WAYNE Goodison said he was disappointed that 1874 Northwich had failed to score following their FA Vase semi-final first-leg defeat at Thatcham Town on Saturday.

However the co-manager said his players achieved overall what they had set out to.

“The tie is in the balance, and that’s what we wanted,” he told the Guardian.

“We didn’t play well, and we’re always disappointed to lose, but it’s job done in terms of our objective.

“Can we improve? Yes, absolutely. And we’ll need to.

“We’d have liked a goal, and tried to be positive about getting one, although it wasn’t to be.

“We’ve plenty to think about, but there’s no sense at all that we’re at a big disadvantage.

“There have been plenty of occasions this season when we’ve been 1-0 down and recovered, only this time we’ve a whole 90 minutes to turn it around.”

An early goal by the Kingfishers, when Ross Cook converted from the penalty spot after Mark Jones had tripped Shane Cooper-Clark, appeared to unsettle the visitors.

Indeed they will have been grateful to goalkeeper Greg Hall for a string of first-half saves to maintain a slender gap between the teams.

The Northwich number one was much less active in the second-half, while his opposite number Chris Rackley produced a brilliant save to deny Sam Hind.

Goodison said: “The penalty shook us.

“It was the right call; Mark Jones tried to nick the ball but their guy just got there ahead of him.

“It put us on the back-foot, and we didn’t settle until midway through the first-half.

“The interval gave us a chance to set one or two things straight, and we told the players it was normal to feel pressure in the circumstances.

“It’s a big prize after all.

“They were more relaxed after that.

“It turned into chess match in the second period; we wanted to try and get a goal rather than shut up shop, and we made two positive substitutions.

“I’m not surprised it was cagey though, and Thatcham had a dilemma too – whether to push for a second or make sure they kept a clean-sheet.”