SATURDAY 15th DECEMBER 2007

VAUXHALL MOTORS 2 v 1 NORTHWICH VICTORIA

F.A. TROPHY 1st ROUND

The Motormen of Vauxhall produced a wonderful team performance to oust Blue Square Premier rivals Northwich from the F. A. Trophy at Rivacre Park, to book their place in the Second Round draw.

Andy Mutch’s side began brightly and it took them just nine minutes to edge themselves in front.  Home skipper Tom Field won a tussle for the ball on the right, before playing a neat one-two with Peter Heler and striking a decent shot goalward.  It looked like Vics keeper Scott Tynan ought to have had the effort well covered but he completely fumbled his save as the ball bobbled over his body and across the line.

Heler and co-striker Paul Taylor were giving the visitors defence plenty to worry about and might well have added to that early strike.  Taylor turned his marker before firing just wide and twice Heler was unlucky with the bounce inside the area, before Northwich seriously threatened, when Lucas Akins headed wide at the far post on the half hour. 

Motors continued to look the more dangerous side.  Heler beat the offside flag and in the ensuing melee, both Alan Griffiths and Rob Marsh-Evans put up fierce shots and just before the break, Taylor had the Vics defence in knots again only to be denied when his lobbed effort was headed off the line by defender Rynan Brown.

But four minutes after the break, revitalized Vics struck the equaliser, as Luke Horrocks was left in acres of space down the left and as he drew the home keeper Murphy off his line, neatly pulled the ball back to Lee Steele to comfortably convert from eight yards.

Midway through the second period, both Taylor and Vics substitute Mike Byrne went close in quick succession.  First Taylor saw his neat turn and shot well saved by Tynan while Byrne saw his effort cannoned off the crossbar before the referee’s whistle went for offside as Danny Williams fired home the rebound.

But then came the crucial moment of the tie, as another piece of Taylor magic saw him leave his marker for dead, and his inch-perfect cross headed home by former Tranmere player Ged Brannan, again from eight yards out, to regain the lead.

Vics seemed to have leveled matters for a second time just four minutes later, when Williams drove home, but the referee disallowed his effort for controlling the ball with his arm.  Shortly after Nat Kerr was dismissed for a second yellow but the ten-men of Northwich poured forward in an effort to salvage a replay late on, and it took a superb save by Murphy low down to his left from Akins header to clinch their passage.

Vauxhall: Murphy, Owens, Marsh-Evans, Field, Holmes, Brannan, Egerton, Griffiths, Carney (Clarke 47, Hitchen 79), Heler, Taylor.  Sub not used: 14. Wright 15. Wignall 16. Smith