1874 NORTHWICH hadn’t forgotten where the goal is after all.

As if to reinforce their point, Ian Street’s men scored four times in a one-side contest’s opening half an hour to swat aside West Didsbury.

They had previously gone five hours without finding the net.

If the hosts felt fragile following five successive defeats in league and cup, then they hid it well.

Only three Premier Division teams have won more matches away from home this season than their opponents, who buckled badly in the face of an early onslaught.

West Didsbury goalkeeper Paul Hughes had saved smartly to deny Stuart Wellstead, twice, before Mike Brandon lifted a deft finish over his head in the sixth minute.

The front man has endured a longer wait than his teammates to celebrate a goal, previously getting his name on the scoresheet at Bootle back on November 4.

Neil Chappell doubled 1874’s lead on 23 minutes, winning a race to Ryan Mitchell’s pass before stepping around Hughes and rolling into an empty net.

Brandon, after swivelling and shooting in one fluid movement, then whizzed in a third goal for his side shortly afterwards.

The 34-year-old, often a substitute this season following Matthew Beadle’s arrival, was too simply too powerful for West defensive duo Alex Baird and Anthony Potts.

They rarely marked him tightly enough to stop him finding a colleague, and when they did the ex-Winsford man shrugged them off as minor irritants.

With opposition attention focused on Brandon, Matthew Ward made the most of being afforded space to arc a perfectly-placed lob over Hughes when increasing the home team’s tally to four goals on 31 minutes.

It was a strike that symbolised 1874’s superiority, settling the outcome of a game in their favour for the first time in more than two months.

Wellstead might have scored too before the break, but a glimpse of goal disappeared when he delayed taking a shot.

Instead the attacker spent the final 25 minutes of the contest as an emergency goalkeeper after Matthew Conkie was forced to withdraw with a stomach muscle strain.

He had parried low to his left to deny Nic Evangelinos earlier in the second period, while opposite number Hughes tipped over Brandon’s header at the other end from Ward’s cross.

It was his final chance, on this afternoon at least, to become the first player in 1874’s short history to score 50 goals.

His replacement, Daley Woods, was denied by West Didsbury’s custodian when he shot with power with 10 minutes left.

The result was distorted by when the visitors struck twice in as many minutes, first when Evangelinos’ attempt from close range squirmed past Wellstead at the near post after Eckersley pulled back from an offside position.

And the provider turned scorer when he rifled high into the net seconds later.

1874 (3-4-3) Conkie (GK) (Foster 67), Mitchell (Short 80), Thomas, Bayley, Connor, Chappell, Stewart, Duckworth, Wellstead, Brandon (Woods 71), Ward Subs not used McGrath, Lunn Goals Brandon 6, 26 Chappell 23 Ward 31 Booked Bayley, Wellstead (both fouls)

West Didsbury (4-4-2) Hughes (GK), Callum Jones, Potts, Baird, Scott Jones (Botchey 56), Hilton (Baldwin-Willis 56), Mason, Rogers, Schofield (Poole 56), Eckersley, Evangelinos Subs not used Gleave, Brocklehurst Goals Evangelinos 87, Eckersley 89 Booked Baird (ungentlemanly conduct)

Referee Adam Dean

Attendance 275