After the disappointment of losing their FA Trophy semi-final in such dramatic and controversial circumstances some 72 hours earlier, Alty started with just two players who had started that game.

One of them, James Jones, was named captain, and it was he who put his side ahead here, with a half-volley from a Pringle cross following a corner in the fifteenth minute. A well-struck Regan Linney goal doubled the lead after 34 minutes.

A second goal from Linney made it 3-0 (84 mins) before Aaron Bennett's superb lob from just inside the opposition half completed the scoring (89 mins).

• 15 mins: James JONES (Runcorn Linnets 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 34 mins: Regan LINNEY (Runcorn Linnets 0 ALTRINCHAM 2)
• 84 mins: Regan LINNEY (Runcorn Linnets 0 ALTRINCHAM 3)
• 89 mins: Aaron BENNETT (Runcorn Linnets 0 ALTRINCHAM 4)

Alty made nine changes to their starting eleven and included six loanees in their squad for this Cheshire Senior Cup semi-final. However, unlike in previous rounds, only first-team squad members were deployed. Nevertheless two loanee players were making their first starts for the club. One was Sonny Aljofree from Manchester United, who had not even been in a squad previously, and the other was Oldham loanee Luke Burgess who had previously only appeared from the bench.

James Jones, who was named captain, and Miles Welch-Hayes, who was one of six loanees in the starting eleven, were the only survivors from Saturday's starting eleven.

Although Aljofree has been assigned squad number 38, he was named here as no.5. Had he worn his squad number the total of Alty's shirt numbers would have been 279, almost certainly the highest ever fielded by an Altrincham starting eleven.

RUNCORN LINNETS (Green and yellow hooped shirts, green shorts and green and yellow hooped socks): 1. Danny Taberner, 2. Ally Brown, 3. Isacc Turner, 4. Tom Moore, 5. Josh Elverstone, 6. Sam Heathcote (c), 7. Kieran Nolan, 8. Louis Hayes, 9. Cameron Rooney, 10. Macauley Clifton, 11. Eden Gumbs. Subs: 12. Sean O'Mahony, 13. Josh Roberts (gk), 14. James Short, 15. Wheatley, 16. Ben Dobbie.

ALTRINCHAM (Dark blue shirts with yellow sash, dark blue shorts): 21. Matthew Gould, 30. Harry Perritt, 26. James Jones (c), 5. Sonny Aljofree, 34. Miles Welch-Hayes, 10. Elliot Osborne, 18. Ben Pringle, 11. Luke Burgess, 27. Aaron Bennett, 35. Tyrese Sinclair, 29. Regan Linney. Subs: 1. Ollie Byrne, 4. Isaac Marriott, 8. Josh Lundstram, 9. Jordan Hulme, 33. Egli Kaja.

Just four days after losing a semi-final in the FA Trophy in heartbreaking circumstances, Altrincham now faced another semi-fina, this time in the Cheshire Senior Cup, a competition they had not won since 2009.

In the preceding week, Runcorn had changed their manager and Billy Paynter was now the boss.

Altrincham kicked off in front of a sizable crowd on the Linnets' hybrid grass/artificial surface.

Although Altrincham started with some decent possession in the early stages it was Runcorn who got in the first meaningful shot as an effort came off Gould's chest for a home corner (10 mins).

After a stoppage for a head cut to Brown, a Sinclair cross earned Alty's first corner but, despite seeing plenty of the ball, Altrincham had created no real chances (14 mins).

However, from the corner, taken short by Bennett to Pringle, the latter crossed towards the back post where Jones half-volleyed the ball home after it had cleared the head of Welch-Hayes. So Alty led 0-1 (15 mins).

Apart from honest endeavour there was little of note in the next ten minutes, which largely took place in midfield.

However, Altrincham's dominance of possession did earn them three corners in two minutes as the half-hour was reached, but nothing came of the trio of flag-kicks.

But then, out of nothing, Bennett fed Linney and his rising shot found the top corner of the net (34 mins).

At 0-2 Altrincham were comfortable as the first half concluded with zero added time despite a significant stoppage earleir for Brown's head injury.

For the second half, Wheatley replaced Brown and the Linnets started the half on the front foot with Clifton having a shot blocked before the home side enjoyed a spell of possession (51 mins).

At the other end, a Sinclair feed got Linney running towards the byline and his pass to Burgess should have been finished with a shot on target by Burgess but the Oldham loanee shot wide (56 mins).

Soon, Burgess was withdrawn in favour of Kaja, who has missed a long spell with injury but who was soon looking lively here (59 mins).

j Kaja next fed Linney, whose shot forced a good save (61 mins). After a significant stoppage of time for an injury to Heathcote, Short replaced the ex-Alty captain of the Linnets (67 mins).

Rooney fired just wide for the hosts (71 mins) before Linney struck the bar with a dipping shot (71 mins).

Next, a Kaja shot won the first of two successive corners but they came to nothing (75 mins).

Bennett did then force a save (77 mins) before also having a shot blocked (80 mins).

The hosts surprisingly changed their keeper as Roberts replaced Taberner but soon afterwards the new custodian was beaten as Perritt fed Linney who advanced to score from close range, making it 0-3 (84 mins).

Kaja continued to impress and he now fed Pringle, whose well-hit shot went narrowly wide (85 mins).

The final act was audacious chip from just inside the Linnets' half by Bennett which found the back of the net to make it 0-4 (89 mins).

Again referee Darren Rogers found no added time and the game concluded with Altrincham having safely secured a place in the final.