1874 NORTHWICH overturned an interval deficit to extend their unbeaten league run to 10 matches.
Matthew Beadle, as he had done when the teams met in the FA Cup earlier in the campaign, helped tip the balance the hosts’ way against his former club.
The in-form front man scored a brace to increase his season goals tally to 15.
Such a feat appeared unlikely during a tepid first half showing from Ian Street’s men, who trailed when Gavin Salmon applied a finishing touch from close range to Josh Harper’s cross.
It was the first attempt to beat 1874 goalkeeper Matthew Conkie in more than six hours.
Inevitably Beadle went closest to an equaliser before the break, his shot on the turn prompting an impressive save from Maine Road custodian Ryan Livesey.
The visitors might have doubled their advantage when Josh Tinker shot too high, then Harper did the same after Salmon had nudged the ball away from Conkie.
1874 levelled on 54 minutes when Neil Chappell, another who wore the visitors’ sky blue last season, thumped in a loose ball after Livesey spilled Beadle’s cross under pressure from Kurtis Gill.
Within 120 seconds a second goal followed, this time Beadle converting emphatically from the penalty spot after Mike Brandon had been fouled when meeting Gill’s header from Jamie Tandy’s cross.
Brandon sent an effort fizzing over after Tandy again assisted, the duo combining once more with a quarter of an hour left when Brandon placed a powerful header beyond Livesey’s reach.
Richard Williams then made it 3-2, punishing sloppy defending, with time running out.
Conkie then palmed away a corner from under the crossbar before Beadle made safe the points with a header of his own four minutes from the end of a close encounter.
1874 have won nine of their past 10 Premier Division matches, leaving them third in the table.
Runcorn Linnets, who have played six more games, are 15 points better off.
1874 Conkie (GK), Connor, Duckworth, McGrath, Mitchell, Chappell, Woolley, Gill (Wellstead 77), Brandon, Beadle, Tandy Subs not used Aston, Bowyer, Crofts, Stewart Goals Chappell 54, Beadle 57 (penalty), 86 Brandon 72 Booked Chappell, Gill
Maine Road Livesey (GK), Thorpe, Flynn, Shenton, Tinker, Gallanders (Settle 77), Morgan (Hughes 62), Breslin, Harper, Salmon (Roe 62), Williams Sub not used McKeown Goals Salmon 24, Williams 78 Booked Salmon, Breslin, Livesey, Gallanders, Thorpe, Tinker
Referee Peter Gooch
Attendance 320
Additional reporting by Garry Clarke
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