1874 Northwich vs Charnock Richard

Recap

A GRIM GOAL TO VAR FOR 74

By Garry Clarke

 1874 Northwich kicked off a typical end of season affair with Charnock Richard in spectacular style taking the lead in the first minute.

Sam Hare delivered a long diagonal pass into the path of Taylor Kennerley who cut inside to drill the ball past Charnock Keeper Kyle Haslam.

Jack Pritchard went close to adding a second in the 10th minute but his header from a free kick scrapped the top of the bar.

The visitors drew level in controversial circumstances in the 16th minute. Their first attack of the game resulted in a corner which when played into the 1874 penalty area struck a green shirted defender.

Referee Michael Crusham pointed to the penalty spot, amidst protests from several 1874 players the man in black consulted with his assistant and, with VAR not available at St Luke’s Barton Stadium, confirmed his original decision.

Carl Grimshaw successfully dispatched his spot kick.

Grimshaw went close again ten minutes later flicking a header just wide of the target, before Haslam tipped an Aaron Smith shot over the bar, from the resulting corner Mark Jones was just off target with a header.

There was little goalmouth action in the second half of an encounter between two evenly matched mid table teams playing on a difficult dusty pitch in high temperatures.

Just before the hour mark Scott McGowan raced onto a Lee Jackson pass played over the Charnock backline, 1874’s leading goalscorer fired in a shot from a tight angle which blocked at the near post by Haslam who a few minutes later watched a Callum Gardner shot from outside the area just clear his cross bar.

Grimshaw, the league’s leading goalscorer, through he had secured the three points for his side in the 82nd minute. Meeting a cross at the far post with a powerful header a couple of yards from goal he was about to celebrate when 1874 goalkeeper Tony Aghayere flew across the goal to brilliantly turn the ball around the post.

1874 – Aghayere, Hind. Russell, Pritchard (M Woolley 75), L Jackson, Jones, Gardner, Smith (Parker ht), McGowan, Hare, Kennerley (Koral 62). Subs not used Ormrod, Parker.

CHARNOCK – Haslam, Dashli, Walker, Young, Turner, O’Farrell, Davison (Dodd 90), Fairhurst, Grimshaw, Oxley (Noblet 69), Higham (Morris 62).

GOALS – 1874 Kennerley 1 Charnock Grimshaw 16 pen

ATTENDANCE 208 REFEREE M Crusham

1874 man of the match selected by match sponsor PETE BAKER = Sam Hare