Northwich Victoria 2
Dover Athletic 0
Nationwide Conference
Saturday, March 10
ICS secured another home victory on Saturday, despite squandering their first penalty awarded at the Drill Field for over 18 months.
By the close of play, Mark Devlin's spot kick miss early in the second half seemed just a footnote, with the midfielder scoring an atoning goal and ensuring a vital three points .
Dover manager Bill Williams had insisted before the match that his adventurous starting system of 4-4-2 meant his side would be "going for it" against the Vics.
But aside from an opening 20 minutes of excellent passing football, Dover's pretensions of a full-on assault remained largely on the drawing board.
Dover's first attack came on five minutes. Midfielder Matt Carruthers, at the heart of every noteworthy Dover move, took a left foot shot on goal from the most acute of angles, with only the far post saving Vics.
The visitors went close again on 19 minutes when Joff Vansittart's acrobatic scissor-kick scaled only inches above the bar.
Vics' first-half attacks came from moving swiftly on the break, but headers from both Gary Fletcher and Gregg Blundell were easily parried by Dover keeper Paul Hyde.
The deadlock was broken in the 42nd minute after sustained build-up play saw an intricate web of passes confuse the Dover defence, with Devlin feeding Adie Mike for a thundering shot on goal that Hyde was unable to grasp.
Vics' confidence ran into the next minute when Mike strode purposefully towards goal, but his shot was this time halted by Hyde.
After half-time Vics renewed the pressure, and after only two minutes a penalty was awarded when Lee Shearer brought down Fletcher
Devlin made a satisfactory spot-kick, but Hyde dived the right way, parrying the ball and claiming the rebound from Mark Barnard - his fourth penalty save of the season.
Hyde's shot-stopping heroics were to be in vain, as Northwich continued to apply the pressure and increased the lead on 72 minutes, although somewhat controversially.
The whole of the Vics' frontline was played onside by motionless defender Jake Laberl, who had been injured just outside the area.
Play was waved on and Fletcher, darting between the remaining Dover defence, played the ball across goal to the unmarked Devlin who thundered the ball straight through to the back of the net - Hyde this time as motionless as Laberl.
Hyde barely survived a hectic goal mouth scramble five minutes later following a Barnard corner. Gary Burke had the final shot on goal, which was cleared off the line by defender Stuart Munday.
Munday was then substituted to allow Williams to change his system to three at the back, but it was a fruitless attempt to claw their way back into it.
The win will bolster Vics' confidence for next Saturday's vital relegation battle with fellow strugglers Hayes, if they can carry their impressive home form - nine games without defeat - onto the road.
Northwich: Key, Bates, Barnard, Talbot, Robertson, Burke, Norris, Blundell (Bailey 84), Fletcher (Mitchell 86), Mike, Devlin. Subs not used: Walsh, Holcroft, Houghton. Attendance 907. Man of the match: Adie Mike
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