DESTINY of the league title is now back in Northwich Victoria’s own hands.
Their 2-1 home success against Stone Old Alleynians, along with closest rivals Hanley Town’s 2-2 draw at Dudley Town, means they have control again at the top of the Midland League Premier Division.
A previous advantage was clawed back by Hanley, but Vics are now five points clear with 10 games remaining so even though the Stoke outfit have a game in hand they now have to rely on Vics dropping points.
That hardly seemed likely at the Apec Taxis Stadium in Runcorn on Saturday afternoon when The Trickies were rarely threatened.
They did make life a littler harder for themselves than it needed to be by missing a glut of early chances and then conceding a 67th-minute penalty at a point they led 2-0 and had possibly pressed the cruise button in awful wet conditions that led to the playing surface worsening by the minute.
Vics had to dig in for the final period but they closed the game out and pocketed the points thanks to goals from A-Jay Leitch-Smith (21mins) and Leo Tanswell (46mins).
They are due to visit Brocton on Tuesday, but may need to pray for the rain to stop.
A fourth successive home game, this time against Winsford United, was postponed on Saturday.
A previous Vics scheduled trip to the Silkmore Lane ground in Stafford was postponed, and 1874 Northwich have had two failed attempts – all due to a pitch that holds water in a low-lying, flood-prone location close to the River Penk.
Meanwhile, in the same division, 1874 Northwich stayed third after a 1-1 draw at fellow promotion chasers AFC Wolverhampton City.
The race for the op five is very tight, with the five sides below Greens all within three points of them and then Brocton are three points further adrift but have three games in hand.
Liam Fitzpatrick netted the crucial leveller in the 77th minute for 1874 after Danny Munday put the hosts ahead with a header from a corner in the 18th minute.
Both sides had chances to win it in added time, with Rob Hopley coming close with a volley for the visitors.
Greens keeper Jack Atkinson then did well to keep tight hold of a shot from Kai Houlihan.
Meanwhile, Witton Albion once again showed they can raise their game to better their division’s promotion chasers when they defeated fifth-placed Vauxhall Motors 3-1 at home.
It could have been a wider margin, but Joe Edwards sent a 69th-minute penalty high over the crossbar and Harry Brazel hit a post three minutes later on a surface that got wetter and wetter as the game wore on.
In the end, Albion’s points came virtue of goals from Edwards (18mins), Alfie Bairstow (45+7) and Ben Dufton Kelly (50), while former Albion frontman Kyle Sambor netted a 67th-minute consolation effort for the visitors.
The match was delayed 18 minutes in the first half while one of the assistant referees received medical assistance.
The match was able to resume when 73-year-old former Witton Albion director and secretary Graham Edgeley volunteered to run the touchline in a pair of borrowed boots for the remainder of the game.
Edgeley, also known for his administrative duties with local leagues over many years, qualified as a referee and is a former Football League linesman.
Over at Townsfield, Barnton drew 2-2 at home to Stafford Town in the North West Counties Football League First Division South.
After going two goals in front through Toby Humphries (20mins, 30mins), they conceded a penalty put away by Jayden Bailey-Hunter six minutes into the second half and ended up sharing the spoils from an own goal nine minutes later.
