STEVE Wilkes accused his players of immaturity after Northwich Victoria conceded a late penalty that secured for Silsden a replay.

Aidan Kirby kept calm after referee Liam Corrigan spotted a handball by Michael Wilson, rolling the spot-kick past goalkeeper Danny Taberner to earn the Cobbydalers a second crack at Vics.

“I’m fuming,” Wilkes said afterwards.

“We don’t seem to know how to see a game out; with 90 seconds left, we’ve given the ball away after trying to dribble in the middle of the pitch.

“That’s annoyed me, and we have to learn from it.”

A side shorn of attacking duo Joel Brownhill and Tom Kilifin fell behind inside quarter of an hour when Kirby instinctively used his heel to squeeze the ball between Taberner and Brandon Barski after Khurram Shazad had conjured an opening.

However Vics drew level five minutes later when Clarke’s deft touch steered Kieron Kenny’s header from Ryan Winder’s corner where Silsden custodian Alfie Darke had no chance of reaching it.

Kirby fluffed a chance to restore the visitors’ lead when he delayed long enough for Wilson to disrupt him in shooting stride.

Vics then cursed their luck after Winder bent a low effort towards goal that Darke brilliantly diverted onto the inside of a post.

They were thwarted the same way early in the second-half when Rob Doran’s rising shot clattered an upright via a touch from Darke.

Silsden’s number one was then brave to smother Morgan Crowther’s shot after Martin Grundy’s clipped pass picked out the teenager.

The hosts scored a goal their dominance deserved on 57 minutes when Clarke met Barski’s cross to the back post with a clean contact on the volley.

Arley Barnes had a shot blocked while Shazad fired high as Silsden pressed for an equaliser.

They were gifted an opportunity when substitute Ben Wignall’s cross struck Wilson’s arm, although Northwich players contested animatedly that replacement Dan Illingworth handled first, and Kirby did the rest.

Wilkes said: “It was a penalty, and I’ve no complaints about that.

“Players have to step up now, and that starts when we go there.”

Vics | Taberner (GK), Camozzi, Barski, Winder, Kenny, Wilson, Whyte (Connolly 26), Clarke, Doran, Crowther (Toner 69), Grundy (Fleming 76) Subs not used Henry, Fitzgerald Goals Clarke 19, 57

Silsden | Darke (GK), Hudson (Illingworth 82), Everingham, Kaine, Barnes, Bentham, McKiernan (Wignall 64), Mitchell, Kirby, Shazad, Sorhaindo (Waddington 77) Subs not used Hardisty-Blackwell, Higginson, Brown, Parchment Goals Kirby 14, 90 (+2) (penalty) Booked Bentham, Everingham (both fouls)

Referee Liam Corrigan

Attendance 188