Aldershot manager Terry Brown was ordered from the dug out in the second half by referee Stephen Door.
Brown said: "All I said to him was that both benches thought he was poor. Nothing else, and that is what we all thought.
"It was a nervous performance from us to begin with, but to come back from a goal down once we had settled was pleasing."
Brown was no doubt influenced by Mr Door's early decision to award Vics a penalty for Steve Watson's tackle on Paul Brayson.
Watson appeared to time his challenge well but the referee insisted it was just inside the area and Brayson, who had stormed forward from the halfway line, scored his sixth goal in five games from the spot, the ball reaching the net off Nikki Bull's finger tips.
The visitors equalised after 24 minutes when Nick Crittenden darted in to punish hesitancy in the home defence to finish from close range following Dwain Clarke's far-post cross.
Once level Aldershot took a firm grip on the game and they moved in front shortly after the restart when a long throw by Chris Giles again found the Northwich defence lacking concentration and Watson stormed in to score with a powerful header.
Aldershot came close to a third when Tim Sills rattled the Northwich crossbar, but Crittenden wasted two further chances, bringing a save from Kris Rogers and putting the other well wide.
Vics managed only one second-half effort and were outplayed but manager Steve Burr said: "I think we pushed them all the way but after the break we could not get enough possession to get into areas were it mattered."