Peter Tonge’s full verdict on Northwich Victoria’s 7-0 thrashing of Bewdley Town on Saturday…

A COMPREHENSIVE victory for the Vics eventually, but it wasn’t all plain sailing.

The first half was a fairly competitive but scrappy display from both teams, with Vics having most of the chances but Bewdley battled well and more than matched the hosts.

Indeed they had the first chance in the fourth minute as they appealed for a penalty which was rejected and the follow-up shot was sent wide.

However, Marcus Perry should have put Vics in the lead shortly later as he was put through one on one with the keeper, who did well to deny him with a one-handed save.

On 20 minutes, Callum Parker was sent through and lobbed the keeper but the ball went agonisingly just wide of the left-hand post.

Two minutes later, it was that man Parker who opened the scoring as he collected the ball in the area, jiggled it round his man and volleyed the ball into the roof of the net – a stunning strike.

Bewdley kept battling though and the rest of the half was scrappy, with Vics giving the ball away a lot though Perry and Parker did have half-chances to extend the lead             

The second half proved to be a different affair, with Vics stepping it up a level and Bewdley couldn’t cope.

There were chances galore – Anton Smith knocked one just wide before Parker got his and Vics’ second in the 52nd minute as a shot from Smith was spilled and Parker was there to knock the ball into the net.

This opened the floodgates and it was all Vics.

Joe Hurst shot wide from 30 yards before Sam Unwin forced his way into the box and was shoved over by a Town defender for a penalty.

Up stepped Parker and he sent Lloyd in the Town net the wrong way to complete his hat-trick.

Parker wasn’t finished yet either – six minutes later, he was on the end of a brilliant cross from Sam Lynch to notch his fourth goal of the afternoon.

Next it was the turn of substitute Unwin to get on the scoresheet with a great flicked header from another Lynch cross.

It was Unwin again in the 82nd minute as he turned in a cross from Perry to make it six and there was still time for another substitute, Eli Fisher, to score as he beat the offside trap, calmly rounded the keeper and slotted home to put Vics in seventh heaven.

Vics: Reid, Camozzi, Cookson, Keyworth, Hurst (Pritchard), Smith (Unwin), McWilliams, Lloyd (Ogundare), Switters (Lynch), Perry, Parker (Fisher)