Winsford United 4 Runcorn Town 2

DANNY Egan netted twice for the hosts, with Kyle Riley and Eli Mitchell cancelling out Curtis Cummings and Paul Shanley efforts.

Mitchell executed a well-timed challenge to stop Runcorn taking the lead, but it was the hosts who opened the scoring on 13 minutes.

Liam Baker’s ball down the right found Riley, who side-stepped his marker before pulled the ball back for Egan – Blues’ top scorer – to volley into the top corner.

Winsford had chances to go further ahead – first, Sam Marshall was thwarted by Runcorn goalkeeper Hayden Buckley-Smith before then firing over from a narrow angle.

Matthew Tierney crashed an effort against the crossbar, before Gareth Grant saw red for the visitors.

Winsford survived a scare after the interval when Cummings shot wide of an empty net, and Runcorn paid for the miss six minutes later.

Egan was flattened by defender Tom Spearitt, allowing Riley to step up and convert from the spot.

Cummings made amends for his miss five minutes after Winsford’s second, reducing the deficit when his cross from the left looped in. over goalkeeper Conor O’Keefe.

Town were level shortly afterwards when the diminutive Shanley beat Winsford’s defenders at the far post scored with a well-placed header.

With 14 minutes remaining Blues made their numerical advantage count when Egan netted, before Mitchell scored from close range late on to wrap up the points.

Blues: O’Keefe (GK), Baker (Callum Jones 81), Wilshaw, Jon Jones, Jarrett (Eiselt 9), Ellison, Marshall, Tierney (Rothwell 88), Riley, Egan, Mitchell. Subs not used: Seol, McQuillan. Attendance: 130.