SCOTT’S JUST SPOT ON
IT’S testament to the temperament and composure of this 1874 Northwich team that even on a day when they were not at their fluent best they still cruised through.
Their reward is a place in the FA Vase last four for the first time and co-manager Wayne Goodison admitted afterwards that he can’t play down the prospect of appearing at Wembley in May any longer.
“I think it gets serious now,” he said. “It’s a wonderful achievement to have reached this stage, something we’re incredibly proud of.
“There are four teams left, and all of them will look at it and desperately want to get through to the final.”
Scott McGowan, as he has been so often, was again the visitors’ match-winner. The striker was as cool as Leighton’s Domenico Marsala was rash, and that was the difference.
The latter had already fluffed what turned out to be the Spartans South Midlands League side’s best chance inside five minutes, and then conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge for a ball that Jake Parker reached before him.
McGowan rifled the resulting spot-kick low to goalkeeper Tom Wyant’s right.
Leighton, victors in their previous 11 matches in all competitions, struggled to respond.
They had started brightly, and Marsala sliced horribly wide with the goal at his mercy.
And the hosts went closer still when Alex O’Brien’s dipping strike from distance was helped over the crossbar by 1874 keeper Greg Hall.
The game’s only goal followed, and it appeared to deflate the home team.
James Hatch prompted Hall to save shortly before the break, and he did again afterwards with a more powerful attempt.
Leighton’s attacks were isolat- ed though, and Northwich sent on defender Danny Meadowcroft to deal with their threat at set-pieces. A weapon in the opening period, even that faltered as the game unfolded.
1874 were content to defend, and snuffed out their opponents’ threat with the minimum of fuss.
Substitute Lorrell Smith went closest for Leighton shooting straight at Hall.
Goodison added: “We did a professional job, and games like this are often settled by how each team handles the key moments.
“We’ve got guys in our side who are used to the big occasion, and I think it showed.”