Vauxhall Motors . . . 1 Hucknall Town . . . 0

by Alan Bartlam

FOLLOWING hard-fought victories over Billingham Town and Workington, Owen Brown's Vauxhall Motors are now preparing for this Saturday's FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie away to Conference club Northwich Victoria. Success would put the Motormen in the First Round Proper draw for the second time in three seasons.

Both sides go into this tie with their tails up, after indifferent starts to the campaign. Vics have been in the doldrums for more than 12 months, but suddenly they look to be on the way back, having won their last two Conference games with something to spare. Motors suffered several agonising games at the start of this season before they finally turned the corner.

Since then, they have gone from strength to strength, culminating in last Saturday's last-ditch victory over a lively Hucknall Town, last season's Unibond Premier Division champions, to secure their fifth win in six unbeaten matches.

Substitute striker Darren Wright not only proved to be the catalyst for their late surge, but also scored the only goal of the contest, a tremendous goal deep into added time at the end of the match.

Those three points hoisted the Motormen up two more places in the Nationwide Conference North table - and sets up Saturday's cup tie at Wincham Park superbly!