COMPETITION : Cheshire Senior Cup 1st Round
DATE - Wednesday 27th November 2024
VENUE - Ideal Building Systems Stadium, Cheadle Heath

LINE-UP Vics’ -
Barry, Camozzi, Faulkner (Jacaj 68’), Saunders, Hurst (Bennett 83’) Unwin, Switters (Exell 68’), Clarke, Smith, Parker. Hughes
Subs Not used : Pennington, Gee

GOALS - Cheadle Town : McKnight 36’ 44’ Pen, 55’, Rodriguez 72’, Davies 74’

Lee Duckworth and Luke Goddard’s first match in charge of Vics showed that they certainly have a job on their hands as they crashed out of the Cheshire Senior Cup at the first hurdle.
With Alex Hughes upfront the only newcomer starting, it was a chance for the current squad to prove to the new management team that they were worth their places. For half an hour, all was going well as Vics pressed high up the field and more than matched their opponents .
Hughes had an early pot shot well saved by Hodges in the Cheadle net whilst Sam Unwin beat his full back in the 10th minute , crossed low but it was well cut out just before the waiting Callum Parker could tap the ball home. Harris Saunders then did well to block Town’s effort on goal as they countered quickly whilst Alex Hughes had another shot blocked in the 19th minute. Matty Clarke fired over from 20 yards a couple of minutes later whilst Parker did excellently down the right and raced into the area but couldn’t quite find Hughes with his attempted cross. It was Cheadle Town who took the lead however in the 36th minute as a clearance fell to Darren McKnight on the edge of the area, and his shot seemed to get a deflection which looped it over the despairing Kier Barry and into the back of the net. Barry then tipped a Parkinson shot round the post before Town were awarded a penalty in the 44th minute after Byrnes was brought down in the box and McKnight sent Barry the wrong way.

HALF-TIME : Cheadle Town 2 Northwich Vics 0

Town started the second half on the front foot. Connor Martin’s acrobatic overhead kick was straight at Barry but it wasn’t long before Town sealed the match with the 3rd goal in the 55th minute as Danny Byrnes fantastic pass found that man McKnight on the far side of the area and he made no mistake from 12 yards. The match now was little more as a training session now for Town although Vics kept trying with Parker shooting just over , when Unwin was well placed whilst Unwin and Hughes both had shots easily saved. Cheadle then scored two goals in 2 minutes to compound Vics misery. Firstly Parkinson set up Rodriguez to finish well from 12 yards before Parkinson’s long ball found Davies who found the bottom corner with his shot.
Then it was just a matter of waiting for the final whistle !

FULL-TIME : Cheadle Town 5 Northwich Vics 0

Not many positives for Vics, especially in the second half though captain Matty Clarke lead by example and newcomer Alex Hughes showed enough to believe that he will become the goalscorer that Vics need.

NEXT MATCH:
Saturday 30th November : away v OJM Black Country 3.00pm