How good it is at this time of year to enjoy all the thrills and excitement of a local football derby – a game that contained lots of passion from both players and supporters of both sides as well as a fair amount of skill and commitment.Vics were without the services of the suspended Kerr and Walsh as well as their injured influential striker Steele and so manger Maamria moved skipper Michael Carr to centre back and gave on-loan striker Farquharson his first start of the season up front.The home side took the lead with their first “attack” of the game as Welch’s header fell into the path of SENIOR who advanced forward to strike the ball easily past Tynan after just 3 minutes.This reverse could have really affected Vics but in truth it seemed to stun them into producing one of their best displays of the season.It was no surprise when after 17 minutes Vics equalised – in fact the only surprise was that it had taken that long for the goal to come because wave after wave of attacks had produced chances but no goals.The equaliser had quality written all over it as Battersby, as he continued to do all afternoon, played an excellent ball into the path of one of his front players and AKINS and Williams combined well before the former turned on the edge of the 18-yard box to fire a left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.Vics continued to dominate with Rusk and Byrne prompting most things from midfield whilst Danny Williams was proving more than a handful for the Altrincham defence.However, Vics needed to be mindful of just how threatening Altrincham could be on the break and indeed from one such move the hosts should have retaken the lead but Senior fired well over the bar.On 42 minutes Vics scored what proved to be the winning goal when, after a foul on Akins on the edge of the box, Ryan BROWN struck a sweet left foot drive into the net.After the interval there was always going to be a spell of intense pressure from Altrincham but Vics’ defence superbly marshalled by Carr and Welch held firm – although the agility of Scot Tynan was needed as he just got his fingertips from a fine effort by Little and was relieved to see the ball rebound from the crossbar.Vics should have scored a third goal but after excellent wing play from Williams his inch-perfect cross to the feet of Akins only resulted in the youngster shooting weakly straight at Colburn.There was plenty of action to please most of the 1851 crowd but no further goals and the only black spot for Vics was the silly actions of Luke Horrocks on 78 minutes which resulted in a deserved sending off.

Altrincham: Coburn, Lane, Munroe (O'Neill 75), Tinson, Peyton, Lawton, Aspinall (Sedgemore 57), Scott (Whalley 57), Logan, Little, Senior.

Subs Not Used: McFadden, Bailey.

Northwich: Tynan, Battersby, Carr, Welch, Brown, Danny Williams, Rusk, Byrne, Horrocks, Akins, Farquharson (Morning 80).

Subs Not Used: Connett, Maylett, Strong, Speight. Attendance:1851