AFTER a fourth attempt, a victory this season against Burscough.

1874 Northwich were convincing with it, an encouraging sign for management duo Paul Bowyer and Wayne Goodison following a setback at Bootle seven days earlier.

Their side have won four of their past five matches, a sequence they will be optimistic of extending before a Macron Cup semi-finals encounter with Premier Division rivals Congleton at the end of the month.

They might have led inside five minutes against the Linnets but Scott McGowan’s slotted finish rolled wide of the target.

Northwich goalkeeper Tony Aghayere was called into action at the other end 60 seconds later, stopping Connor Finlayson’s shot before a scramble ended with a teammate throwing his body in the path of the ball.

McGowan opened the scoring on 19 minutes, intercepting a stray pass before running into the visitors’ penalty area placing a shot out of custodian Ben Fletcher’s reach.

Chad Whyte’s drive from distance was palmed to safety by Aghayere but he could not prevent Ryan Grier netting an equaliser from close-range.

Jordan Lorde was thwarted by the hosts’ number one before Finlayson screwed an effort wide after 1874 had gifted possession to their guests.

Debutant Aaron Smith was then unlucky to see a direct strike from a free-kick strike the crossbar with Burscough’s goalkeeper beaten.

Bowyer and Goodison sent on Danny Meadowcroft for Jack Irlam after the interval, moving Mark Jones into a midfield role, and it enabled their team to take control.

McGowan made it 2-1 when he turned in Michael Koral’s cross at the near post before the latter got his name on the score-sheet with a powerful drive.

Burscough rallied, Luke Gibson heading wide from a corner before Aghayere tipped over Lorde’s curling flag-kick.

However a distance between the teams was wider when Taylor Kennerley steered in from close-range after McGowan turned provider.

Sam Hind was introduced as a substitute to make his 100th appearance in the club’s colours while Jake Parker, another replacement, came off the bench for the first time since December.

A consolation from Burscough substitute Donald Eumessi completed the scoring with six minutes left.

1874 | Aghayere (GK), Connor, Russell, Pritchard, Jones, Irlam (Meadowcroft 46), Koral, Smith (Parker 74), McGowan, Hare, Kennerley (Hind 79) Subs not used Gardner, Ormrod Goals McGowan 19, 47 Koral 59, Kennerley 75 Booked Connor (foul) 

Burscough | Fletcher (GK), Parkes (Eumesssi 74), Doherty, Gibson, White, Grier, Cummings, Ekpolo, Whyte, Finlayson, Lorde Subs not used Green, Owens Goals Grier 32, Eumessi 84 

Referee David Croft 

Attendance 200 

Match report by Garry Clarke