RUNCORN FC Halton can't afford to stay at Halton Stadium, says playermanager Steve Soley.

And he is not talking about their difficulties with paying the rent.

The Linnets are now in a Nationwide North relegation struggle as well as a battle for survival.

And Soley believes playing at the Stadium is not helping their cause.

Soley, whose side are only one place above the drop zone, is confident the team will stay up.

But, like his predecessors, he believes playing in the mausoleum atmosphere at Widnes is harming the team.

'I think there's four or five teams still in it and I am not that worried,' he said. 'I think we will be OK. I'd be less worried if we were playing somewhere else in the next home game.

'It is dead as a dodo - it is like a reserve-team game and that is really going to favour the away team.

'We need a tight little ground where the spectators can spread out and give the opposition some stick like we get when we play away.'

The club has made no public statement about where they will play their next home game - against Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday, March 19. But indications are it may not be at the stadium.

Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Gains-borough means the Linnets have scored just once in their last three stadium outings and a crowd of just 157 didn't improve the mood.

Soley saw David Ness red-carded and was sent to the stands himself in a stormy clash.

Kieron Durkan left for Leek Town last Wednesday within hours of his name being circulated, reducing the club's wage bill.

Matty McGinn has pledged his immediate future to Runcorn, despite interest from South-port, and will weigh up his options at the end of the season.

The Sandgrounders' response was to recall on-loan striker Lee Mulvaney.

Soley added: 'The lad wanted to stay and is doing everything he can to try to get back.'

Barry Jones is available again after suspension but Tony McMillan and Tom Spearritt have a further two matches and one game to serve respectively.

Ness will start a three-match ban in the Bradford game and will also miss the matches with Stalybridge and Stafford.

Runcorn are at Nuneaton Borough this Saturday (ko 3pm). Tom Taylor may have earned a starting place while Soley could adopt a sweeper system.