Match Report: Northwich Victoria 4-4 Bootle FC

By Brendan Doyle

Credit: Paul Moran

After leading 4-2 in the fifty fifth minute, Bootle drop their two goal lead to Northwich Victoria to force a replay on Wednesday night at the Marine Travel Arena in the Emirates FA Cup.

In the opening twenty minutes of play the hosts Northwich Victoria looked very threatening each time they attacked towards the Bootle goal but couldn’t quite get their end product right each time, however, against the run of play, Bootle took the lead after Ben Hodkinson played Jack McGowan through on goal to give The Bucks a very surprising and unexpected 1-0 lead. Although just six minutes later, the hosts were awarded a free kick from around twenty five yards out which Elliott Rokka took and put it in the top right hand corner which Joe Mason got a hand to but not enough to keep it out, a fantastic strike which gave The Vics the equaliser they needed.

The equaliser gave Northwich Victoria their momentum back which they used very well and took advantage of as they flew down the left flank with the ball and after a brilliant bit of link up play the ball ended up in the path of Elliott Rokka which he struck into the bottom far corner to give his side a deserved lead, another amazing strike from Rokka to put the hosts ahead. As the game seemed to swing massively in Northwich Victoria’s favour and they looked likely to grab a third in the later stages of the half, Bootle were awarded a penalty after a foul in the Northwich Victoria penalty area, which was successfully put away by Ben Hodkinson who equalled Tom Peterson’s tally for Bootle one hundred and four goals, the first half ended 2-2 in a lively opening forty five minutes.

Early into the second half, a ball across the face of the Northwich Victoria goal fell towards Ryan Beigan at the back post which he placed with a first time effort to put Bootle back in front, only one minute later, Ben Hodkinson jumped to the ball for a header after the ball was floated into the area and managed to nod it into the back of the net to give Bootle a two goal lead and also to get himself in the Bootle history books as he reached goal number one hundred and five. The hosts refused to lie down nonetheless as just three minutes later Josh Langley pounced on a loose ball in the Bootle area to give The Vics hope.

As the game went on, both sides had their respective chances and the next goal in the tie was crucial, but it went to Northwich Victoria after they capitalised on a loose ball in their own area and they managed to get it into Bootle’s area which resulted in substitute Will Bentley scoring with his first touch of the game, talk about an instant impact. In the dying minutes of the game, Bootle very nearly snatched a winner as Saul Fox-Akande’s header hit the post but then ball rolled back to him for a rebound but it was blazed over the bar, a sickening miss for the substitute.

The match ended 4-4 in what was an entertaining affair for the neutral eyes watching the game, the replay between Bootle and Northwich Victoria will now be played on Wednesday 26th August at 7:45pm at the Marine Travel Arena.