ALL that matters is winning.

1874 Northwich took a longer route to the FA Vase second qualifying round than they would have liked, diverted there after letting slip a two-goal lead established inside 20 minutes.

As is becoming custom, they scrambled a late leveller to keep alive their hopes.

Rather than finishing the job in a replay, Jack Pritchard’s firm header squirmed past Vauxhall Motors goalkeeper Zac Kechil in extra time to settle the outcome.

In between, there was chaos.

The home team, unbeaten in six matches this season, play two levels lower in the West Cheshire League.

And they could have been forgiven for feeling that gap might be too wide to bridge when Adam Whitlock converted a penalty after Andy Harper had handled.

Taylor Kennerley and Danny Meadowcroft both went close before Jake Parker doubled the visitors’ advantage.

He was in the right position to force a loose ball over the line after Paul Connor’s shot deflected into his path off a defender.

It helped the Motormen’s cause that they replied quickly, and David Maher’s free-kick from distance flew into the net on 21 minutes.

A quarter of an hour later, 1874’s lead had evaporated.

Alex Griffiths tempted goalkeeper Greg Hall off his line after sneaking into space behind the away side’s defence, and unselfishly teed up Ryan Nightingale for a simple tap-in.

Kyle Riley, standing in for injured front man Scott McGowan, prompted Kechil to save early in the second half.

The custodian was brave to block Whitlock’s follow-up attempt too after fumbling the initial attempt.

Nightingale then made it 3-2 when he ran onto a long diagonal pass before shooting with power past Hall.

And his teammates started to believe in an upset when Rob Newman’s spot-kick, after Meadowcroft had tripped an opponent, gave them a two-goal advantage on the hour.

Jolted, 1874 mustered a response.

Riley, Parker, Sam Hind and substitute Ben Woods all called Kechil into action while Matthew Woolley scooped high.

However another replacement, Kazim Waite-Jackson, rescued them.

The first of his two goals was aided heavily by Kechil, who let a ball into the penalty area to sneak through his legs on 75 minutes.

A second, drilled with power through a crowded penalty area with time running out, restored parity at 4-4.

Pritchard rose to meet Waite-Jackson’s free-kick with 108 minutes on the clock, finally settling the outcome.

1874’s reward? A meeting with former manager Ian Street, now in charge at league rivals Congleton, later this month.

Vauxhall | Kechil (GK), Harper, Grant, Edwards, Byrne, Moreau, Griffiths, Maher, Newman, Nightingale, Brandon Subs used Stinton, Davis, Brabin Not used Naisby, Waring Goals Maher 21, Nightingale 36, 56 Newman 60 (penalty) Booked Edwards, Byrne, Brabin Sent off Moreau

1874 | Hall (GK), Connor (Woods 65), Lee Jackson, Pritchard, Meadowcroft, Parker, Whitlock (Beadle 55), Matthew Woolley, Riley, Hind, Kennerley (Waite-Jackson 65) Subs not used Lever, Clayton Goals Whitlock 9 (penalty), Parker 19, Waite-Jackson 76, 84 Pritchard 108 Booked Meadowcroft, Beadle, Matthew Woolley

Referee Peter Brown

Attendance 129

Match report by Garry Clarke