COMPETITION : FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
DATE - Saturday 20th September 2025
VENUE - The DT Hughes Community Stadium, Maghull

LINE-UP Vics’ -
Mendes, Kandeke, Harrison, Davis, Sutton, Atkinson (Crane 76’), Lloyd (Potter 85’), Clarke, Gill (Cooke 59’), Deering (Eme 71’), Hamm ( Djabi 59’)
Goals: Northwich Vics : Hamm 22’, Cooke 77’

Vics progressed through to the next round of the Isuzu FA Vase with a hard fought victory in torrential rain against a very good Maghull side.
It was a fairly even match throughout though Vics started brightly and thought they had gone ahead in just the 2nd minute as Kieran Hamm out muscled the last man and slotted the ball past Luke Reilly in the Maghull net. However the referee ruled that Hamm had fouled his man though it looked like he was just stronger and quicker! Maghull then fired a free-kick over the bar before they too thought they had scored as they got to the byline and pulled a low cross back which was hammered home, but the ball had gone over the byline earlier. Still no goals. Vics had a good chance when they earned a corner in the 18th minute which was met at the far post by Harry Davis but he could only side-foot the ball past the post. However they took the lead in the 22nd minute as Ryan Atkinson made a great run towards the box ,and found Kieran Hamm who slotted the ball past Reilly to give Vics the lead. Atkinson then fired just wide and also had a header at the far post easily saved. Vics were finishing the first half strongly, Sam Gill hammered a first time shot which Reilly saved brilliantly, before in the final minute of the half, Gill crossed for Hamm to head goalwards but it was cleared off the line by a defender somehow.

HALF-TIME : Maghull 0 Northwich Vics 1

The rain continued, as torrential as ever but the pitch was holding up well though it made ball control difficult at times. Maghull were playing patient passing football and testing Vics. In the 51st minute, they escaped down the right with Sam Smith who pulled the ball back for Nathan Peet to force a great save from Andre Mendes. The next minute, Vics claimed a penalty as Sam Deering was through on goal and looked to have been taken out by the keeper Reilly, but the referee again ruled otherwise! Sam Gill then had a great chance as Reilly spilled a cross but he could only poke the ball over the bar from 5 yards out. Maghull started to press more now and were having plenty of the ball but Vics defence were looking solid though Mendes did have to make another good save as he dived to his right to keep out a Jacob Till header. Vics had a close call minutes later as Mendes failed to collect a cross and the ball bounced around the area for a bit before being cleared. As Maghull pressed, Vics took the chance to break quickly in the 77th minute through Ben Crane who made a great run virtually the length of the pitch before sliding Sean Cooke in who fired into the corner of the net via a deflection to give Vics a vital cushion. This deflated Maghull and it was Vics who finished stronger as Djabi, Crane and the Djabi again had chances to totally finish off the match before they finally saw out the victory to leave the Vics fans singing in the rain.

FULL-TIME : Maghull 0 Northwich Vics 2
All credit to both sets of players for coping with the difficult conditions and creating an exciting match to watch. Vics will be pleased to have won without ever playing their best but in cup competitions it’s the result that counts rather than the performance.

NEXT GAMES : Wednesday 24th Sept : Vics v Winsford Utd 7.45pm
: Saturday 27th Sept : Lye Town v Vics 3.00pm NB This match was originally at home but has been switched to away due to a clash with Runcorn Linnets' FA Cup fixture.