1874 NORTHWICH needed little more than an hour on Saturday to make sure they would bring back maximum points from a trip to Abbey Hey.

A third successive victory is ideal preparation too for a trip to high-flying Bootle next weekend.

The visitors started promisingly, and Taylor Kennerley dribbled into a shooting space from which his effort was deflected off-target.

Sam Hare teed up Jack Tinning, back in the starting line-up following a six-week absence through injury, and his effort flashed past an upright.

The midfielder turned provider again shortly afterwards, this time for Jack Irlam and his shot also went close.

An opening goal for 1874 did arrive after half-an-hour when Mark Jones steered in a loose ball off an upright.

They continued to apply pressure but had to wait until five minutes after the interval to move further in front when Scott McGowan converted from close-range.

And the in-form Northwich striker repeated the trick on 64 minutes when he increased his tally for the campaign to 31.

He has also found the net now in five successive matches too.

The visitors rarely looked likely to concede at the other end against opponents who prop up the North West Counties League's Premier Division table, and kept a clean-sheet for the first time in 15 matches.

Management duo Paul Bowyer and Wayne Goodison sent on new recruit Martyn Andrews as substitute while Sam Hind also made his first appearance of the campaign when he replaced Tinning.

Skipper Matthew Woolley headed off-target, but by then the outcome had long since been decided in his side's favour.

Abbey Hey | Heywood (GK), Barlow, Golden, Edwards, Okonkino, Whitehead, Oko, Stringer-Moth, Watling (Amado 56), Dale (Ibrahim 54), Byers-Wilkes (Maguire 68) Subs not used Hopkins, Humphries

1874 | Aghayere (GK), Russell, Tinning (Hind 77), Pritchard, Jones, Irlam (Gardner 69), Koral (Andrews 81), Matthew Woolley, McGowan, Hare, Kennerley Subs not used Lever, Phipps Goals Jones 29, McGowan 50, 64

Referee Alan Bennett

Attendance 149