LINNETS' chairman Stuart White couldn't be more pleased with the start which has put smiles back on Run-corn football fans' faces.

Steve Carragher's side have scored nine goals without reply in winning their two opening Division Two matches.

But White, interim chairman of the Linnets Independent Supporters' Trust board, says the decision to walk away from Run-corn FC Halton and start afresh had been vindicated even before a ball was kicked.

'I think we felt that as soon as we were admitted to the league,' said White.

'There was so much support and we were reasonably confident we'd get people behind us if we could just get things together.'

White and his fellow club officials were encouraged by the 231 turnout for their rearranged first NWC home appearance - Friday's 5-0 home victory over Castleton Gabriels.

'The other thing was there were people there I haven't seen since Canal Street days - people I have known for years but who had almost become strangers,' added White.

'If we could keep that going we would be extremely pleased.

'We always felt that if people saw a good performance and a reasonable score the fact we weren't playing in Runcorn initially would not be a deterrent to the real fans.

'Steve Carragher said after the game he was delighted for the fans and that's what it's about.

'The smiles on people's faces when they were leaving said it all.

'These were people who haven't been to games for years and their reaction tells you there is a more than even chance they will want to come back to the next home game against Cheadle on Tuesday.' White admitted: 'I couldn't be more pleased. We have got over that initial hiccup of rearranging the first home game and things seem to have settled down now into a predictable programme.

'We now know where we're going and when we're going. We just have to keep the momentum going and the money coming in.

'Our commercial partners Sponsor-Link are out there working away for us and we will have some more feedback from them quite soon on what they have managed to raise in terms of sponsorship and funding.

'The fans have also been generous, as we said at the start, and there is still the odd donation and commitment coming in.'

This Saturday, Linnets face a league trip to Westhoughtonbased Daisy Hill (ko 3pm) and White believes opposition clubs are already benefiting from their decision to admit Linnets into the league.

He said: 'Some of these teams have historically not had many people coming through the gate. We are may be talking about 25 to 40 people plus the away fans.

'We did say when we first talked to them that we expected to take 30-40 fans with us and we have more than doubled that.

'The league are pleased with that and certainly the opposition are as it is good revenue for them.'

All at the club know they cannot get carried away.

They know they must keep working hard and there will be setbacks.

'We are fortunate the teams we have played so far in the league have not been the strongest opposition in it and that is no disrespect to them,' said White.

'We have still to come up against the best teams yet and that will be the true test for us when we face teams like Darwen and Padiham who have also made a good start.

'What encourages me is the team already looks like a team. You wouldn't think they have just come together.

'A few of them played together for a short time at the old club but that's not quite the same as what they are doing now.'