NORTHWICH Victoria spoiled Barnet's championship party on Saturday with a 2-0 win that moved them out of the relegation zone.

But this game was about much more than that. It was about Vics' pride, their future in the Nationwide Conference, Steve Burr's refusal to give up when others may have folded and the return of the prodigal son Paul Brayson.

And all played a part in the win that turned the form and league table on their heads.

Brayson, returning from a brief loan spell at Gateshead, was brought back into the starting line up to solve a goalscoring crisis that had seen Northwich find the net just twice in their past five league games.

And Brayson repaid Burr's faith with a brace that halted Barnet's passage into the Football League and has given Vics a huge boost in their bid for Conference survival.

And in truth it was nothing less than Vics deserved as they made an excellent Barnet side look decidedly ordinary.

The Bees, for all their domination of the Conference, lacked a cutting edge and debutant keeper Kristian Rodgers, signed from Worksop, was rarely troubled by the league's top scorer Giuliano Grazioli.

At the other end, Vics were a constant threat with Jonny Allan working tirelessly and Brayson a constant thorn in the side of the Barnet defence.

And it was the persistant presence of the two strikers that gave Vics their two goals.

The first came from a Danny Mayman free kick on 50 minutes, awarded after a foul on Brayson.

Mayman floated his kick into the box where Brayson rose above the static defence to head home.

The second goal came 11 minutes later. Ismail Yakubu underhit a backpass allowing Jonny Allan to sneak in and steal the ball.

He rounded the keeper, but was forced wide, and laid the ball back to Brayson who buried his shot from close range.

And the striker almost collected his hat trick with the last attack of the game when he collected the ball on the edge of the box and lofted a lobbed shot over the keeper.

Unfortunately the ball bounced off the bar, denying Brayson a claim on the match ball.

Earlier Barnet had been denied a lifeline when Rodgers reacted quickly to tip a Liam Hatch shot wide of the post.

And the same player was denied seconds later when Michael Carr blocked a goal-bound effort on the line from a corner.