AS birthday parties go, this will be a memorable one.

And if Hoylake’s plan was to play the pooper, then it did not last long.

Put simply, they were outclassed.

No visitor has lost as heavily in a league encounter at Moss Farm in nine years, when Dukinfield were downed 99-0.

When Richard Dale touched down for Blacks with 11 minutes left, and then converted, the hosts sensed they might make it past that total.

However they did not score again.

That will be forgotten quickly, for a bonus-points haul – coupled with a shock defeat for title-rivals West Park – leaves Martin Poste’s men four points clear at the South Lancs/Cheshire Division One summit.

On an afternoon when the club celebrated its 50th anniversary, and some who were there from the start in 1965 watched on, it was an unexpected gift.

They boosted a crowd that saw their favourites run in six tries in both halves.

Nick Baldwin, as if affronted by seeing his first penalty attempt strike an upright, did not miss again.

From his boot began a move that ended with Dale scorching to the line on the right midway through the opening period.

Baldwin converted, a trick he repeated after Chris James had punished a defender’s handling error four minutes later.

A third try followed when Matthew Poste and then James Reilly moved the ball slickly to late-arriving Michael Bradshaw, who barged over.

Underhill’s burst to the line for a fourth completed a storming 10-minute spell during which Hoylake could barely put a hand on their quicker-thinking opponents.

Baldwin, after adding extras to those two tries, got in on the act himself after Dale had been held up close to the line.

He then departed with an injury, leaving Underhill to convert.

And Blacks dominance was made more emphatic before the break when, after making forward progress down the left after a turnover, Robin Houghton sent in captain Chris Dale who had followed the wide man in support.

Three more tries were added to Northwich’s tally in the moments after half-time, when Poste and Houghton, twice, touched down.

Joel Barber sent in Houghton to complete his hat-trick shortly afterwards, then his teammate returned the favour on 66 minutes at the end of a flowing move from left to right.

Dale, from a clever offload by Reilly as he was tackled, then ended the contest as he had started it – by scoring a Blacks try from an overlap.

His kick took the score to 77-0, the seal on a 14th successive league win.

One more and they will equal a sequence from a decade ago.

An omen? Perhaps, that season they went on to finish first in this division.

Northwich | Michael Bradshaw, James, Maddocks, Farley, Chris Bradshaw, Heywood, Naylor, Chris Dale, Poste, Underhill, Richard Dale, Reilly, Baldwin, Houghton, Barber Replacements Vaughan, Harrison, Davies Tries Richard Dale (2), James, Michael Bradshaw, Underhill, Baldwin, Chris Dale, Poste, Houghton (3), Barber Cons Baldwin (4), Underhill, Richard Dale (2) Pen Baldwin