Conceding late goals is something that plagued Heys all season and the opening three game were no exception. An eighty-fifth minute goal for Cheadle Town, a ninety-fourth for AFC Liverpool and in the FA Cup, an eighty-nineth minute goal after being reduced to nine players against Stocksbridge Park Steels made it three defeats in three with the first point of the season coming in the home fixture against Colne where Dylan Fitzgerald scored with a superb finish past one Harry Allen in the Colne goal that day.

The first win of the season came a mere four days later as a brace from Luc Ferry and one from Kaden Hargreaves gave Prestwich a comfortable win against newly-promoted South Liverpool and all seemed a lot rosier as Heys moved up to seventeenth in the table.

The next victory didn’t come until the end of August, after four straight defeats, including one in the FA Vase, when we scored a late goal of our own as Adam Dahou scored in the eighty-nineth minute for three big points at Squires Gate. This moved us to fourteenth but it was early days and a tight table so were only two points outside the relegation zone.

That would prove to be the final win under the leadership of Russ Saunders and Matty Russell as in the league, Heys would pick up just one points in their next eleven league games, a credible 2-2 draw at Charnock Richard. The only other bright spot was a penalty shoot-out victory over Irlam in the Macron Cup. After a 3-0 defeat at home to FC St Helens on 12th October, the decision was made that a change was needed and we said a reluctant goodbye to Russ and Matty.

Ryan Hutchinson came in to begin a new era. His first game in charge was a home fixture against high-flying Padiham. It wouldn’t be an easy task for Ryan and his team. Heys were second from bottom of the table on eight points, six behind Pilkington in twenty-second and had played a game more. The squad were given a chance to impress and apart from a few bright spots from the likes of Luke Jackson, Heys lost 3-0 and changes were about to be made.

For the following game, Max Bardsley-Rowe and Alfie Belcher returned to wear the red of Prestwich and on the bench were new signings Michael Burke and Luke Byron. Another team flying high in the league, West Didsbury & Chorlton were the visitors and despite Heys taking a 2-0 lead thanks to a Bardsley-Rowe brace, the game ended 2-2. However, despite losing a lead, the Heys fans went away more positive than any other game recently. It was definitely a point anyone connected with Heys would have taken before kick-off.

A good first half performance against Barnoldswick next wasn’t enough as Heys came away with nothing after two spectacular goals in a 2-0 win for Barlick and a narrow 3-2 defeat in the re-arranged game with Pilkington followed. Which were followed by heavy defeats at home to Cheadle Town and despite a good performance, away at Chadderton where Harry Allen and James Badrock made their debuts, 4-1 and 3-0 respectively.

Changes continued to be made on the pitch as new signings continued to trickle in and players from the previous regime would leave the club and there would be some respite from the league in the form of the Macron Cup as Heys would pick up their first win under Ryan Hutchinson with a 1-0 win over Cheadle Heath Nomads on November 26th. Earlier in the day, goalkeeper Brad Sullivan was recalled by his parent club Radcliffe and new goalkeeper Harry Allen was cup tied so kitman, Dan Wolstenholme, took the gloves and kept a clean sheet.

Heys were dumped out of the Macron Cup as Ramsbottom scored five without reply at Aide Moran Park and before that, heavy 4-0 loss at home to Charnock Richard which meant Prestwich had gone eighteen league games without a victory and were now cut adrift at the bottom of the table, thirteen points from safety.

Then, on 21st December, Longridge came to town and after going behind directly from a corner, Lewis Aryes would almost instantly equalise for the home side and in the ninety-first minute, Michael Burke would score a goal which sent the ground into raptures. It was a crowded penalty area when Burke got the shot away and like almost everyone else, the voice of Heys, Rick Barrett had no idea who scored it and wasn’t shy telling everyone as he announced the goal scorer as “I have no idea!” The Christmas raffle in the clubhouse afterwards was a lot more festive!

Heys ended the year out with an unlucky defeat at Irlam on Boxing Day and after going toe-to-toe for seventy minutes at Gigg Lane, Bury ran out 5-2 winners forty-eight hours later.

January was going to be a key month as Prestwich had three winnable home games. Now ten points from safety, this was the opportunity to get back into the fight. It started off perfectly as Connor Martin returned to the club and scored within a minute and teenage substitutes Tom Woodward and Bryson Appleton both scoring their first goals for the club in a 3-0 win against Squires Gate.

A narrow defeat against promotion-chasing Lower Breck followed but after that came back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a comfortable 4-1 over South Liverpool and a 1-0 win against Litherland REMYCA in a game where Heys should have scored more! Suddenly, Prestwich were only three points from safety and survival felt possible.

After a defeat at Glossop, it was time for our first away win since August as we entered February as Heys came from behind at play-off contenders West Didsbury and Chorlton with James Badrock scoring seven minutes from time in a 2-1 win and take us outside the relegation zone for the first time since dropping in on the 24th September.

It’s one thing to get out, it’s another to stay out and that would be a challenge as Prestwich would go six games without a win to much frustration, in this run, Heys surrendered what seemed like comfortable 2-0 lead against Pilkington to draw 2-2, a late penalty save denied us all the points at Abbey Hey and a late equaliser for FC Isle of Man after having two players sent off at the same time minutes earlier cost Prestwich six points they should have won.

This meant Heys would find themselves back in the bottom two and bottom of the table, three points from safety and their next game was away to the side just outside the drop zone, Colne.

Heys had to win, there was no doubt about it but after Colne went ahead, some would have been fearing the worst. The Heys players rallied though and dominated the rest of the game. Connor Martin would equalise in what may have been his best performance in a Heys shirt and Bryson Appleton and Alfie Belcher would score too for a massive three points and the pendulum swung again, back outside the relegation zone.

An unlucky defeat at home to Ramsbottom followed in a game Heys lead most of the way as Rammy scored in stoppage time which was followed by a superb comeback win at Barnoldswick, being 2-0 down with just over twenty minutes to go, going on to win 3-2 with a stoppage time winner meant the pendulum swung another two times before we got to the final home game against Irlam.

After taking an early second half lead, Irlam pegged Heys back in four minutes before Max Bardsley-Rowe became the clubs top scorer for the season, scoring a penalty with nine minutes remaining to all but confirm safety, going three points clear of the drop zone with one game remaining and a thirteen-goal better goal difference.

Prestwich would lose 1-0 on the final day away at Longridge Town thanks mainly to the heroics of Longridge’s goalkeeper, Kier Barry. Colne won their game against Abbey Hey 2-1, so Heys survived on goal difference.

Back in December, nobody would believe you if you told them Heys would stay up. It’s a testament to Ryan Hutchinson and his team, coming in for what seemed like an impossible task to pull off one the great escapes. Unfortunately, due to this being the nineth tier of English football, it won’t get talked about as much as it deserves to be, but for Heys fans, it will be remembered for a long time.

Paul Thomason has his own blog called "Paul Watches Football" covering a variety of Football related articles. https://paulwatchesfootball.wordpress.com/