Northwich Vics v Bootle FC: Saturday 16th September 2017: League

Competition - North West Counties Premier Division. Date - Saturday 16th September 2017. Venue - Townfield Lane, Northwich.

Northwich Victoria 2 Bootle FC 3.

GOALS-Vics' Brian Matthews 36', Olly Walker 73'. Bootle FC - Dan Murphy 22', Steve Jones 56', Ben Hodkinson 69'.

Line-up's - Vics' - Holmes (D), McDonnell (Riley (D) 67'), Shinks, Lawton (D), Willis, Bennett (C), Shaw (caution) (Cobley 72'), Pino (D), Kavanagh (Smith 90'), Matthews, Walker.
Un-used subs' - Lawrence, Berrisford.
*D* denotes debut.

Bootle FC - Gidley, Haligan, Swatton, Murphy, Rendell, Pratt-Ellis, Howell, Loughlin (C), Jones (Millington 79'), Hodkinson (caution) (Price 86'), Cox.
Un-used subs' - Gregson, Coulton, Taylor.

Vics' M.O.M - Olly Walker. Never stopped running and his movement caused the Bucks' defence plenty of problems all afternoon. Capped a good display with an emphatic finish to give the Vics' a chance of an un-likely draw.
Unavailable for Vics' - Reece Lyndon (thigh), Sam Marshall (banned), Jake Pollard (work), Yaw Gyimah (wrist).

Bootle started this game in dominant mood, with the lions' share of possession, forcing Matt Holmes into early action - Ste Jones' header saved at the base of the post on 8' and fellow strike partner Ben Hodkinson's 20 yarder on 19' being well-fielded by the debutant glove-man Holmes. Bootle finally took the lead on 22' through central defender Dan Murphy's hanging header which nestled into the far corner of the net following a deep cross from the right. Vics' finally mustered a response on 31' when John Bennett's slide-rule pass sent front-man Olly Walker clear but away keeper' Gidley managed to parry his side-foot effort from eight yards to safety. Debutant defender Chris Lawton's header dropped the wrong side of the post from Matty Shaw's resulting corner. Five minutes later Vics' were level when a precise curling in-swinging cross from the right by Matty Shaw found the head of leading scorer Brian Matthews seven yards out, the ball whizzed past Gidley into the near top corner of the net before he even had time to move.
Right on half-time, Bootle nearly regained the lead when Holmes pulled off a superb save from James Howells' low stinging shot from the edge of the box and both teams headed for the dressing rooms all-square at 1-1.

HALF-TIME - Vics' 1-1 Bootle FC.

The second half opened with both sides giving away possession often but the visitors nudged themselves back in front on 56' when a throw-in was allowed to bounce by a static Vics' rear-guard and the loose ball was hooked in left-footed from six yards out by Steven Jones. Vics' probed away and on 66' another Vics' debutant; Mike Pino - saw his left-foot daisy-cutter from twelve yards pushed round the post low down, Gidley seeing the ball late. Ben Hodkinson scored what proved to be the match-clincher on 76' when he received a through-ball from his skipper' Liam Loughlin and Chris Lawton managed to intercept but lost his footing and was robbed, the diminutive front-man advanced into the box and swept home a left-foot shot from ten yards across Holmes and into the far bottom corner of the net. A grand-stand finish was assured though seven minutes later when game-star Olly Walker side-footed home right-footed into the roof of the net past Gidley after Brian Matthews lost control of sub' Jordan Cobley's perfectly-flighted long ball into his feet. Vics' tried desperately to find a late equaliser but couldn't carve out a clear-cut chance as the heavens opened to heavy rain in the closing minutes of the game.

Match report by Jamie Dewsbury.