THE sense of doom over this delayed fixture - and if and where it would go ahead - was justified.

There had been talk in the build-up about a switch of venue to Glossop North End - or even Warrington - due to the parlous state of the Church Lane pitch, which has had big drainage problems since being relaid.

Even when it started, there was still doubt as to whether Monday's game would last the 90 minutes.

As it was, a fifth league defeat on the road denied the chance for Linnets to end Winsford United 's long stay at the top of North West Counties League Division T wo.

Runcorn made an already tough assignment all the more difficult for themselves by conceding early and then having forward Thomas Lamb needlessly sent off in 28 minutes for some ill-chosen words to a linesman.

Already depleted by injuries and unavailability, Linnets were left to play with 10 and neither of their central midfieldmen, Jay Edwards and Colin Quirk, fully fit. And striker Dave Thompson played with an ankle heavily strapped.

At half-time, Runcorn could have been trailing by more than Stuart McGill's eighth-minute opener.

But the visitors were unlucky when Thompson's 'equaliser' from Colin Flood's 23rd-minute corner was ruled out for an alleged foul on keeper Barry George.

The start of the second half promised salvation for Steve Carragher's men.

Thompson's opportunist effort when George failed to collect a back pass, eight minutes in, was willed and cheered in by Runcorn's travelling faithful.

There was a miraculous escape for Linnets on the hour when the referee ruled a point-blank effort had been stopped by the again admirable Robbie Holcroft before crossing his goalline.

This suggested Runcorn - wearing the red shirts in which they have yet to win - might get something from the contest.

But within five minutes, New Mills struck again through Paul Garvey from another free-kick.

As hard as they tried in the second half, when inevitably tiring against the extra man in energy-sapping conditions, Run-corn could ultimately have no grumbles at the result.

Linnets: Holcroft, Holmes, Parle, O'Driscoll, Boden, Edwards (Foran 76), Dee (S Swales 76), Quirk, Thompson, Lamb, Flood. Sub: McCoy. Attendance: 223