NORTHWICH Victoria secured a home draw as they started life without Matt Barnes as their manager.

The Trickies earned their first point in three games, sharing the spoils 1-1 with Stourport Swifts at Barton Stadium in Winsford.

Sam Unwin scored the equalising goal in the 69th minute after the visitors got their noses in front three minutes before half-time.

Skipper Matty Clarke and fellow senior player Joe Camozzi took charge of the team, with both featuring in the starting line-up.

The previous weekend Vics conceded three goals in the opening 14 minutes at Romulus but there was to be no such repeat in a first half of few chances.

Swifts did go ahead in the 42nd minute though thanks to a good finish from the edge of the box by Jim Hanson.

Unwin beat the offside trap as he chased a ball over the top and found the net superbly for the leveller.

Vics looked the most likely to go on and win the game.

A Callum Parker header from point-blank range was saved in the 78th minute and Unwin had the last chance when he tried to flick the ball over the keeper, who was just able to get a hand to the ball.

Vics, who ended Saturday in 12th place in the Midland Football League Premier Division, still only have one win in the bag from their last nine matches.

Meanwhile, Witton Albion were defeated 4-0 on the artificial surface at Avro in Northern Premier League West.

Goals were conceded to AJ Warburton (11mins), Benito Lowe (45+2) and Liam Ellis (52, 58) as Avro found the net more than three times in a league match for the first time this season.

It is a fourth defeat in five games for Ben Harrison’s side, who stayed 17th at the end of Saturday – just two points clear of the relegation zone.

They return to action at Hanley Town on Tuesday.

1874 Northwich were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Highgate United in Solihull.

Joel Jones put the Greens, who were an unchanged starting line-up from the previous week’s 2-0 home win against OJM Black Country, in front after 31 minutes when he was sent through one-on-one with the keeper and buried his shot.

Six minutes later Highgate were back on level terms which was enough to earn for them a first point in four games.

An illegal challenge on Matty Fenton results in the home side being down to 10 from the 66th minute but Chris Herbert’s team were not able to capitalise on their numerical advantage.

Fenton did put the ball into the net three minutes into added time but the assistant referee’s flag was raised for offside.

The point was enough to see 1874 climb one place to fifth in the Midland Football League Premier Division on the day, while the hosts slipped into the bottom two.

Winsford United returned to winning ways with a 3-2 success at Foley Meir in the North West Counties Football League First Division South.

Three of the goals came from the penalty spot and Blues will be relieved they did not fully concede a 3-0 lead.

Winsford, who made five changes to the starting team which lost 2-0 at home to Abbey Hulton United in the Edward Case Cup on Tuesday when their 15-match unbeaten run ended, went in front after 24 minutes through Matty Birchall.

Goals from Ollie McDonough, making his first start since returning to the club, in the fifth minute of first-half added time and Ollie Pop from the spot three minutes into the new half put Blues in front.

But penalties from William Tams in the 78th and 89th minutes from the home side left things a little nervy for Winsford at the death.

They stayed second on the ladder, two points behind Stafford Town.

Blues return to action at home to Glossop North End in the Macron Cup second round on Tuesday, kick-off 7.45pm.

In the same division, 12th-placed Barnton lost 1-0 at Stockport Georgians, with Joseph Collins netting the only goal in the 35th minute.