a side that was set up very well to play football and counter on quick breaks. The game only finished 2-0 to Linnets but they had many more chances in the game and it was our keeper on the night and now their keeper Owen Mooney we had to thank for keeping the scoreline down.
Both sides have had changes in personnel since this game, however, Runcorn have managed to keep hold of Ryan Brooke the league's top scorer with 25 goals this season and he got 2 of them in the reverse fixture.
Form wise well Runcorn who currently sit 5th in the table on 66 points just 2 ahead of last week's side Clitheroe have had a mixed last 6 winning 4 games, drawing 0-0 with Clitheroe and a loss to top of the league Warrington. In those 6 games they have managed to score 10 goals with Brooke getting 7 of them and the impressive Olarewaju 2 of them. As for the man we know something about Owen Mooney he has kept 4 clean sheets from his 7 appearances for Runcorn and with us struggling to find the net in our last 3 outings you fear that he might be adding to this.
Who 2 Watch
You might think I will go for Ryan Brooke the top scorer or Owen Mooney, but no there is a player for Runcorn who I believe if we can stop and cut off at the source we can come out of this game with something and that is Joe Lynch.
Joe can sit in the middle or just behind Brooke and will always look to feed the ball into Brooke or wide to Olarewaju, who did miss last week's game and we hope might not be available this week as he caused us problems in the reverse fixture with his pace and ability.
We hope you all have an enjoyable afternoon with us here at Lyme Valley, Turnstiles will be open from 1pm and so will the Cafe and Clubhouse and don't forget we accept card payments in the clubhouse.
We will also have the Grand National on the TV so be sure to stick around after the game to watch the National with us in the clubhouse.
Enjoy the game