3pm 4 January 2025
West Cheshire League, Pyke Cup, First Round
Runcorn Sports 2 South Liverpool reserves 1 aet (att 38)
I was hoping for a longer journey but apocalyptic weather forecasts meant it seemed a safer bet to stay fairly local and to seek a game on an artificial pitch.
Runcorn Sports was my only remaining first team ground to recomplete the top division of the West Cheshire League, and it also completed a trio of visits to see the host club on different grounds.
It's almost three years since I saw them on a pitch at Helsby, also against South Liverpool's reserves. They won comfortably that afternoon but, based on the league table, a repeat looked unlikely.
Sports are having a tough season. They're bottom of the league and recently disbanded their reserve team. The Pyke Cup, for sides in the West Cheshire League's top flight, was perhaps a welcome distraction.
It's a distraction that will continue at least into the second round. A hard-fought and tight 90 minutes finished goalless, as did the first period of extra time.
For most of the afternoon it looked as if a single goal would win the tie. South Liverpool thought they'd got it when they went ahead with just eight minutes remaining.
But, having waited 112 minutes for one goal, three came along almost at once. Runcorn equalised just two minutes later, and were then gifted a winner a minute from time when South Liverpool gave the ball away from a free kick in their own half.
There had been needle between the sides for much of the game. More than once it came close to boiling over, and the dramatic finale sparked ugly scenes, thankfully over quickly, just after the final whistle.
Runcorn Sports' latest venue for their senior side is a 3G pitch at the Brookvale Recreation Centre in the Murdishaw area of Runcorn. It's a typical set up, with spectators accommodated along one side of the floodlit pitch.
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