Pete Tonge takes an indepth look at how Vics lost a game they were leading against Charnock Richard

NORTHWICH Victoria will look back at Saturday's home game against Charnock Richard as one they had won - and then managed to throw away.

They held a lead thanks to two goals from Aaron Burns (41mins, 71) but two goals conceded in five minutes late on saw them lose 3-2.

It is a result which is hard to take for Vics, having played so well for most of the North West Counties Premier Division game and looking like they were cruising to victory.

READ: What manager Steve Wilkes had to say about the performance

Vics started off on the front foot, and earned a free-kick right on the edge of the area when Tom Powell was clumsily brought down.

The resulting free-kick, taken by Brad Lynch, cannoned off the wall and out for a corner, which came to nothing.

Mike Hale, in the Vics' net, was called into action for the first time when Jordan Darr cut in from the right and fired a shot in at an angle, which Hale did well to push out, and the ball was cleared to safety.

Two minutes later, a long free kick from Hale, and Tom Kilifin took advantage of a hesitation in the Charnock defence to pounce on the ball and fire a shot in which Ashcroft did well to stop.

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All pictures by Angela Buckley

Charnock got the breakthrough in the 21st minute, when that man Darr received the ball on the right side of the area, turned inside and was tripped by Rob Henry.

Carl Grimshaw cooly slotted the resultant penalty away with ease.

In the 29th minute, a quick break by Vics from a corner, found Tom Powell who cleverly plated the ball through to Kilifin, who cut inside his man, but his shot was just blocked and deflected for a corner, which again came to nothing.

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Kilifin, who had been the subject of a few fouls, was then forced off with a knock to be replaced by Aaron Burns.

Four minutes later, a Vics free-kick was cleared long upfield by Charnock, and the pacy Darr outstripped the Vics defence but slotted the ball wide of the post as well as Hale.

Vics quickly took advantage of this let-off and equalised in the 41st minute when a long cross-field ball from Brandon Barski was controlled well by Aaron Burns with his chest and then promptly belted the ball into the net from 30 yards.

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Northwich Guardian:

All pictures by Angela Buckley

Northwich Guardian:

A quietish start to the second half, and it wasn't until the 55th minute that either keeper was tested when Saul Henderson broke down the left and fired a cross into the middle which Ashcroft had to be alert to keep the ball from going in.

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Good play by Vics in the 58th minute nearly led to a second goal when they won the ball well in the middle of the pitch, and quickly laid the ball out to Tom Powell in space down the right, his deep cross was headed down by Henderson and Lynch reacted quickest to fire a shot in, which was just too high over the bar.

In the 60th minute, Lynch reacted badly to an alleged hand ball, and was promptly sin-binned by the referee for 10 minutes.

Despite being down to 10 men for this period, Vics held out well and indeed took the lead in the last of the 10 minutes when they won a corner which Burns floated into the far top corner of the net over the diminutive Ashcroft.

Northwich Guardian:

Northwich Guardian:

All pictures by Angela Buckley

Northwich Guardian:

Northwich Guardian:

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Charnock had a great chance to equalise in the 75th minute when a long ball found Grimshaw free down the right, and his quick low cross just evaded the onrushing Darr by inches.

Charnock did manage an equaliser 5 minutes later when Vics lost the ball on the edge of the Charnock area, who again broke quickly and laid the ball down the right to Darr who outpaced the defence and slotted the ball past Hale into the far corner.

Vics were shaken now, and Charnock earned a corner in the 87th minute which was cleared to the edge of the area, where it was met with an unstoppable shot from Mark Woods to give Charnock the win.

Vics: Hale, Henry, Forbes, Kenny, Barski, Powell, Camozzi, Clarke M, Kilifin (Burns 31), Lynch, Henderson. Subs not used: Robinson, Mannion, Grindrod, Clarke P