PAUL Bowyer has said 1874 Northwich’s players should learn from rivals Runcorn Linnets after scoring a stoppage-time winner in midweek.

Matthew Beadle’s penalty secured a 2-1 victory against Abbey Hey at Barton Stadium, where they had trailed with just seven minutes left.

It’s a knack the table-toppers have become renowned for this season after boosting their tally by a dozen points thanks to late strikes.

“Runcorn do it often, and we need to grind out results like they do,” said the assistant manager.

“Everybody is on a high when you win like that – it’s a reward for not giving up, which was a possibility with 20 minutes or so left when it feels like their goalkeeper is going to save everything.

“It’s a quality I’d like us show more regularly.”

1874 enter the weekend placed fourth in the Premier Division, 11 points adrift of Linnets with a game in hand.

However Bowyer, standing in for Ian Street while he takes time off to care for his ill mother, will tell his team not to look at the table again until the end of the month.

“We need to go on a run, and worry for the next few weeks about picking up as many points as we can,” he said.

“If we do, then we can look again about what prospects we have for the final few weeks of the season.

“The two teams immediately ahead of us, Atherton Collieries and Colne, haven’t played as many games as we have.

“Let’s see where we are in relation to them when they’ve caught up a bit – it’s a waste of time making calculations in the meantime.”

Instead 1874 will focus attention on winning for the first time at Maine Road, their hosts on Saturday.

They have lost on both previous visits, and were beaten 2-1 when the sides met in Winsford earlier this term.

Louis James serves a suspension, while Bowyer plans to wait as long as possible before deciding if Ryan Mitchell has recovered from illness to feature.

Danny Thomas is available after missing Tuesday’s game due to work commitments.

“We seem to struggle against Maine Road whenever we play them,” said Bowyer, who will pick the side along with first-team coach Stuart Tulloch.

“They’re young side who play with loads of energy, like having the ball and play free-flowing football.

“We have to deal better with that than we have done in the past.”