VICS ascended to second spot in Evo-Stik Division One North after recording a seventh straight league win on Saturday.

First-half goals by Gary Burnett and Brian Summerskill proved enough to claim all three points after Shaquille Antoine-Clarke had fired the Millers in front on 27 minutes.

Jim Gannon's men opened cautiously, with the manager admitting that team changes through injury and illness played a part.

He said: "We started the game a little tentatively and we needed time to adjust to the changes in team, their shape and the playing surface.

"I felt we only sparred with New Mills in the opening quarter of the match but as soon as they hit us with a big sucker punch we woke up and started to hit back with much more power and purpose.

"We created some really good openings and a few of our players will be having a hard time getting some of the misses out of their minds. But thankfully for us those misses didn't count in the end and the strong finish to the first half put us in a position to win."

Gannon felt his team applied the right tactics.

"Throughout the game there was a real tactical battle between the teams with us adopting an aggressive system against their three-man central defence," he said.

"As New Mills chased the game we found it difficult to contain their wing-backs as they became much more aggressive in their wide attacks.

"However, our back-line held strong and we defended set-plays manfully. In the end we deserved the win on the balance of the overall game, but it was hard-fought and hard-earned.

"I never expected anything but a tough, tight encounter. Only a single goal separated us in our previous meeting at Church Lane and New Mills always are strong at home."

Vics: Deasy, Smalley, Ali, Henry, Clarke, Cook, Summerskill, Roddy (Gorman 71), Sanogo, Dixon, Burnett (Matthews 84). Subs not used: Smith (GK), Sherratt, Abadaki.