1874 NORTHWICH’S wins to date this season have been earned against three of the Premier Division table’s bottom four teams.

That is proof not of weakness, but that they feel at home at this level.

Ian Street’s men have scored 10 times in those meetings, their latest victory an antidote to the pain of losing to AFC Liverpool in midweek.

It is their most emphatic success so far too.

They might have trailed inside 60 seconds had Shaun Plummer not shot feebly, while at the other end Ryan Mitchell’s header was too close to goalkeeper Callum Jakoleves.

Bacup’s Matt Bryan and Plummer, again, could not hit the target before Paul Connor dived to meet Matthew Ward’s cross from the left with a header that opened the scoring on 20 minutes.

He almost doubled the visitors’, and his own, personal tally only to hit an upright.

Beadle was booked for diving when he tumbled over Jakoleves, Northwich’s top scorer channelling his subsequent anger into two efforts; that one that went wide, the other saved smartly.

He did score, for the fifth time this season, after an hour when he ran onto a lofted ball down the middle before dodging Bacup’s net-minder and slotting into an empty net.

Ward’s dribble deserved better than for his attempt to be deflected to safety, but Mitchell made it 3-0 from the resulting corner with a fiercely-hit attempt.

A fourth goal followed on 78 minutes, this time when Sakeel Abdullah punished sloppy defending by the hosts.

Bacup Jakoleves (GK), Bellamy, Le (Tayo 46), Wager, Esdaille, Gamble, McKenzie (Hussein 73), Oldham, Plummer (Zamma 32), Bond, Bryan Subs not used Morgan, Rahman

1874 Conkie (GK), Mitchell, Farnworth, Aston, Duckworth, Connor, Woolley, Ward, Abdullah, Short (Hurst 75), Beadle (Brandon 73) Subs not used Fossdyke (GK), Bowyer, Thomas Goals Connor 20, Beadle 59, Mitchell 63, Abdullah 78 Booked Beadle (simulation)

Referee Matthew Donohue

Attendance 135

Additional reporting by Garry Clarke