RUNCORN kicked off their first pre-season friendly at Canal Street against First Division side Tranmere Rovers Reserves.

The result proved rather insignificant in the end as the game had to be stopped for around 15 minutes, as Tranmere's keeper, Gareth Powell, was taken away by ambulance with a suspected broken knee.

Although Tranmere fielded a reserve side, Runcorn started positively and took the lead after only three minutes, courtesy of an own goal from full-back, Peter Rodgers.

Joey Dunne played a curling ball across the Wirral side's penalty area which caused confusion amongst the defence, and Rodgers knocked the ball past the stranded keeper.

After a scrappy period of football where neither side looked like scoring, Tranmere's Jason Koumas created a chance out of nothing and placed the ball past the outstretched arm of Runcorn keeper, Mark Morris, from just outside the box.

Eight minutes before the break, Rovers again scored a goal out of nothing and full-back, Peter Rodgers, made amends for his earlier mistake by hitting a 35 yard scorcher into the top right-hand corner, leaving Morris with no chance.

The second-half was just as scrappy as the first with both sides hitting the woodwork.

Runcorn looked the more threatening, coming close on a number of occasions.

But with around 20 minutes remaining disaster struck as Tranmere's keeper, Gareth Powell, went for a 50-50 ball with Runcorn striker, Danny Worthington. Both players went down injured but, as the Runcorn number 10 got to his feet, the Rovers keeper was still down injured.

After an agonising wait of around 10 minutes an ambulance finally arrived and Powell was stretchered off to a warm round of applause from the Runcorn supporters.

Mark Morris replaced the Tranmere keeper and made a string of good saves, much to the amusement of the Canal Street crowd.

The game was cut short, with the referee adding no injury time but nobody seemed bothered after the events that materialised in the second-half.

Runcorn could take something positive out of the game as, at times, they created some good football.

Speaking about his side's prospects for the forthcoming season, manager Derek Brownbill said: "We are confident of promotion but a number of teams have been spending a lot of money improving their sides.

"Altrincham, for example, have added a number of players, but sadly we do not have the money to spend.

"We are looking to add a couple of players, but we are as good as anyone else in the league."

Brownbill also said that 35-year-old Mark Ward, who comes from Widnes, has expressed an interest in coming to Canal Street.

Ward has almost 500 professional matches to his name and his previous clubs include Everton, Manchester City, West Ham United, Birmingham City, Oldham Athletic and Huddersfield Town.

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