BARNOLDSWICK Town's good league run ended in emphatic fashion as they were comfortably beaten 4-1 at home by runaway leaders Runcorn Linnets, despite taking an early lead.

Runcorn have only lost three league games all season, but were stunned by teenage loanee Emmanuel Ogunrinde's strike for Town in the eighth minute.

The striker picked the ball up just outside the opposition penalty area and struck a firm left-footed shot which flew into the far corner, beyond the reach of the Runcorn goalkeeper.

The goal seemed to spur Runcorn into action and Town stopper Jordan Gidley made a fine stop from Antony Hickey, minutes after the same player had flashed a shot just wide.

The equaliser came in the 31st minute, with Hickey making it third time lucky as he knocked the ball home. There were some appeals for offside, but the goal stood.

The Runcorn onslaught slowed down after that goal and Town made it to half-time with the score at 1-1.

With 25 minutes to go in the match, Runcorn brought substitute Freddie Potter off the bench and his introduction turned the game on its head.

He slotted home from Hickey's low cross in the 68th minute and soon added his second, striking the ball past Gidley from a narrow angle.

Town's Andrew Hill was sent off in the last minute for a second bookable offence and then, in injury time, Potter curled a fabulous free-kick over the wall and into the net for his hat-trick.

Town's next game comes against FA Vase semi-finalists 1874 Northwich this Saturday, where they will be hoping to recover from this blip.

Manager Danny Craig felt that his team performed well early on, but conceded that it was always going to be tough to keep up that level of performance, admitting: "The first 20 minutes I thought we started really well, but you find me a team that stays on top for 90 minutes against top of the league.

"In a couple of areas on Saturday we fell short, and against Runcorn Linnets you'll never ever get away with that.

"You can't fall short in any areas of the field if you're playing against top of the league, that's why we got beat."

He had no complaints about Runcorn's debatable equaliser, saying simply: "It was a decent ball and a decent run, something that teams at the top of the division are very good at."

Craig did not feel that this defeat would affect them going into Saturday's game, saying: "We move on, we've won three and drawn one of the last four (before this game). We were on a good run and we were playing top of the league."