Nationwide Conference

Saturday, March 13

NEIL Illman rediscovered his scoring form in blistering fashion on Saturday to ensure Vics were never in danger of suffering a third successive defeat.

Indeed, considering Northwich's determination to defy the form guide this season, the travelling faithful wouldn't have been surprised had the Greens lost to a team struggling at the lower end of the table.

But to underline the side's inconsistency they produced a fabulous display of football to completely demolish Farnborough.

With a little more luck and some steadier finishing Northwich could easily have smashed all previous Conference goalscoring records. As it was, they had to settle for their biggest league win of the season.

Neil Illman, returning to the starting line-up in the league for the first time since the Dover home win on January 9, got off to a flying start, earning a penalty after just three minutes.

Debutant 'keeper David Coles, signed 24 hours previously from Aldershot, pulled down the striker on the right of the box and Steve Walters duly converted from the spot.

Ian Cooke went inches wide with a header shortly after the restart, but he redeemed himself on eight minutes when his head down in the area fell to Mark Devlin whose low shot beat Coles just inside his right hand post.

Farnborough did their best to raise the game but could only muster a wayward shot from Steve McKimm before Vics added a third on 13 minutes.

A Steve Walters free-kick found Illman on the edge of the box, who turned quickly before thundering a great shot into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

It was no more than Vics deserved on an afternoon when their vibrant passing game was at its best.

Nevertheless, Farnborough pulled one back after 19 minutes by virtue of a controversial penalty decision. It was the second time in four days the Greens have been on the wrong end of a dodgy decision but, as in the Doncaster game, it was to have little effect on the outcome.

Referee Perkin brought play to a halt as Vics cleared from their own area and pointed to the spot. With both sets of players and supporters mystified, veteran striker Chris Boothe stepped up to place the ball beyond Lance Key from the penalty spot.

But the home side's hopes of a revival were to prove shortlived. Within seven minutes Vics restored the three goal cushion thanks to an Illman strike from 10 yards following good build up play down the left from Darren Vicary and a clever lay off in the area from Cooke.

At that stage Vics looked capable of scoring with every attack but they had to wait until eight minutes before half-time to add the fifth. Illman turned provider, Coles weakly palming away his deep cross from the right, allowing Vicary to capitalise by heading the ball home.

Shortly before the interval Cooke had a gilt-edged chance to make it six after being put through by Walters but he shot weakly wide with only the confidence-drained Coles to beat.

By comparison, the second period was a much more pedestrian affair. But it still had enough penalty area action to keep the small crowd entertained. Just 10 minutes after the restart Perkin made another harsh decision by sending off Steve McKimm for allegedly kicking Stuart Terry.

Despite appeals from Terry himself the player left the action and Farnborough resigned themselves to the inevitable which was underlined 10 minutes later when a sweeping move between Vicary and Cooke released Cooke, who found Illman with a delightful chipped pass. He duly converted his first hat-trick for Vics.

In the closing stages the recalled Carwyn Williams headed wide, Illman fired just wide with an acrobatic overhead kick and saw another shot narrowly miss.

For Farnborough, they will have been thankful the score didn't touch double figures. For Neil Illman, it was a glittering return to form which must surely have earned him a place alongside Paul Tait for Saturday's Umbro Trophy clash.

Farnborough: Coles, Hooper, Wye, Stemp, Miller, Baker, Boothe, Robson, Wingfield (Hayward 75), West (Harte 39), McKimm. Not used: Underwood.

Vics: Key 7; Duffy 6, Birch 7, Crookes 7, Simpson 6; Devlin 8 (Webster 77), Terry 8, Walters 8 (Bates 89), Vicary 9; Cooke 9 (Williams 73), Illman 9.

Goals: Walters 4 (pen); Devlin 8; Illman 13, 26, 67; Vicary 37. Boothe 20 (pen); Ref: N Perkin (Gravesend); Att: 552; MoM: Neil Illman.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.