“HE’s the reason we’re here, he sold it to us.”

Paul Bowyer is not being sentimental.

He can’t be, for not enough time has passed since Ian Street walked into the dressing room at St Luke’s Barton Stadium to tell his players he planned to resign.

“He just said ‘I’m done’,” reveals his assistant, talking to the Guardian in an empty boardroom after 1874 Northwich’s 4-1 defeat against Runcorn Linnets.

“It’s upsetting; he feels it more than most.”

Through a side door, and after his side’s heaviest loss to one of their closest rivals, is not how Street envisaged leaving.

He did have a plan though, and told the board last weekend the current campaign would be his last.

After moving house in the summer he has had to travel further to take training, and to get to home games.

A re-match this week against Witton Albion – opponents in a Mid-Cheshire District FA Senior Cup final after which he delivered a first trophy for the club almost a year ago – makes the timing more unfortunate.

“For us, it was never ‘just’ the Mid-Cheshire FA Senior Cup; look at the reaction afterwards from our players and supporters and how much it meant to them,” he said that night following a 3-0 win.

He described it as his ‘favourite moment’ since he was appointed four years ago.

Northwich Guardian:

Ian Street, far left, celebrates with his players after 1874 Northwich's victory against Witton Albion in the Mid-Cheshire District FA Senior Cup final last season. Picture: M Darlington Photography

There have been plenty of others.

That includes this season, including a double against Runcorn Town and creditable draws at Linnets and Bootle – all of them direct rivals for promotion.

Those results ought to have ended a debate about 1874’s record in so-called ‘big games’.

However a 1-0 reverse at Atherton Collieries, when they delivered a subdued performance that lacked pep, served only to reignite it.

Subsequent home losses against Padiham and then Linnets yesterday brought a premature conclusion to their promotion bid and, as it happened, Street’s reign.

He has delivered a top-four finish in each of three full seasons, and won two-thirds of the 150 league games he picked a side for.

However a section of the club’s fan-base has grown restless that the best side he has assembled in that time looks likely to finish fifth.

The North West Counties League is an unforgiving one, and a challenge to get out of it among the toughest in non-league with only a single promotion place for the champions.

They set out to challenge for the title, something they remained firmly on course to do until that slender reverse at Alder Street last month.

“I feel frustrated because we haven’t done ourselves justice; ok, we lost, but we haven’t gone down fighting or had a real go at them,” mused Street afterwards.

His side has never recovered.

That does not mean their candidacy for top spot was an illusion.

The former Winsford United manager said at the outset that he was not daunted by expectation at a newly-formed club followed largely by fans used to watching Northwich Victoria in non-league football’s top tier.

“I’m not frightened that supporters will expect us to do well, and nor should the players be,” he said.

“I’ll be telling those that I want to sign that they’ll be helping to make history as part of a new club. That will be my message.”

As Bowyer affirms, it was a powerful one.

Indeed, a trial in the summer before the club’s maiden campaign attracted more than 50 players to Moss Farm.

The defender, who later joined the management team, remembers because he was one of them.

“It was quite a sight,” he adds.

Northwich Guardian:

Ian Street, left, and Paul Bowyer 

1874 have come a long way since with Street as a guide.

They missed out on promotion only on goal difference at the end of their maiden campaign, but accepted an offer to step up anyway after Formby resigned from the competition.

A third-place finish followed on their debut in the Premier Division.

They were fourth the next, and further from top spot.

He steps down with 1874 eight points adrift of Colls, who have a game in hand.

The final leg of his journey, with the Northern Premier League as a destination, has proven too far.

However that does not mean those that have been with him along the way haven’t enjoyed a ride to this point.

“The potential is there to achieve something special,” he told the Guardian during a first interview after starting the job.

The smile on his face in the dark outside Wincham Park last April is proof he’s done exactly that.