AND then there were four.

1874 Northwich had their promotion hopes, what was left of them, snuffed out emphatically after a derby humbling against Runcorn Linnets.

It propels their neighbours, who they have failed now to beat in six attempts, to second in the standings.

The next destination for Ian Street’s side is the nearest drawing board.

A sequence of three successive defeats has ended early their season, and their shortcomings – some of them at least – during the latest were all too familiar.

Frustratingly, they were largely self-inflicted as well.

They had survived a scare, when Freddie Potter could not control a header from Ben McKenna’s cross, before taking the lead after 11 minutes.

Lee Jones and debutant Harry Pratt combined neatly, the latter teeing up Jason Carey to rifle a rising shot past goalkeeper Adam Caunce at his near post.

They took the same route, down the left of Linnets’ defence, to conjure another chance shortly afterwards.

This time Carey served Tom Bailey, and the front man’s cross was jabbed wide by Pratt.

In their best spell, they self-destructed.

Lee Jones, already booked for a crude tackle earlier, was dismissed after receiving a second caution for a clumsy – and unnecessary – challenge on Paul Shanley.

1874, after withdrawing Bailey to a deeper role, duly ceded the initiative.

Runcorn needed no second invitation and they drew level when Potter arced a perfectly-placed header out of custodian Greg Hall’s reach from Kieran Nolan’s set piece.

The striker almost repeated the trick seconds later, from another fine McKenna cross, only to see his attempt scrape a post.

Northwich teetered briefly, although they appeared on course to reach the interval without further damage before conceding a second goal from the last kick off the half.

McKenna, marauding up the left, was again the provider and his angled cross was met with the sweetest of connections by late-arriving Kristian Holt.

1874 succeeded in keeping the contest alive during the second period, with Hall only once called into action to parry Mark Houghton’s shot.

However they toiled to create any danger for their guests’ defence at the other end even after the introduction of Tyler Edwards and Joe Woolley as substitutes.

They had reason to be annoyed when Antony Hickey, already booked, clattered into Matty Russell close to the touchline with 15 minutes left.

Referee Conor Brown was unimpressed, instead showing a yellow card to the full-back when he lunged at Shanley in frustration.

Potter served warning of his threat when he volleyed high before substitute Stuart Wellstead, a former favourite at Barton Stadium for both 1874 and Winsford, settled the outcome with a stunning effort that dipped under the crossbar at exactly the right moment.

Another replacement, Zac Aley, curled in a fourth in stoppage time to make it 4-1.

“The score-line is harsh but we didn’t do enough,” reflected Paul Bowyer, 1874’s assistant manager, afterwards.

Even if inadvertently, it neatly described his side’s season.

1874 | 4-3-3 | Hall (GK), Connor, Mitchell (Whiteoak 54), Mark Jones, Russell, Lee Jones, Waldron, Hare, Carey (Joe Woolley 70), Pratt (Edwards 70), Bailey Subs not used Matthew Woolley, Hind Goal Carey 11 Booked Lee Jones, Waldron, Russell (all fouls) Sent off Lee Jones (second caution)

Linnets | 4-3-3 | Caunce (GK), O’Brien, Morris, Hardwick, McKenna, Hickey, Nolan, Holt (Aley 79), Houghton, Potter (Wellstead 85), Shanley Subs not used Lawton, Wade, Burey Goals Potter 32, Holt 45, Wellstead 87, Aley 90 (+3) Booked Holt, Hardwick, Hickey (all fouls)

Referee Conor Brown

Attendance 352