RUNCORN Linnets made the picturesque journey north to Kendal Town on Saturday - and while a team, ravaged by unavailability, didn’t reach the performance levels to which fans have become accustomed, they did show an equally impressive side to their game.

They dug deeply and were determined to leave the Lake District with a 2-1 victory.

With Paul Shanley suspended and Freddie Potter struggling with an injury, Michael Ellison once again made enforced changes.

Niall Watson and Michael Simpson returned to the starting eleven but Ello’s job got even more difficult when Watson had to be withdrawn through injury after 15 minutes, Adam Gilchrist coming on in his place.

Kendal were the better side in the opening half an hour. Kicking up the slope and adapting better to the slow and sticky playing surface, the hosts worked their way into a number of dangerous positions.

But thankfully for the Linnets, Kendal had left their shooting boots in the changing rooms as a number of attempts at goal went high and wide.

They did go close at one point when Danny O’Brien got the ball stuck under his foot and lost out in a tackle on the left wing. With the Linnets caught out by the pacey counter attack, a fierce strike at goal was superbly tipped around a post by Dylan Forth.

Linnets were struggling to get themselves into the game, with passes not finding the intended target and Connor McCarthy finding himself isolated in attack.

They forced a couple of openings when Connor McCarthy beat his man but couldn’t get a shot away before being tackled and Kris Holt directed a header goalwards but the goalkeeper was well positioned to make a comfortable save.

Early in the second half, the Linnets were gifted the opening goal. Under moderate pressure from McCarthy’s tireless running, the Mintcakes defender Gavin Clarke played a pass back to Stu Dixon.

The goalkeeper took an air shot at the ball and as it went past him, McCarthy accepted the simplest goal he will ever score from a yard out with an open net.

Having not played particularly well up to this point but defended resolutely, there was a feeling among the travelling Linnets supporters that if they could hang on to this tight lead it would be a fantastic three points earned.

Barely a minute later, Kendal were level when Scott Harries drilled in Kendal’s equaliser from 10 yards out.

With 40 minutes of the game still to be played, Kendal seemed content with a point and focused on shutting Runcorn out.

The Linnets started to control the play and possession but struggled to grind out a clear sight of goal. Louis Corrigan put a free-kick over the bar from a good position while Holt had a fierce strike at goal blocked by a sliding tackle. With 79 minutes played, the golden opportunity finally came for Runcorn.

Yet again it was Connor McCarthy leading the Linnets forward charge, and after forcing his way into the penalty area he was brought down for a clear penalty.

Danny O’Brien resumed his role as Linnets penalty taker and coolly sent the ‘keeper the wrong way in finding the top left corner.

This time, there would be no mistakes in protecting the lead. But Kendal tried to salvage something and almost got another equaliser with five minutes remaining.

With the Linnets penalty area packed, a cross from the left was volleyed towards goal and with Forth beaten, Morris atoned for his earlier error by bravely heading the perfectly-struck volley over the crossbar and out for a corner - genuine goal-saving defending.

With no further scares, the Linnets played out the four minutes of stoppage time to secure a really dogged victory.

This win will have pleased the manager immensely. Under Ellison’s tenure as manager, it’s been very rare that Runcorn just don’t play well but more often than not when it has happened they have lost.

At Kendal, they didn’t play well, created very few chances yet came away with a victory and three points. That’s a fantastic trait to have in the locker and call upon when required.

After a pretty relentless run of fixtures lately, Linnets get a week’s rest before a difficult fixture away at title contenders Colne.

Hopefully, the break will help the Linnets players recharge their batteries and allow a few of the absentees time to recover from injury.

The win leaves them top of the EVO-STIK League West table after 10 games.

Runcorn Linnets: Dylan Forth, Louis Corrigan, Aaron Morris, Peter Wylie, Danny O’Brien, Kieran Nolan, Michael Simpson, Kyle Hamid, Connor McCarthy, Niall Watson, Kristian Holt. Subs: Adam Gilchrist, Bobby Evans. Not used: Josh Dobie, Matt Holmes (GK), Freddie Potter.

Attendance: 183.