NORTHWICH VICTORIA 2

BLOOD, sweat and passion was the key to Northwich Victoria's famous victory over Rushden & Diamonds on Saturday writes Scott McLeod.

The Manchester United of non league football were cut down to size by a brave Northwich performance, and for the second time this season.

Only Rushden's fifth league defeat of the campaign, Vics are the first club to do a league double over them and that is a fact which must have hurt manager Brian Talbot.

Because, although man for man Rushden are probably a better equipped side, it was pure passion and spirit from 14 semi-professionals which over-powered his staggeringly well paid side.

Northwich dominated the early stages, during which time Dominic Crookes gave them the lead. But Rushden fought back, equalised and threatened to add more before the break.

Mark Gardiner's interval team-talk must have been simple - run yourselves into a brick wall for the cause.

And that was just how Vics performed after the break, closing down Rushden and cutting off each potential attack with impressive efficiency.

As a result a fine Val Owen goal on 55 minutes proved the difference between the two sides. Indeed, Northwich frustrated Diamonds so much that the visitors seemed more intent on settling personal vendetas and had the referee been stronger Rushden would have ended the game without striker Miguel Desouza.

Northwich, as is now customary, started the game at a sprint, scoring on four minutes.

Stuart Terry, who was a threat throughout down the right, was felled to earn the first of a series of free kicks. Darren Vicary took the kick, swinging the ball in from wide on the right.

The ball was destined for the head of Paul Tait before Crookes intervened, dashing into the area and heading the ball down towards the near-post. Goalkeeper Mark Smith was able to get a finger to the ball but couldn't stop it squirming over the line to the delight of the majority of the 1,802 crowd.

A tight battle, there were few chances at either end. On 25 minutes Vicary sprinted 35 yards with the ball, eluding two tackles, before slipping the ball to Peel on the edge of the box. His first time effort sailed over the bar.

The only chances created by Rushden came from the head of the powerful Desouza.

And it was from that source that Diamonds equalised in the 27th minute. His header from six yards sailed into the corner after a good cross from the right by Jon Brady.

Having oozed confidence prior to that strike Vics seemed shell-shocked.

It provided Rushden with their best spell of the game and, on a number of occasions, they could have taken the lead.

Five minutes later and Colin West pulled the ball back from the wide on the left to Desouza who volleyed over from just six yards.

Ironically though, it was the previously reliable head of Desouza which denied Rushden a second.

Another fast break left Vics undermanned at the back and, when a cross from the left by Paul Underwood found Desouza unmarked eight yards out, it seemed Vics were to be punished. But his header sailed over the bar.

A let off? Yes. But one the home side deserved.

Northwich came out for the second half visibly hungry to prove themselves. And on 55 minutes they got the goal their efforts deserved.

A Terry free kick to the left of the visitors' area fell to Tait on the edge of the box. His shot ricocheted around in the crowded area before falling to the feet of Owen, who lashed the ball through a crowd of players and high into the net from 10 yards.

Rushden had no response. In fact, the talking point of the final 30 minutes was the spoiling tactics employed by Diamonds in a bid to stop Northwich playing their football.

It spilled over into violence on 73 minutes when Desouza felled Mark Birch with a punch off the ball.

It incensed Vics' captain John Robertson, given the armband in the absence of the injured Steve Walters, who confronted Desouza. Had manager Mark Gardiner not dragged him back as a melee ensued he could have been red-carded.

As it was, referee Smith presented Robertson with a yellow while Desouza went unpunished because Mr Smith hadn't seen the incident.

The remainder of the game was controlled impressively by Northwich. But had Mark Birch not cleared an Adrian Foster drive off the line with five minutes to go the home faithful may have been left to rue what could have been.

Northwich: Greygoose 7; Simpson 8, Birch 8, Robertson 9, Crookes 9; Owen 8, Webster 7 (Devlin 73), Terry 9, Vicary 8; Tait 7 (Illman 88), Peel 7 (Cooke 83).

Rushden: Smith, Wooding, Bradshaw (Hamsher 11), McElhatton, Rodwell, Wilson (Heggs 45), Brady, Butterworth. West (Foster 71), Desouza, Underwood

Goals: Crookes 4; Desouza 26; Owen 55; Att: 1,802; Bkd: Robertson; Wilson, Underwood, Heggs; Ref: A N Smith (Castleford); MoM: Dominic Crookes.

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