Runcorn Linnets 2 Hednesford Town 6 - Report
THREE goals in nine second-half minutes set irresistible Hednesford Town on the way to a statement victory and the top of the NPL West table.
A goal behind at half-time, Steve King’s men rallied to blow away a Linnets side that had edged proceedings in the first 45 minutes.
The hosts signalled their intent early on with Luke Wall and Ryan Brooke firing off target before Adam Moseley raced in only for his effort to sail narrowly over the bar.
Hednesford went close five minutes before half-time when Sion Spence fired wide a rebound but they trailed shortly before the break when Eden Gumbs was left free to head in Wall’s corner.
Parity was restored 10 minutes into the second half when Manny Duku squared for Rob Stevenson to finish from close range and the swift turnaround was complete in the 59th minute, Dan Trickett-Smith nodding over stranded keeper Bayleigh Passant.
Livewire Duku wreaked more havoc in the box with Spence then finding the finish inside a busy box and Omar Holness nearly added a fourth five minutes later, blasting over a half-cleared corner.
The fourth duly arrived in the 73rd minute, Duku fouled in the box only to get up and fire the penalty into the roof of the net and substitute Zidan Sutherland pounced on the chaos in the Runcorn backline to score the fifth two minutes after entering the action.
Sam Barratt pulled one back from the edge of the box five minutes from the end but Sutherland had the last laugh, converting after a corner had been flicked into his path as the clock struck 90.
