Kidsgrove Athletic suffered their second league defeat of the season as they lost 4-0 to a very clinical Runcorn Linnets side.

The grove went into this Tuesday evening tie one point ahead of their opposition, with help from a 4-0 win over local rivals Newcastle Town, the grove had nestled themselves into a comfortable 6th place position. But the opposition (Runcorn Linnets FC), had come into this league tie unbeaten in their last four games. The Grove were against a team in very good form.

Kidsgrove started the first ten minutes of the game well on top of Runcorn. The half started with several teasing high balls over the top of the Runcorn backline to the eagerly awaiting players on both the left (Kingsley Adu-Gyamfi) and the right (Kyle Diskin) side of midfield. After a stint of shared possession, Kidsgrove used Kyle Diskin’s driving runs and Ariel presence to try and break down Runcorn’s strong-willed backline. After Diskin’s ariel bombardment of the Runcorn box Kidsgrove were left to ponder on their first few chances as balls put into the box were not capitalised on effectively.

But Runcorn managed in the nineteenth minute to break the deadlock. After a charging run down the Kidsgrove right side, the ball was parried in from 6 yards out by Oladapo Olarewaju after a scramble for the ball by both sets of players.

Another goal would come for Runcorn just 4 minutes later in the twenty third minute when a driving ball was fizzed across the Kidsgrove box from the left side and quickly slotted in by the awaiting Stuart Crilly. Kidsgrove domination of possession had slowly drained out in the early September heat. Then in the twenty sixth minute (to the dismay of the travelling Grove fans), another goal was conceded via a well worked Runcorn team goal who were able to capitalise after a long hold of the ball.

Runcorn were well on top in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

But the grove had not lost all hope, when in the thirtieth minute Kieran Harrison made several brave and brilliant saves, getting down low and smothering out any second chances. Despite the goal deficit, Kidsgrove would not go out without a fight. Long-balls launched forward by the Kidsgrove midfield were elegantly brought down and fired at the goal with a fiery pace by Will Whieldon. But luck was not on the Groves side as the half time whistle blew.

The first fifteen minutes of each half were almost parallel for Kidsgrove. A good stint of possession and scenes of marvellous team passing followed by chances in the box not being fully capitalised on. One incident, in particular, left Grove hearts in mouths as a goalmouth scramble ensued from a pinpoint corner in the forty-fifth minute. The ball, instead of being placed coolly in the Runcorn net was fired over high and wide. This event seemed to sum up the Groves evening.

Any faint idea of a Kidsgrove comeback was quickly put down as in the sixty-seventh minute the Runcorn number 10 Iwan Murray lofted the ball over the reach of Keiran Harrison's stretching gloves.

Kidsgrove’s evening tie against Runcorn Linnets held a disappointing final score, but this cloud has a silver lining. Time and again Kidsgrove showed their physical prowess and team passing capabilities.

Despite the scoreline, no Kidsgrove heads dropped. It was clear to all that the team spirit and fight was still present, this was made apparent after ninety plus minutes as each player clapped the travelling Kidsgrove supporters as they made their way down the tunnel.