STEVE Lloyd heaped praise on 1874 Northwich’s hat-trick hero Scott McGowan but insisted Barnton deserved a share of the spoils.

The Villagers had taken the lead inside 60 seconds, only to later come from behind twice to secure a draw.

“Had it not been for an outstanding individual performance then we might have been talking about a difference outcome!” said the Barnton manager afterwards.

“McGowan was immense, but my lads stuck to a game-plan that demanded hard work off the ball and to be careful on it.

“That’s a template for how we have to play ow in every game.”

Captain Chris Smith had put the visitors in front when his strike from distance caught out 1874 Northwich goalkeeper Greg Hall.

The home team’s response was instant, and Adam Bayley had to block smartly to thwart McGowan.

However the in-form front man was gifted a chance to equalise from the penalty spot after he was felled by debutant custodian Chris Davies.

He duly took it.

And 1874 took the lead shortly afterwards when the former Congleton front man stroked in from a well-worked corner routine.

McGowan again went close when he fired narrowly over after Danny Meadowcroft had nudged Adam Whitlock’s set-piece into his path.

Barnton drew level though on 33 minutes when Jack Irlam drifted inside from the left touchline before curling an unstoppable shot out of Hall’s reach.

McGowan made it 3-2 in the moments after half-time, again finishing clinically after drifting into a shooting space behind the visitors’ defence.

Taylor Kennerley and Sam Hind both prompted Davies to save as the contest become more open, while Hall had to be alert when Smith tried his luck from the edge of the box.

The Villagers drew level again with a quarter of an hour left, Irlam firing across the home team’s goalkeeper and into the corner after dancing past full-back Jack Lever.

Kennerley went closest to winning it for 1874, only for Davies to produce his best moment of the match to parry the wide man’s fierce effort.

1874 | Hall (GK), Lever, Meadowcroft, Pritchard, Jackson, Matthew Woolley, Waite-Jackson (Parker 67), Whitlock, Kennerley, Hind, McGowan Subs not used Riley, Beadle, Woods, Spencer (GK) Goals McGowan 15 (penalty), 18, 47

Barnton | Davies (GK), Webster, Ford, Stafford, James McShane (Hamid), Bayley, Houghton, Jason McShane, Jack Woolley (Bandell 75), Smith, Irlam Subs not used Pearson, Warren, Kiernan (GK) Goals Smith 1, Irlam 33, 73 Booked Stafford

Referee Blake Antrobus

Attendance 264

Additional reporting by Jack Owen