Peter Tonge tells the full story of Northwich Victoria’s 2-0 home defeat to Charnock Richard on Saturday…

A MATCH dominated by the weather which Charnock coped with better than Vics to get three well deserved points.

Vics actually started on top and had the ball in the net in the first minute as Luke Sephton broke through and finished well past Jakovlevs but was rightly given offside.

Two minutes later, Matty Birchall slid Brad Lynch through but his shot was deflected wide for a corner, which he floated in towards the net but it was cleared from on the line.

Charnock didn't have their first real effort until the 14th minute as a good move from the right found Brad Carsley in the middle outside the area and he fired in a great strike which went inches wide.

Charnock were unlucky in the 24th minute when Bibby crossed from the right low to Lewis Haydock, who tried to flick the ball home from three yards out but the ball was held up by standing water and allowed Chris Cheetham to gratefully dive on it before it crossed the line.

Vics then went close as a free kick was flung into the box and was fortunately headed just wide of the post by a Charnock defender who didn't know a lot about it.

The resultant corner taken by Adam Owen was swung onto the top of the Charnock bar and out for a goal kick as Vics tried to take advantage of the wind.

Cheetham was then called into action again as he dived to his left to turn away a curling shot from Danny Regan.

The action then turned to the other end as Sephton broke well and crossed the ball but Ashley Young just managed to clear before Birchall could knock the ball goalwards.

The action was end-to-end now but neither team could create that clear cut chance as both defences coped well.

All in all, an entertaining first half especially given the continuous torrential rain and swirling wind.

Charnock started the better in the second half as Jordan Darr’s shot was blocked for a corner, which was tipped over for another corner by Cheetham.

However, Charnock took the lead in the 50th minute as Haydock's centre from the right was deflected high to the far post where the unmarked Darr had the easiest chance to head the ball home from a few yards.

Charnock were now well in control as Vics struggled against the wind.

In the 53rd minute, Cheetham was forced to parry away a Carsley effort from a corner whilst a series of half chances in the 60th minute led to Bibby poking the ball just wide of the post.

Regan then had a great chance to increase the lead when he was one-on-one with Cheetham but his shot was wayward.

Darr was then next to produce a wild shot when again well placed.

Vics were struggling to create anything now as Charnock continued to dominate and they had a goal disallowed in the 77th minute for offside.

It was only a matter of time until they extended their lead, which they did in the 84th minute as Darr broke quickly down the right and crossed deep to Carsley, who angled his header back past Cheetham into the far corner to seal the match.