LINNETS manager Steve Carragher has made two signings after accusing his players of letting early success go to their heads.

Carragher's side surrendered their 100% league record in a 2-1 defeat at Ashton Town and the boss blamed over-confidence.

The new arrivals represent squad-strengthening already planned rather than punishment for the reversal, which followed four straight wins for the North West Counties Division Two leaders.

But Carragher hopes Runcorn will have learned a lesson ahead of their first Saturday home game against Padiham (ko 3pm).

Jerome McIntyre, who can play anywhere across the back four, comes in from Sunday football in Liverpool after being pursued by Carragher 'for a while'.

With four-goal joint top scorer Dave Thompson struggling with a ham-string injury, Linnets have also freshened up their striking options by landing John Morgan.

Morgan has played for the West Cheshire League side at Cammell Laird, where brother Ronnie is a UniBond One first-teamer.

Having been sent off in the Cheshire Senior Cup loss at Alsager Town, midfieldman Kenny Rollinson serves a one-match suspension against Padiham.

The Lancastrians have registered keeper and ex-Runcorn FC Halton PoY Robbie Holcroft and boast the division's five-goal leading marksman Paul Fildes.

Carragher doesn't rule out more arrivals and departures in the short term -left-back Steve Melling having already been released.

Utility player James Edwards is out with a ham-string injury, sustained at the weekend.

Recent capture Scott Forster, a left-back, could come into contention for the first of two tough tests - the visit to Blackpool Mechanics having been brought forward from January to Saturday, September 16.

Carragher hopes assistant player-boss Mark Phillips will be fit to bring his experience to bear at the back after missing two games.

'It is a setback, not the end of the world - but will the lads learn from it? That's the big one,' said Carragher after Saturday's defeat. 'Hopefully it was just a blip.

'It's the kick up the backside the lads needed. I think it has been coming since Daisy Hill.

'After the first two games, they thought it was going to be a bit of an easy ride.

'But you have got to earn the right to play. You have got to win your individual battles as a team before you can start knocking it around.

'The last couple of games, they've thought it was going to be a stroll.

'They've let it go to their heads a bit. They haven't a divine right to turn up and expect to win games.

'Ashton's keeper did have a great game and made some really good saves but if we hadn't conceded two sloppy goals, those saves would have been irrelevant.

'Mick Young being unavailable was a big loss. We started with a 4-3-3 with the idea Thomas Lamb would look to drop deep into a bit of a diamond, but it did look a bit unbalanced.

'However, there should have been enough quality out there to have overcome Ashton. Too many players didn't put the hard work in.'

* Winners in the club's Golden Ticket draw are: Hough & Co Solicitors, Runcorn (front-of-away-shirt sponsorship); Denis Stevenson, Rowlinson Solicitors, Frodsham (home short sponsorship); Edwards Engineering, Widnes (programme advertisement); Mr S Cunnliffe, FDL, St Helens (corporate season ticket); Clive Middlehurst Burchers, Widnes Market (match-ball and matchday sponsor-ships); K Darlington, KD Electrics, Sutton Weaver (mascot sponsorship) and Alan Mercer, Grangeside Limited, Weston (programme sponsorship).