ONLY when captain Chris Dale kicked a stoppage-time penalty could Northwich be certain of victory.

Their eighth successive league win was probably the hardest-earned, ending with it a sequence of back-to-back defeats away to Sefton.

Blacks will start 2016 four points adrift of a promotion play-off place, and with home matches against the two teams above them in the standings.

January, it seems, will be a defining month this season.

But they can enter it confident that no rival is in better form.

Joel Barber epitomises that, and it is fitting he touched down first after Dale and Matthew Poste had created an opportunity for him to join the attacking line.

Sefton’s remaining defender was powerless to stop him.

There was little to choose between the teams, and a second score did not arrive until the first half’s closing stages.

It was a repeat trick; Dale and then Posted again moved the ball from an attacking scrum to Barber, and he did the rest.

James Underhill’s conversion made it 12-0.

However Sefton reduced the deficit before the break, a quickly-taken tap penalty yielding the reward of a converted try.

The contest remained close after the interval until the home team closed to within two points after converting a penalty.

Northwich, under pressure, eased the tension on 65 minutes after securing a lineout.

The ball was moved Barber’s way and, following a demonstration of fine handling, he burst through a gap before releasing Robin Houghton to touch down the try of the game.

The visitors could not add a conversion, and had to defend resolutely to protect their single-score advantage.

Their job was done though in added time when Dale kept calm to kick a three-pointer.

Blacks return to action on Saturday, January 9 against table-toppers West Park, the only side able to still boast of an unbeaten record this season.