DIVISION Two's top-of-the-table rivals played it safe before a bumper bank holiday crowd on Monday night.

With third-placed Padiham having lost at Darwen in the afternoon, the pressure on Linnets to win at Barton Stadium had receded - although victory would have had them breathing down the necks of title favourites Winsford a little more heavily.

The need for the home side to complete a double over Runcorn had never really existed and risking one point to get three appeared out of the question for both the promotion chasers.

While the teams put a lot into the game, they could not really assert any measure of control in an edgy and frenetic contest.

With the ball difficult to control on a hard and bobbly pitch, Linnets struggled to get going along the floor and won little aerially against a much bigger outfit.

Dave Thompson had a sniff of success in the first half but his co-striker and one-time Winsford transfer target Thomas Lamb was kept shackled on his return from suspension.

Michael Young had an unusually quiet game wide left, while Andy McCoy, Saturday's two-goal hero against Bootle, found it much tougher to make an impact on the right.

Thompson came closest to breaking the early deadlock after keeper Jamie Mottershead had parried Paul Scott's shot.

Thompson's goal-bound follow-up header was blocked by a defender in front of the line.

Soon afterwards, a rising shot by Scott brought a spectacular save from the United keeper, who turned it over his bar in the centre of goal.

Runcorn, willed on by a 200-plus following, forced four corners in succession in a spell of second-half pressure, but if any side threatened to score upon the restart, it was Winsford.

Holcroft, having kept out first-half headers from Andy Watson and Gerrard McAllister from set pieces, was down bravely seconds from full-time to turn away a threatening low, left-wing cross with big striker Rob Hopley about to pounce.

Linnets: Holcroft, Holmes, Flood, O'Driscoll, Boden, Loughlin, McCoy (Quirk 78), Scott, Thompson, Lamb, Young. Subs: Parle, Rollinson.

Attendance: 446.