Barnoldswick Town 1 Runcorn Town 4
SKIPPER Arley Barnes was sent off for the second time this season on a day when Barnoldswick Town were knocked off the top of the North West Counties League Premier Division.
Barnes was shown a straight red card for his second-half challenge on Marvin Molyneux and now faces another spell on the sidelines.
Colne, who won 5-0 at Silentnight Beds Stadium in the FA Cup, went a point ahead of Town with two games in hand after a 4-1 win over AFC Liverpool.
Although beaten by a three-goal margin, the home side contributed to a fast and entertaining match which was played in Summer-like weather.
Town, who were unbeaten in their previous seven games with five wins and two draw, were shot down by Runcorn striker Paul Shanley.
He netted a hat-trick and his sharp finishing was the major difference between two sides who tried to play attacking football at every opportunity.
Shanley showed that he was a real threat early on with a shot which just cleared Jordan Gidley’s crossbar, while Mark Threlfall had a shot blocked at the other end after good work by Ben Gorman.
Jake McEneaney head over from a Jack Hargreaves cross, and Ben Gorman saw goalkeeper Danny Lever save at his feet when he was put through by Harry Thompson .
The all-important first goal came after 35 minutes. Shanley ran onto a perfectly-weighted through ball and chipped over the advancing Gidley.
Barlick continued to press and were rewarded in the 53rd minute when Hargreaves scored from a direct free kick.
Parity lasted for just six minutes. The referee played advantage and Shanley seized his chance to restore Runcorn’s lead.
Hargreaves tested Lever with a fierce shot and John Beckwith fired over the bar before Barnes received his marching orders.
Runcorn made the most of their numerical supremacy. Shanley completed his hat-trick from a penalty after 75 minutes and Rob Ablewhite rubbed salt in Barlick’s wounds when he pounced on the loose ball after Gidley had saved a shot in the final minute of the game
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