Northwich Victoria 1

Hereford United 0

Nationwide Conference

Saturday, January 6

Report by NICK SMITH

IT could so easily have been Tottenham, but this important win for Vics on FA Cup third round day will go a long way to relieving the pain of their heartbreaking exit from the competition.

.In fact, given manager Keith Alexander's one-eyed focus on Conference survival, he probably wouldn't have swapped Saturday's result for anything, including a dream tie with the London Premiership giants

The two second round epics with Leyton Orient were components of a run of five without a win, but with a side adapting to injury and accommodating new faces, there is more than one reason to be pleased with the much-needed three points.

It was down to Richard Mitchell who, on his first appearance, contributed little but the 73rd minute winner - surely the sign of a good goal poacher.

Hereford, fourth at the start of the game to Vics' 18th, will be disappointed they didn't get on the scoresheet to stay in the title race. The trickery of Gavin Williams was always a worry and they even threw on legendary former England international Steve Bull immediately after going behind.

But this was Bully's first appearance for the Bulls since retiring from Wolves with a wrecked knee in 1999 and he would go hobbling back to the bench before the end of the game.

On this occasion the goalscoring glory was reserved for Mitchell, who first thought he'd scored when he flicked Mark Devlin's cross past Scott Cooksey.

Mitchell seemed to be wheeling away in celebration as his header hit the foot of the post, but the rebound rolled back to leave him with the simplest of tap-ins.

It could have been a perfect start for the new boys, with Ian Robinson having Vics' first real effort, flicking John Roberton's cross onto the roof of the net in the ninth minute. He also had their last attempt, coming within inches of making it 2-0 as his side grew in confidence towards the end.

Robertson himself fancied his chances of making the scoresheet, missing the target narrowly with one 35-yarder, finding Cooksey's hands when he volleyed another.

Prior to Mitchell's strike Adie Mike had the best chance for Vics in the 54th minute when Mark Barnard intercepted Cooksey's throw to place a pinpoint cross onto Mike's head, but he sent it wide of the post.

It seemed the absence of Gary Fletcher would prove costly, especially as Hereford had their own dangerous front man in Williams.

He almost opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a fine volley from the angle of the area which Lance Key, possibly benefiting from better eyesight since chopping off his blond locks, acrobatically tipped away.

But he probably wouldn't have been able to do anything about Mark McIndoe's drive a minute later had it been on target. Williams skinned Robertson before his cross was cleared to the Scottish winger, whose half volley fizzed towards the top corner before defying gravity to somehow shave the angle of post and bar.

Not for the first time this season, Vics didn't show they were giving away an extra four days training a week to a full-time side, but United did show flashes which could have given them the edge.

The excellent Matthew Clarke was the most obvious exponent of this in midfield, and his enterprise created the best opportunity of the match when he slid the ball across the face of goal for Phil Robinson to fire over from four yards at the far post.

And the home side were counting their blessings even more when Mitchell pounced 10 minutes later to make it, in terms of home games at least, a happy start to 2001.