Jack Owen tells the full story of a remarkable 7-3 win for 1874 Northwich against Mossley on Saturday…

1874 NORTHWICH produced a remarkable comeback, coming from 3-0 down to score seven without reply against high-flying Mossley.

Mossley, who have started the season brightly, travelled to Townfield looking to get their promotion bid back on track after a recent stutter but found a 74 side who never know when they are beaten.

A ferocious start from the visitors caught 74 cold.

Harry Pratt reacted quickest against his former club to steer home a rebound in the box to open the scoring, Devon Matthews then stabbed the ball home after Jack Bannister’s free kick cannoned off the upright in to the defender’s path before Bannister himself compounded 74’s early misery by making most of some static defending to hammer past a helpless Aghayere to put the Lillywhites in a commanding position after 20 minutes.

74 never looked out of the contest however, having moments of their own before Mossley even took the lead.

A glimmer of hope arrived in the form of Jake Parker – he angled a perfectly-placed strike in to the net after being teed up by Callum Gardner inside the area.

A second 74 goal arrived moments later – a slick passing move released Mackenzie O’Neill, who drove in to the Mossley box and a desperate tackle by Matthews knocked the ball in to the path of Mike Koral, who placed the ball in to the top corner.

The 74 tails were now firmly up.

Waves of attacks on the Mossley goal paid off as Joe Woolley used his quickness of feet to draw a clumsy sliding tackle inside the box, and older brother Matt calmly slid home the penalty to bring the scores level.

That was not the end of the drama for the first half.

O’Neill collected Lucas Weir’s pinpoint cross in the box and with one touch to set himself, his second saw him fizz a shot underneath the Mossley keeper and complete one of the most incredible first-half turnaround you are ever likely to see.

The weather conditions worsened in the second half, but it wasn’t to bother 74 and more specifically Weir – his rasping effort from 25 yards was the goal of the game.

He took aim and unleashed a perfect strike which nestled in to the bottom right corner.

O’Neill then grabbed his second of the game – Joe Woolley delivered from the right and O’Neill was sharp to latch on to the end of it, tapping home from six yards for 1874’s sixth of the afternoon

74 we’re playing some brilliant football given the conditions and more persistent pressure paid off with the final goal of the game.

O’Neill turned provider to cross for Parker, who side-footed a volley in to the bottom corner of the net for his landmark 50th goal for the Greens.

The win saw 1874 climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season and double their goals scored at Townfield tally in a single game.

A cracker of a contest a bitterly cold and wet day – definitely one to remember.