Report by Rick Barrett

The romance of the Emirates FA Cup is over for Prestwich Heys for another year as a fifty fifth minute strike from Aaron Dwyer proved enough to complete a 2-0 win for Atherton Collieries in this First Preliminary Round tie at the Dreams2Reality stadium.

Heys came into this one with one win behind them thus far this season but unbeaten away from home whilst Colls, from the Norther Premier League Division One West, a League above, had lost both their opening fixtures, so it was all to play for.

It was the hosts first out of the blocks with early chances for Rodney Ajayi and Ethan Kershaw as they looked to pile on the early pressure. However, Heys were battling hard and were almost rewarded on seventeen minutes when a corner was flicked goal bound but a deflection took the ball out to safety.

A key moment in the game came for the visitors on twenty-two minutes when a great ball through the middle found Takura Sambizi (pictured), who was clear in on goal, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. A big let off for the hosts.

Prestwich by this point had settled into the midfield battle with Alfie Belcher firing over the bar on the half hour with Ethan Kershaw doing the same for Colls shortly after.

However, it was Atherton who were to make the breakthrough on forty one minutes when a ball down the left found Chinedu Uche who took a touch that took him into the box and he fired into the bottom corner past Heys keeper Lee White for the opening goal.

Back came Heys though with Sambizi down the left finding Mworina Doro six yards out but his shot was superbly blocked by the Atherton centre half as the half drew to a close.

Prestwich went into the half time break behind, but knowing they were giving the hosts a good challenge but needing to convert any chances that came, their way.

As the second half commenced it was Colls though who very quickly down to business and they went further ahead on fifty five minutes when an Ethan Kershaw shot was well saved by White only for the ball to fall back into the path of Dwyer who fired home, leaving Heys with a mountain to climb.

Dwyer who had been lively all evening should have had his second on sixty-eight minutes, the ball being cleared off the line from his shot from six yards out and he then rattled the post two minutes later as the home side threatened to cut free.

Further drama for the hosts came on seventy-nine minutes when Luke Nock hit an adventurous shot from the halfway line which hit the crossbar.

Heys kept battling and knocked a couple of crosses in late on but the Colls defence stood firm and the home side might have added a third but White, in the Heys goal, made a great save getting down to a fierce shot by Nock from eight yards as the clock ticked down.

So, a comfortable win in the end for Atherton Collieries who progress to the next round. The home side had that extra bit of quality and physicality that you would expect from a team a league above, but Heys gave a good account of themselves and will take out the positives as they hit the road again next Saturday as they travel to 1874 Northwich in the Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round before a League trip to Barnoldswick Town on Bank Holiday Monday (both 3pm).

TEAM; Lee White, Joe Camozzi, Louie Hutchinson, James Badrock (Capt.), David Badrock, Nicholas Dre Taylor, Mworina Doro, Rob Worrall, Connor Martin, Alfie Belcher, Takura Sambizi Subs: Max Bardsley-Rowe (for Doro 70mins), Luke Byron, Michael Burke (for Martin 75 mins), Jacob Ramplin (for Taylor 75 mins) , Owen Percival (for Belcher 60 mins), Josh Clegg, Josh Tinker