Headline

BARNOLDSWICK battled back from three goals behind but could not quite complete the job as they bowed out of the North West Counties League Men United Cup at the second-round stage.

Northwich surged 3-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes but then had to survive a nervy finale before sealing their progress.

Playing up the slope, the visitors dominated the first half as Town has just one attempt at goal through Joel Melia, which was comfortably saved by Matt Conkie.

Northwich opened the scoring in the third minute when Ryan Mitchell rose highest at the far post to head home a corner delivered by Daley Woods.

Lee Duckworth struck the post with a free-kick in the 13th minute and also hit a later set-piece against the crossbar.

In between these two strikes against the woodwork, the Northwich captain opened his scoring account with another sweetly-struck free- kick.

Matty Ward picked up the ball on the edge of his own area as the visitors cleared a corner, holding off several challenges to run to the edge of the Barnoldswick area, where he was brought down. Duckworth stepped forward to curl the 18th-minute effort into the top corner.

Two minutes later Duckworth swung in a corner from the right which Woods headed past Barnoldswick goalkeeper Chris Taylor from close range.

Picking the ball out of the net was to be Taylor's last involvement in the game as he was replaced by Chris Simpson, having picked up a hand injury.

While Town regrouped and reorganised, Northwich continued to dominate he first half.

Matt Beadle flashed a diving header across the goal, Mitchell had a shot blacked, Woods fired wide from 20 yards and Ward shot over the bar from long distance.

With a home third-round tie against Colne awaiting the winners, a reshuffled Barnoldswick side started to gain the upper hand against their increasingly sloppy opponents.

Northwich had several efforts at goal but failed to force a save, with Beadle, Duckworth and Stuart Wellstead shooting wide of the target.

Melia and Matt Cavanagh both went close in the opening minutes of the second half as the home side attacked the end where the majority of their supporters congregated and it came as no surprise when they pulled a goal back in the 76th minute.

Northwich's backline failed to adequately deal with a long ball, allowing Melia to nip in and take it off Conkie as he tried to clear and roll a shot into the empty net.

Four minutes later Cavanagh reduced the deficit further when scoring from a corner which Northwich failed to clear, setting up a nervous last ten minutes as the visitors continued to surrender possession too easily with numerous miss-placed passes.

Four minutes into time added on, Melia had a shot saved by Conkie. With the ball scrambled clear for a throw in, it was returned into the danger area and only half-cleared to substitute Martin Broderick, who pulled his shot wide as the referee blew the final whistle.