IT’S only the League Cup.

Try telling that to Witton Albion who, after a dozen successive Premier Division defeats, badly needed the fillip scoring four goals will doubtless provide.

Manager Tony Sullivan had reason to be relieved too, because his strikers netted each of them.

Jamie Rainford and Jamie Henders both opened their account for the club, while Alex Titchiner’s expertly-taken brace is further proof – after an FA Trophy winner at Sheffield earlier this month – his confidence is growing.

Witton’s progression, in the end, was unfussy.

They toiled to tame opponents reduced to 10 men before the break when Jimmy McCarthy’s attempted headbutt off the ball was spotted by referee Mark Duncan, but dominated possession and territory for long enough for victory to be merited.

Sullivan’s experiment to play a defensive trio of Sam Barnes, Ben Harrison and John Shaw showed enough promise to warrant a repeat, while Cliff Moyo embraced the chance to attack often from a wing back berth on the right.

Kidsgrove, enduring a tempestuous time of their own after changing both manager and chairman in recent weeks, were willing guinea pigs.

Albion ought to have been out of sight by the interval.

Rainford did not make a clean contact with Zac Corbett’s cross on 12 minutes, but his shot still had enough power and direction to deceive goalkeeper Joe Hemmings.

The former Marine front man might have had a hat-trick, but curved a difficult chance over and then fluffed a simpler one when shooting too close to Kidsgrove’s custodian when they came face-to-face.

Ben Harrison headed over when left unmarked, wastefulness that was punished when Will Booth – a regular in Witton’s youth team – slammed in a loose ball after the hosts failed to clear a corner.

McCarthy’s mad moment tipped the balance back Albion’s way, though they did not make their extra man count until much later.

Corbett’s low drive was stopped by Hemmings, but it wasn’t until Titchiner’s introduction that the hosts’ attack pepped up.

He speared a perfectly-struck shot into the corner with his left boot after cutting in from the right on 69 minutes to score a goal that deserved to be decisive.

Fellow replacement Henders, who had aimed too close to Hemmings with one effort before slicing off target another, made safe his side’s second-round place with eight minutes to play.

The ex-Cammell Laird man’s lobbed attempt from distance was judged beautifully, dropping over the visitors’ stranded custodian and into the net.

There was enough time for Titchiner to add gloss, lifting a cute finish high into the net after substitute Jon Dawson had split Kidsgrove’s defence.

After the weekend’s woes, Albion can at least smile again.

Witton (3-5-2) Swift (GK), Barnes, Harrison, Shaw, Moyo, Gardner, O’Brien (Dawson 61), Andrews, Corbett, Rainford (Henders 53), Koral (Titchiner 53) Sub not used Speare (GK) Goals Rainford 12, Titchiner 69, 88 Henders 82

Kidsgrove (4-4-2) Hemmings (GK), Grocott, Johnson, Pownall, Brown, Brannan, Flynn, Bailey, Matranga, McCarthy, Booth (Walker 72) Subs not used Hood, MacDonald, Smith, Woods Goal Booth 31 Sent off McCarthy (violent conduct)

Referee Mark Duncan

Attendance 124