THIS was another desperate day for the fourth-from-bottom Linnets.

Not only did they lose, but the three sides around them all won to push financially-troubled Runcorn closer to the Nationwide North relegation trap-door.

The next two fixtures against two of these sides, Bradford Park Avenue at home next Saturday and away to Stalybridge on Good Friday, are now must-win games. Runcorn have only themselves to blame for a heavy defeat in the Midlands as they looked every inch a team in trouble.

Nervous Runcorn could have scored three times before the deadlock was broken - striker Phil Denny responsible for a hat-trick of misses. Nuneaton were reduced to 10 men from the 25th minute when Gary Fitzpatrick was sent off for elbowing Phil McDiarmid, who had been preferred to Mike Garrity in midfield.

McDiarmid also saw red after picking up two yellow cards for a foul early in the second half and he can maybe consider himself a little unlucky in view of other challenges which went unpunished.

But by that time, the hosts were already two up thanks to goals from Rob Oddy (26 minutes) and Michael Love with a 30-yard drive, direct from a 56th-minute free-kick.

Runcorn's misery was completed four minutes from time when Michael Frew tapped home.

RUNCORN: Thompson, Parle, McGinn (Soley 83), Robertson, Ness, Carragher, Jones (Field 54), McDiarmid, Denny, Taylor, Willis (Lock 64). Subs: Garrity, Moore.